American football player (1938–2020)
Bill Mathis (December 10, 1938 – October 20, 2020) was an American professional football player who was a running back for the New York Titans/Jets in the American Football League (AFL).[ 2] He played college football for the Clemson Tigers . He also competed on the Clemson Tigers track and field team.[ 3] He started his professional career with the Titans, and played his entire career with the AFL's New York franchise. One of four Titans who remained with the New York Jets to play in and win a Super Bowl , Mathis led the AFL in carries in 1961 and was selected by his peers to the Sporting News 1961 AFL All-League team. He was an AFL Eastern Division All-Star in 1961 and 1963. Mathis had a collarbone broken in the third game of 1961, against the Boston Patriots . He played in the next game, and in fact in all the remaining games of the season.
That persistence allowed him to gain a roster spot year after year, and end his career in 1969 after winning Super Bowl III . He is one of twenty players who were in the AFL for its entire ten-year existence, and seven players who played their entire AFL careers for one franchise. He was inducted into the Clemson University Hall of Fame, South Carolina Hall of Fame, and the Georgia Hall of Fame.
After retiring from football, Mathis began a career on Wall Street , starting at the firm Cogan, Berlind, Weill & Levitt .[ 4]
AFL career statistics
Legend
Won the Super Bowl
Led the league
Bold
Career high
Regular season
Year
Team
Games
Rushing
Receiving
GP
GS
Att
Yds
Avg
Lng
TD
Rec
Yds
Avg
Lng
TD
1960
NYT
14
9
92
307
3.3
17
2
18
103
5.7
24
0
1961
NYT
14
14
202
846
4.2
30
7
12
42
3.5
14
1
1962
NYT
11
6
71
245
3.5
41
3
6
32
5.3
14
0
1963
NYJ
14
12
107
268
2.5
16
1
18
177
9.8
33
1
1964
NYJ
14
13
105
305
2.9
31
4
4
39
9.8
15
0
1965
NYJ
14
14
147
604
4.1
79
5
17
242
14.2
32
1
1966
NYJ
14
7
72
208
2.9
23
2
22
379
17.2
70
1
1967
NYJ
14
9
78
243
3.1
18
4
25
429
17.2
38
3
1968
NYJ
14
5
74
208
2.8
16
5
9
149
16.6
31
1
1969
NYJ
14
2
96
355
3.7
27
4
18
183
10.2
35
1
137
91
1,044
3,589
3.4
79
37
149
1,775
11.9
70
9
Playoffs
Year
Team
Games
Rushing
Receiving
GP
GS
Att
Yds
Avg
Lng
TD
Rec
Yds
Avg
Lng
TD
1968
NYJ
2
0
6
10
1.7
5
0
3
20
6.7
13
0
1969
NYJ
1
0
6
11
1.8
6
0
1
4
4.0
4
0
3
0
12
21
1.8
6
0
4
24
6.0
13
0
See also
References
External links