No. 36 | |||||||||||
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Position: | Defensive back | ||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||
Born: | Greenville, South Carolina, U.S. | October 10, 1946||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||
College: | Maryland State | ||||||||||
NFL draft: | 1969 / Round: 3 / Pick: 61 | ||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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William Allen Thompson (born October 10, 1946) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback and safety in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Denver Broncos in the third round [1] of the 1969 NFL/AFL draft. He played college football at Maryland State College and was inducted into the Hawk Hall of Fame in 1984. [2]
Thompson was a three-time Pro Bowl selection [3] and was inducted into the Broncos Ring of Fame in 1987. [4]
Thompson played his entire 13-year career for the Denver Broncos from 1969 to 1981. [5] During his career he was selected to the three Pro Bowls in 1977, 1978, and 1981 [6] and was an All-Pro selection in 1977. [7] He is currently third on the Broncos all-time list for games started with 179, [8] tenth in games played with 179, [9] and holds the club record for interception return yards at 784.
Bruce Bernard Smith is an American former football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 19 seasons, primarily with the Buffalo Bills. He played college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies, where he was a twice All-American, and was selected with the first overall pick by the Bills in the 1985 NFL draft.
James Bayard Turner was an American football placekicker who played in the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Jets and the Denver Broncos. He was a two-time Pro Bowl selection with the Jets and a member of their Super Bowl III championship team. Turner was chosen for the AFL All-Time Second-team and the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame.
Andre Darnell Reed is an American former football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the Buffalo Bills. He played college football for the Kutztown Golden Bears and was selected by the Bills in the fourth round of the 1985 NFL draft with the 86th overall selection. Following 15 seasons with the Bills, where he earned Pro Bowl honors seven times, Reed spent his final season as a member of the Washington Redskins in 2000.
Stephen Dennis Atwater is an American former football safety who played for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time Super Bowl champion. Atwater was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on February 1, 2020.
Daniel Edward Reeves was an American professional football running back and coach in the National Football League (NFL). During his 38 years in the NFL, Reeves participated in nine Super Bowls, the third most for an individual. He was a head coach for 23 seasons, a position he held with the Denver Broncos from 1981 to 1992, the New York Giants from 1993 to 1996, and the Atlanta Falcons from 1997 to 2003. As a player, he spent his eight-season career with the Dallas Cowboys, who signed him as an undrafted free agent out of South Carolina in 1965.
William Ferdie Brown was an American professional football player, coach and administrator. He played as a cornerback for the Denver Broncos and the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League (AFL) and later in the National Football League (NFL). Following his playing career, Brown remained with the Raiders as an assistant coach. He served as the head football coach at California State University, Long Beach in 1991, the final season before the school's football program was terminated. Brown was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1984. At the time of his death he was on the Raiders' administrative staff.
Larry Craig Morton is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons, primarily with the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos. He played college football for the California Golden Bears, receiving All-American honors, and was selected by the Cowboys fifth overall in the 1965 NFL draft. Following nine seasons with the Cowboys, a quarterback controversy with Roger Staubach led to Morton joining the New York Giants for three seasons. He spent his final six seasons as a member of the Broncos, winning NFL Comeback Player of the Year and AFC Offensive Player of the Year in 1977.
Randolph Charles Gradishar is an American former professional football player who played 10 seasons as a linebacker during the 1970s and 1980s for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). A native of Ohio, Gradishar was a one-time consensus and one-time unanimous All-American for the Ohio State Buckeyes, before playing ten seasons for Denver, where he was the centerpiece of their "Orange Crush Defense". In 2024, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Thomas Louie Jackson, also referred to as "TJ" or "Tommy", is an American sports commentator and former professional football player. He played as a linebacker for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL) from 1973 to 1986. He was a member of Denver's "Orange Crush Defense" and helped lead the Broncos to the AFC Championship in 1977 and 1986. After his playing career ended, he enjoyed a successful 29-year run as an NFL analyst for ESPN. He was given the Pete Rozelle Award for excellence in broadcasting by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015.
Gary Wayne Zimmerman is an American former professional football player who was a Hall of Fame offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) and United States Football League (USFL). He earned a Super Bowl ring with the Denver Broncos.
Dennis Smith is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL) for the Denver Broncos from 1981 until 1994. Smith played college football for the USC Trojans.
Robert William Lytle was an American football running back who played for the Denver Broncos in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons.
Kenneth Jerome Riley was an American football cornerback who spent his entire career with the Cincinnati Bengals, first in the American Football League (AFL) in 1969 and then the National Football League (NFL) from 1970 through 1983. Riley recorded 65 interceptions in his career, which was the fourth most in NFL history at the time of his retirement. Despite his accomplishments, he was never an exceptionally well-known or popular player. Riley was never once selected to play in the AFL All-Star Game or the Pro Bowl, but he was selected to three All-Pro teams.
Richard Paul Anderson is an American former professional football player who was a safety for the Miami Dolphins of the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons during the 1960s and 1970s. He played college football for the Colorado Buffaloes and was recognized as a consensus All-American. He was selected in third round of the 1968 NFL/AFL draft, and he played for his entire professional career for the Dolphins.
Haven Christopher Moses is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 14 seasons in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL).
Richard Samuel Jackson, nicknamed "Tombstone", is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end and a linebacker in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Southern Jaguars. Jackson played for the AFL's Oakland Raiders in 1966 and Denver Broncos from 1967 through 1969, remaining with the Broncos in 1970 through 1971 after their post-merger transition to the NFL, and the Cleveland Browns in 1972. Jackson was named an All-Pro in 1969 and 1970.
The 1960 NFL draft in which NFL teams take turns selecting amateur college American football players and other first-time eligible players, was held at the Warwick Hotel in Philadelphia on November 30, 1959. Many players, including half of those drafted in the first round, signed with teams in the newly created American Football League, including the first overall pick and Heisman Trophy winner Billy Cannon. At the time of the draft, the Cardinals were still the Chicago Cardinals; they moved to St. Louis in March 1960. The Dallas Cowboys were enfranchised in January 1960 after the draft.
Charlie Tutan Waters is an American former professional football player who spent his entire 12-year career as a safety for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Clemson Tigers.
Alden Stephen Rochè Jr. was an American professional football player who was a defensive end for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, and Seattle Seahawks from 1970 to 1978, having earlier played college football at Southern University.
William Wallace Kollar is an American football coach and former player. Kollar played as a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cincinnati Bengals from 1974 to 1976, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1977 to 1981. Kollar has 34 years of coaching experience, including the last 28 seasons coaching defensive linemen in the NFL. Before coming to Denver in 2015, he coached the defensive line for Houston (2009–2014), Buffalo (2006–2008), St. Louis (2001–2005) and Atlanta (1990–2000).