William Andrews
William Andrews
The Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Week burst on the NFL scene 30 years ago with two great performances to start his career and spent five seasons as an elite runner before a devastating injury ended his career.
The Atlanta Falcons found one of the gems of the 1979 NFL Draft when they selected William Andrews in the third round of the draft out of Auburn University.
In his NFL debut, Andrews rushed for 167 yards to lead the Falcons to a 40-34 victory over the New Orleans Saints. The following week, he rushed for 121 yards as Andrews and St. Louis Cardinals rookie Ottis Anderson became the first rookies in NFL history to start their careers with consecutive 100-yard games.
Andrews went on to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark with 1,023 yards in 15 games.
The following season, Andrews was a key component as the Falcons registered a 12-4 record and won the NFC West. He earned the first of four consecutive Pro Bowl appearances while rushing for 1,308 yards and averaging 4.9 yards per carry.
In 1981, Andrews gained 1,301 yards and added a career-high 10 rushing touchdowns. A multi-purpose threat, Andrews ranked fourth in the NFL with 81 receptions for 735 yards. His 2,036 yards from scrimmage led the NFL.
Only the player’s strike of 1982 kept Andrews from continuing his streak of 1,000-yard seasons. In nine games, Andrews rushed for 573 yards and caught 42 passes for 503 yards.
The 1983 season proved to be the finest of his career as Andrews was second in the NFL with 1,567 yards rushing. He also caught 59 passes for 609 yards. Overall, he finished second in the NFL with 2,176 yards from scrimmage.
Just when it looked like Andrews had reached his peak and would solidify a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame over the next several seasons, he suffered a serious knee injury in the 1984 preseason and missed the next two seasons.
When he returned in 1986, Andrews was only a shell of his former self and carried the ball only 52 times for 214 yards in 15 games.
He retired after the 1986 season with 5,986 rushing yards and an average of 4.6 yards per carry. At the time of his retirement, Andrews ranked 24th in NFL history in rushing yards. He still ranks 69th all-time on the NFL rushing list despite gaining most of his yards in just five seasons.
In recognition of his great career in Atlanta, the Falcons retired his number 31.
If you had a favorite athlete growing up that you would like to see featured as the Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Week, send me a nomination by e-mail
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William Andrews was a role model for me growing up. My parents couldn't afford to buy me clothes but we had season tickets to the Falcons from 1976-1983. I loved the fact that he was soft spoken and yet he could bring it on the field. Nothing was more inspiring than watching him carry 5 guys down the field. He taught me life lessons about not giving up and in some small way helped me become the person I am today. Thank you William Andrews for the lessons you taught me on the football field.
Paul F.
I met him this morning at breakfast with a group of meeting planners in Tunica. He is indeed a very nice and kind man. You learn that the reason some guys careers and lives are so great is because of the type of person they are.
William Andrews was my hero growing up in Georgia. Nothing made my sundays better than watching him score touchdowns. I will always be a William Andrews fan. Thank you Mr. Andrews for making childhood football memories great .
William Andrews would have been (and I still think he is) one of the best all around backs in the NFL if not for his injury.He was great at every facet of the game!John Madden said it at the time and later when he was asked if he could choose one player to start a team with,who would it be:His response:William Andrews
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I remember one play where Bartkowski threw a little pass to Andrews lined up more or less at wide receiver. The corner broke down right in front of him, ready for any move left or right. Andrews ran right smack over him and went for like 70 yards and a TD. I think the corner got a pinched nerve in his neck. 2nd best all around back I ever saw to Barry Sanders. Would have been universally famous if he played a few more years and for slightly better team.
The NFL Network missed the mark on the most physical RB's ever. They had guys like Okoye on there but omitted Andrews. Andrews was like Earl Campbell in terms of physicality and he also had amazing hands. In an interview with Ronnie Lott in Sports Illustrated Ronnie Lott was asked about the biggest collision of his career. Now Lott could have easily said the hundreds of people he smashed over the year but instead he pointed to a game where he and William Andrews hit full steam. Andrews kept going and ended up dragging 6 49er players about 10yards before coming down. That was one of the most physical runs I have ever seen and I have it on tape!
Chris this is William Andrews nephew. i would love to get a copy of that tape if possible. i am putting all his highlight reels together because we have to get him nominated for the Hall of Fame. email me [email protected]. Bernie
Ive been an arizona falcon fan for forty years. The greatest player to me and always will be is the great william andrews. but to this day I still cant find any andrews posters, shirts, jerseys nothing. Any help would be greatly appreciated. An icon like him should not be forgotten. [email protected]
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This is a great article about one of the most underrated running backs in NFL history. William Andrews had it all: speed, power, vision, and versatility. He was a key factor in the Falcons’ success in the early 80s. I wish he could have played longer and reached the Hall of Fame.
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