Billy Joe (American football)

William Joe (born October 14, 1940) is an American former football player and coach. He played professionally as a running back in the American Football League (AFL).

Billy Joe
No. 18, 3, 33, 35
Position:Running back
Personal information
Born: (1940-10-14) October 14, 1940
Aynor, South Carolina, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
College:Villanova
NFL Draft:1963 / Round: 9 / Pick: 119
AFL Draft:1963 / Round: 11 / Pick: 85
Career history
As a player:
As a coach:
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards:2,010
Yards per carry:3.7
Rushing touchdowns:15

Playing career

Joe was the American Football League Rookie of the Year in 1963 with the AFL's Denver Broncos. In 1965, he was traded to the Buffalo Bills for their legendary fullback, Cookie Gilchrist,[1] and made the AFL All-Star Team, starting for the Bills in their 1965 AFL Championship victory over the San Diego Chargers.

Coaching career

Before becoming a head coach, his tenure as an assistant coach included a year at Maryland in 1971, making him the first African-American coach in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Joe later was a successful college head coach for 33 seasons. He coached at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania from 1972 to 1978, Central State University from 1981 to 1993, Florida A&M University from 1994 to 2004, and Miles College from 2008 to 2010. Joe achieved his greatest success at Central State, where his teams won two NAIA National Football Championships, in 1990 and 1992, and made many appearances in the NAIA football playoffs during the 1980s and 1990s. He teams at Florida A&M have made various appearances in the Division I-AA (now FCS) playoffs during the 1990s and early 2000s.[2]

In addition, Joe has won five straight black college football national championships with Central State University (1986–1990) and one with Florida A&M (1998). In 2007, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach.

Players coached by Joe who went on to the NFL/CFL/Arena League are:

After a two-season absence as a coach, Joe was named head football coach at Miles College, an NCAA Division II school in Fairfield, Alabama on December 12, 2007. He resigned in October 2010, citing poor health. Assistant coach Patrick Peasant took over the team on an interim basis.[3]

He finished his college coaching career with a record of 245–157–4. His number of victories are second only to Eddie Robinson among coaches at historically black colleges and universities.

Head coaching record
Year Team Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs
Cheyney Wolves (Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference) (1972–1978)
1972 Cheyney 6–32–35th (Eastern)
1973 Cheyney 5–43–24th (Eastern)
1974 Cheyney 5–42–45th (Eastern)
1975 Cheyney 4–62–46th (Eastern)
1976 Cheyney 1–71–56th (Eastern)
1977 Cheyney 4–51–46th (Eastern)
1978 Cheyney 6–34–12nd (Eastern)
Cheyney: 31–3215–23
Central State Marauders (NCAA Division II independent) (1981–1986)
1981 Central State 4–7
1982 Central State 7–4
1983 Central State 12–1L NCAA Division II Championship
1984 Central State 9–2L NCAA Division II First Round
1985 Central State 8–3L NCAA Division II First Round
1986 Central State 10–1–1L NCAA Division II Semifinal
Central State Marauders (NAIA Division I independent) (1987–1993)
1987 Central State 10–1–1L NAIA Division I First Round
1988 Central State 11–2L NAIA Division I Semifinal
1989 Central State 10–3L NAIA Division I Semifinal
1990 Central State 10–1W NAIA Division I Championship
1991 Central State 11–2L NAIA Division I Championship
1992 Central State 12–1W NAIA Division I Championship
1993 Central State 8–1–2L NAIA Division I Semifinal
Central State: 120–30–4
Florida A&M Rattlers (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) (1994–2003)
1994 Florida A&M 6–52–4T–5th
1995 Florida A&M 9–36–01stL Heritage
1996 Florida A&M 9–37–01stL NCAA Division I-AA First Round
1997 Florida A&M 9–35–2T–2ndL NCAA Division I-AA First Round
1998 Florida A&M 11–27–1T–1stL NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal
1999 Florida A&M 11–47–12ndL NCAA Division I-AA Semifinal
2000 Florida A&M 9–37–11stL NCAA Division I-AA First Round
2001 Florida A&M 7–47–11stL NCAA Division I-AA First Round
2002 Florida A&M 7–55–3T–2nd
2003 Florida A&M 6–63–46th
Florida A&M Rattlers (NCAA Division I-AA independent) (2004)
2004 Florida A&M 3–8
Florida A&M: 86–4656–17
Miles Golden Bears (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) (2008–2010)
2008 Miles 2–82–7T–8th
2009 Miles 4–73–6T–7th
2010 Miles 2–4
Miles: 8–19
Total:245–157–4

See also

References
  1. "Cookie's in trouble - Broncs threaten $400,000 action". Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. July 27, 1965. p. 2D. Retrieved September 29, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
  2. Connelly, Bill (May 4, 2016). "That time FAMU nearly made it in college football's top level, but the timing was all wrong". SBNation.com. Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  3. "Miles coach Billy Joe resigns, cites health" (October 5, 2010) Sports Illustrated
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