Bill Belk
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| Position: | Defensive end | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | February 19, 1946 Lancaster, South Carolina, U.S. | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| College: | Maryland Eastern Shore | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1968 / round: 6 / pick: 153 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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William Arthur Belk (born February 19, 1946) is a former American football defensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the 6th round of the 1968 NFL/AFL draft. He played college football at Maryland Eastern Shore. He played for the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League in 1975 and 1976. He played a total of 9 years of professional football.
Belk was inducted into the University of Maryland Eastern-Shore Hall of Fame in 1984. His collegiate career spanned from 1964 to 1968. In college, Belk was a two-way starter at offensive and defensive end. He received All-Conference honors in 1966 and 1967, and was co-captain of the team his senior year. While in college, Belk was a student athlete, making the honor roll and dean’s list. He graduated in 1968, earning a bachelor's degree in Business Education.
In the NFL, Belk proved to be a versatile, reliable, and very intelligent football player, starting at both defensive end and tackle. One of his coaches, Dick Nolan, made this testimony in reference to Belk, “What I like about Bill is that he's very smart. He knows exactly what he's doing out there and can adjust to any situation."
Professional career
[edit]San Francisco 49ers (1968–74)
[edit]Belk made an impact in his rookie season when he stepped up for Kevin Hardy after he went down with a right knee sprain.[1] By his third season with the team, despite suffering some injuries early in his career, he was seen as an integral part of the team, coming off the bench.[2] In 1975, he was waived by the 49ers.[3]
Toronto Argonauts
[edit]In 1975, Belk joined the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ Church, Jim (November 18, 1968). "Not hurt by 49er tie - Allen". The Press-Courier. p. 11. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
- ^ Timms, Leslie (October 8, 1970). "Belk wants starting job". Herald-Journal. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
- ^ "Pros trim again". Herald-Journal. September 11, 1975. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
- ^ "Argonauts pose test for Bomber running". The Leader-Post. October 2, 1975. Retrieved December 13, 2024.