Bill Triplett

William Clarence Triplett (born May 9, 1940) is a former American football running back. He played 10 years in the National Football League (NFL) for the St. Louis Cardinals (1962–63, 1965–66), New York Giants (1967), and Detroit Lions (1968–72). He also played college football for Miami University (Ohio).

William Clarence Triplett
No. 38
Born: (1940-05-09) May 9, 1940
Indianola, Mississippi, USA
Career information
Position(s)Running back
Height6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight215 lb (98 kg)
CollegeMiami (Ohio)
AFL draft1962 / Round: 9 / Pick: 70
Drafted byBoston Patriots
NFL draft1962 / Round: 6 / Pick: 72
Drafted byNew York Giants
Career history
As player
1962–1966St. Louis Cardinals
1967New York Giants
1968–1972Detroit Lions
Career stats

Early years

Triplett was born in 1940 in either Indianola, Mississippi,[1] or Shaw, Mississippi.[2] His family moved to Girard, Ohio,[2] where he attended Girard High School.[1] His older brother, Mel Triplett, played in the NFL as a running back and defensive back from 1955 to 1962.[3]

Triplett attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where he played for the Miami Redskins football team under head coach John Pont. As a senior in 1961, Triplett gained 1,418 yards, was named the team's most valuable player, and was selected to the All-Mid-American Conference team.[4] He was also selected to play in the Hula Bowl and the East–West Shrine Game.[2]

Professional football

Triplett was selected by the New York Giants in the sixth round, 72nd overall pick, of the 1962 NFL Draft. He was also selected in the ninth round of the 1962 AFL Draft by the Boston Patriots.[1] In May 1962, the Giants traded Triplett to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for Ralph Guglielmi.[2]

As a rookie in 1962, Triplett was used principally as a kick return specialist and carried the ball only twice on offense. In 1963, Triplett's second year in the NFL, he gained 1,048 yards from scrimmage, 652 rushing and 396 receiving.[1] He missed the 1964 season after contracting tuberculosis,[5] and seeing his weight drop from 210 to 175 pounds.[6] He returned to the Cardinals' lineup in 1965 and totaled 873 yards from scrimmage, 617 rushing and 256 receiving.[1][6]

After carrying the ball only eight times for the Cardinals in 1966, Triplett was traded to the New York Giants prior to the 1967 season. He was a backup for the Giants in 1967, gaining 171 rushing yards and 69 receiving yards.[1]

In August 1968, Triplett was traded by the Giants to the Detroit Lions with Bill Swain in exchange for Bruce Maher and two draft choices.[7] Triplett spent five seasons with the Lions from 1968 to 1972. He appeared in 68 games for the Lions, 11 as a starter, and totaled 1,297 yards from scrimmage (969 rushing and 328 receiving).[1]

References
  1. "Bill Triplett". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
  2. Bob Posen (May 10, 1962). "Big Red Gets Giants' Bill Triplett, Future Draft Choice for Guglielmi". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 6E.
  3. "Bill Triplett Not Just 'Mel's Little Brother'". The Oil City Derrick. September 18, 1963. p. 8.
  4. "MU Names Bill Triplett MVP For '61". The Cincinnati Enquirer. December 12, 1961. p. 33.
  5. "Bill Triplett Out for Year". The Leavenworth Times. July 6, 1964. p. 7.
  6. "The Comeback of Unsinkable Bill". The Pantagraph. November 19, 1965. p. 21.
  7. "Giants Send Bill Triplett To Detroit". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. August 30, 1968. p. 33.
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