Bill Brundige

Bill Brundige
No. 77
Position:Defensive lineman
Personal information
Born:(1948-11-13)November 13, 1948
Holyoke, Colorado, U.S.
Died:December 29, 2018(2018-12-29) (aged 70)
Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S.
Height:6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight:270 lb (122 kg)
Career information
High school:Haxtun (CO)
College:Colorado
NFL draft:1970 / round: 2 / pick: 43
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:107
Games started:74
Fumble recoveries:5
Stats at Pro Football Reference Edit this at Wikidata

William Glenn Brundige (November 13, 1948 – December 29, 2018) was an American football defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins for eight seasons, from 1970 through 1977. He is currently sixth on the Redskins all-time sack list.

Born in Holyoke, Colorado, Brundige played high school football at tiny Haxtun in northeastern Colorado and then played college football at the University of Colorado in Boulder. He was a physics major at CU and also threw the shot put for the Colorado Buffaloes track and field team.[1] After a senior season in 1969 in which he was named first-team All-America, he was selected in the second round of the 1970 NFL draft, 43rd overall, by head coach Vince Lombardi of the Redskins.[2][3]

At age 21, he was a starter as a rookie in 1970 at defensive tackle. At the end of his third season in the NFL, Brundige became a part of both Redskin and Super Bowl lore in Super Bowl VII. He blocked the field goal attempt by Garo Yepremian that led to the bizarre fumble-return touchdown by Mike Bass that cut the Miami Dolphins' lead to 14–7 with just over two minutes remaining.[4][5]

In 2002 for the Redskins' 70th anniversary, Brundige was named a member of the 70 Greatest Redskins.

After his playing days, Brundige was a general manager of Ford dealerships in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia in the city of Winchester and town of Front Royal.[5]

Brundige died at his home in Knoxville, Tennessee on December 29, 2018, from cancer.[6]

  1. ^ "Big step for a big Buff: doghouse to All-America". Tuscaloosa News. Alabama. December 9, 1969. p. 11.
  2. ^ "Washington fortunate to get Brundige – Vince". Free Lance-Star. Fredericksburg, Virginia. January 28, 1970. p. 10.
  3. ^ Buttram, Bill (August 14, 1970). "Big Bill looks real". Free Lance-Star. Fredericksburg, Virginia. p. 6.
  4. ^ Solomon, George (January 15, 1973). "Dolphins find perfect way to end season". Victoria Advocate. Texas. (Los Angeles Times). p. 1B.
  5. ^ a b Gehman, Jim. "Where are they now - Bill Brundige". Hail!. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  6. ^ "CU football giant Bill Brundige passes away at age 70". January 4, 2019.