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Billy Wade
Position(s): Quarterback	Jersey #(s): 9
Born: October 4, 1930 (1930-10-04) (age 77) Nashville, Tennessee
Career Information
Year(s): 1954-1966
NFL Draft: 1952 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1
College: Vanderbilt
Professional Teams
Los Angeles Rams (1954-1960) Chicago Bears (1961-1966)
Career Stats
TD-INT	124-134
Yards	18,530
QB Rating	72.2
Stats at NFL.com
Career Highlights and Awards
2x Pro Bowl selection (1958, 1963)

William James Wade (born October 4, 1930 in Nashville, Tennessee) is a former professional American football quarterback. He is best known for being the starting quarterback on the Chicago Bears' 1963 NFL championship team. Born in Vanderbilt Hospital one of two sons of former 1921 Vanderbilt football captain, William J. Wade, Sr. Wade began his athletic career at Woodmont Grammar School in Nashville, where he played guard rather than quarterback.

The most memorable experience at Woodmont was the first game he would play at Vanderbilt's Dudley Field. His team played another grammar school as the halftime entertainment of a Vanderbilt game. He prepped at Montgomery Bell Academy after receiving a scholarship to the seventh grade.

During his high schools days Wade would go over to Dudley Field to throw and kick the football for fun. The 15 year-old kid gained the attention of Vandy's coaches by tossing the ball half the football field. Wade also was a pitcher on the MBA baseball team.

Vanderbilt's head football Red Sanders offered Wade a football scholarship, he accepted on the spot. He was practically raised on the campus, witnessing numerous games with his father as a youngster.

"They had put my picture on the cover of Look magazine before the 1949 season started," Wade said. "I didn't play a lot my sophomore season, Jamie Wade (no relation) played more than I did and did a very good job. Red Sanders left and went to UCLA. Our coach was gone and Bill Edwards came down to be the coach."

"We opened up against Georgia Tech with a full house, and I will never forget it. This Look magazine came out right before our first game. There I was on the front of Look magazine with Dot and Peggy Neal. Both of them were from Atlanta though they were in Vanderbilt. The crowd kept yelling at me, 'Hey glamour boy.'"

Concluding his collegiate career, Wade was named the SEC's Most Valuable Player and a second team All-American. He was also MVP of the 1951 North-South Shrine Bowl game in Miami. Wade also played in the Senior Bowl of 1952 and was selected to play in the College All-Star game in Chicago.

Wade's postseason performances caught the attention of the NFL scouts. It has been widely acclaimed and published that Wade was the first round pick of the Los Angeles Rams, but that is not correct according to Wade.

"In 1952, I was the Rams 'bonus draft choice,'" Wade explained. "There is no such thing as a bonus draft choice any more, but at the time the professional football teams would put their names in a hat, and they would draw for a bonus draft pick for each team before the actual draft. There is no bonus draft pick today."

(all quotes from an interview 8/25/2004 Bill Wade: Vanderbilt Football Legend with Bill Traughber Vanderbilt Historian)

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