William Jerome Cline (born September 2, 1943) is an American former professional football quarterback and defensive back who played for the Ottawa Rough Riders and Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football for East Carolina.[1]
| No. 27, 14 | |
| Born: | September 2, 1943 Valdese, North Carolina, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | Quarterback, defensive back, punter |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) |
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
| College | East Carolina (1961–1964) |
| High school | Valdese (NC) |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1965–1967 | Ottawa Rough Riders |
| 1968 | Saskatchewan Roughriders |
Early life
editCline was born on September 2, 1943, in Valdese, North Carolina and attended and played football for Valdese High School. As a senior in 1960, he was named team MVP while also being selected to the Northwestern 3A All-Conference Team, North Carolina All-State Team, and he was also selected North Carolina Shrine Bowl Team.[2]
College career
editCline played college football for East Carolina. While with the Pirates he gained a total of 3,383 yards which was an East Carolina record for 25 years. He threw for 2,425 yards and 27 touchdowns while also returning punts for the team. In 1964 he led the Pirates to a win in the 1964 Tangerine Bowl and was also named the game's MVP.[3]
Professional career
editOttawa Rough Riders
editIn 1965, Cline signed with the Ottawa Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). With the team he was mainly used as the punter. He also played defensive back and quarterback sparingly for the team.
Cline was once again used as a punter in 1966, while also playing his other positions on offense and defense. As a member of the Rough Riders in 1966 he was a part of the league runner-ups as they lost the 1966 Grey Cup.[4]
In 1967, Cline played his final year with the Rough Riders as he continued to be a punter, defensive back, and quarterback.
Saskatchewan Roughriders
editIn 1968, Cline signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. During the season he was used mainly as a defensive back with a diminished role, only catching two interceptions for seventeen yards in five games.[5]
Honors
editCline is a member of the East Carolina University Athletics Hall of Fame and the Burke County Sports Hall of Fame.[3][2]
References
edit- ^ "Bill Cline". justsportsstats.com.
- ^ a b "Bill Cline - Football Player Burke County NC". burkecountysportshalloffame.com. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
- ^ a b "Bill Cline (1974) - ECU Athletics Hall of Fame". East Carolina University Athletics. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
- ^ "CFL Results Nov. 26, 1966 Ottawa Rough Riders 14 vs Saskatchewan Roughriders 29 on CFLdb Statistics". stats.cfldb.ca. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
- ^ "Bill Cline football Statistics on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com. Retrieved February 24, 2023.