Bill Hewitt (American football)

Bill Hewitt
No. 56, 82
Position:	Defensive end ; End
Personal information
Born:	October 8, 1909; Bay City, Michigan, U.S.
Died:	January 14, 1947 (aged 37); Sellersville, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Height:	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight:	190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High school:	Central ; (Bay City, Michigan)
College:	Michigan (1929–1931)
Career history
	Chicago Bears (1932–1936); Philadelphia Eagles (1937–1939); Steagles (1943);
Career highlights and awards
	2× NFL champion (1932, 1933); 4× First-team All-Pro (1933-1934, 1936, 1938); 2× Second-team All-Pro (1932, 1937); NFL receiving touchdowns leader (1934); NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team; NFL 1930s All-Decade Team; Chicago Bears No. 56 retired; 100 greatest Bears of All-Time; Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame; Third-team All-American (1931); Second-team All-Big Ten (1931);
Career NFL statistics
Receptions:
Receptions:	103
Receiving yards:	1,638
Receiving touchdowns:	24
	Player stats at PFR
	Pro Football Hall of Fame

William Ernest Hewitt (October 8, 1909 – January 14, 1947) was an American football defensive end and end who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played five seasons for the Chicago Bears (1932–1936), three for the Philadelphia Eagles (1937–1939), and one for the Phil-Pitt Steagles (1943). He is remembered for his refusal to wear a helmet as one of the last NFL players not to wear one.^[1]

Hewitt played college football for the Michigan Wolverines, where he was named team's most valuable player and second-team All-Big Ten his senior season. In nine NFL seasons, he was named an All-Pro six times, won two NFL championships, and in 1934 led the league in touchdown receptions. His jersey number 56 is retired by the Bears and he is a member of the Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame. Hewitt was posthumously inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971.