William Patrick Staley (born September 9, 1946) is an American former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player who was a

defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...

for five years in the

American Football League The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, AFL–NFL merger, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Foot ...

(AFL) and

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL). He played a total of 49 games, including two seasons with the

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...

and three with the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...

College career

Staley played defensive end at Utah State. The 25 most highly drafted football players from Utah State. Beban heads list for Heisman Trophy Title and Staley was among the top 10 which included Orenthal James "O.J." Simpson While at Utah, Staley was Playboy 1967 All-American Defense Staley played 49 games (21 starts) for the Bengals And the Chicago Bears over five seasons on the defensive line. During the second to last game at Utah state Staley suffered a shoulder separation Utah State inducted Staley in the Hall of Fame class of 1995

Professional career

Staley was selected in the second round of the

1968 NFL draft The 1968 NFL/AFL draft was part of the common draft, in the second year in which the National Football League, NFL and American Football League, AFL held a joint draft of college players. It took place at the Belmont Plaza Hotel in New York City ...

. He has the distinction of being the second-pick ever by the

franchise. Staley played under

Paul Brown Paul Eugene Brown (September 7, 1908 – August 5, 1991) was an American American football, football coach and executive in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC), the National Football League (NFL), and the American Football League (AFL). ...

who founded the Cincinnati Bengals. In 1970, the Bengals traded Staley, along with linebacker Harry Gunner, to the Chicago Bears for tackle Rufus Mayes. Staley retired after spending three years with the Bears.

Life after Football

Staley lives on a farm in California with his wife with chronic headaches, a crippled body, and the beginning of dementia. Staley has Traumatic Brain Injury sustained from playing in the NFL. He wears a whistle around his neck to blow to end the anger like the NFL referees when he has outbursts. Staley became deeply religious after his football career, in the 1980s becoming an anti-abortion activist. At one event outside a

Planned Parenthood The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. (PPFA), or simply Planned Parenthood, is an American nonprofit organization

clinic in

Ukiah, California Ukiah ( ; Pomo: ''Yokáya'', meaning "deep valley" or "south valley") is the county seat and largest city of Mendocino County, California, Mendocino County, in the North Coast (California), North Coast region of California. Ukiah had a populati ...

in December 1988,

Earth First! Earth First! is a radical environmentalism, radical Environmental movement, environmental advocacy group that originated in the Southwestern United States. It was founded in 1980 by Dave Foreman, Mike Roselle, Howie Wolke, Bart Koehler, and Ron K ...

activists Judi Bari and Darryl Cherney confronted him with a deliberately offensive parody of Will the Circle Be Unbroken?, "Will the Fetus Be Aborted?" A few days after the car bombing attempt on Bari's life on May 24, 1990, a letter from someone identifying himself as "The Lord's Avenger," claiming credit for the bombing, was mailed to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
The letter
briefly cast suspicion on Staley as the author due to the notoriety of the Planned Parenthood incident. It was soon determined that the letter was a hoax from Bari's assailant designed to cast suspicion on Staley, capitalizing on the notoriety of the Planned Parenthood incident. Staley was cleared as a suspect in the bombing.

Personal life

Staley married his wife Nona and they have two children. He also has a daughter - Shannon Staley.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Staley, Bill 1946 births Living people American football defensive ends American Football League players Cincinnati Bengals players Players of American football from Walnut Creek, California Utah State Aggies football players

College career

Professional career

Life after Football

Personal life

See also

References