Bill Dudley must have firmly believed that the ball belonged to him. He wanted it all the time. And it seemed there wasn't anything he couldn't do with it. The 5-10, 182-pound halfback ran, passed, punted, and placekicked. He returned punts and kickoffs, caught passes, and was a deadly defender.
Dudley, who was nicknamed “Bullet Bill,” even though he was never considered to be fast, was a first round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1942. He demonstrated from the start that his relatively small size and lack of blazing speed wasn’t a detriment. In the first game of his pro career he ran for a 55-yard touchdown and in his second game scored on a kickoff return. He finished his rookie season as the league’s leading rusher with 696 yards and earned all-league honors.
Dudley’s nine-year National Football League career was unique in that he played three seasons each with the Steelers (1942, 1945-1946), Detroit Lions (1947-1949), and Washington Redskins (1950-1951, 1953). His career was interrupted in 1943 and 1944 when he served with the Army Air Corp during World War II.
He returned to the Steelers during the 1945 campaign. The 1946 season was, for Dudley, one for the record book; as he led the league in rushing, punt returns, interceptions, and lateral passes attempted. Never before had an NFL player led the league in four distinctly different statistical categories, and it’s not likely to happen again anytime soon. Naturally, Bill was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player that year.
The following season, Bill again demonstrated his tremendous versatility when he scored 11 touchdowns for the Lions on one punt return, one interception return, seven pass receptions, and two rushes. Six times Dudley was named first- or second-team All-NFL. He was also named to three Pro Bowls, and more than likely would have been named to more had the annual event not been temporarily discontinued.
All-NFL: 1942 (OF, AP, IN, NY) • 1946 (UPI, NY, PF) • 1947 (NY, PF, HA) • 1948 (HA)
All-NFL Second Team: 1950 (NY) • 1951 (NY)
All-Pro: 1946 (HA)
All-Pro Second Team: 1946 (AP)
All-Pro Third Team: 1947 (UPI)
(3) – 1942, 1951, 1952
(at time of his retirement following 1953 season)
• [2nd] Longest Punt Return – 96t (vs. Pittsburgh, Dec. 3, 1950)
Steelers’ records held by Dudley
(Records through the 1946 season, Dudley’s final season with Pittsburgh)
• [1st] Most Rushing Yards, Season – 696 (1942)
• [1st] Most Points Scored, Season – 48 (1946)
• [1st] Most Touchdowns Scored, Season – 6 (1942)
• [1st] Most Punts, Season – 60 (1946)
• [1st] Most Yards on Punt Returns, Season – 385 (1946)
• [1st] Best Punting Average (Min. 20 Kicks), Season – 40 (1946)
• [1st] Most Interception Return Yards, Season – 242 (1946)
• [1st] Most Punt Returns, Season – 27 (1946)
• [1st] Most Passes Intercepted, Season – 10 (1946)
• [1st] Longest Kickoff Return – 84 (1942)
• [1st] Greatest Total Yards Gained, Season – 1,861 (1946)
• [2nd] Most Points Scored, Career – 104
Lions’ records held by Dudley
(Records through the 1949 season, Dudley’s final season with Detroit)
• [1st] Most Points Scored, Career – 291 (1946-49)
• [1st] Most Opponent Interceptions, Career – 21 (1946-49)
• [1st] Most Touchdowns Scored, Career – 38 (1946-49)
• [1st] Most Touchdowns Scored, Season – 11 (1947)
• [1st] Most Points Scored, Season – 81 (1949)
• [1st] Longest Punt Return, Game – 84 (vs. Chicago Bears, Oct. 19, 1947)
• [Tied for 1st] Most Extra Points Made, Season – 30 (1949)
• [Tied for 1st] Most Field Goals Made, Season – 5 (1949
• [2nd] Most Rushing Yards, Career – 2,305 (1946-49)
• [2nd] Most Rushing Attempts, Career – 605 (1946-49)
Redskins’ records held by Dudley
(Records through the 1953 season, Dudley’s final season with Washington)
• [1st] Most Field Goals Made, Season – 11 (1953)
• [1st] Longest Punt Return, Game – 94t (vs. Steelers, Dec. 3, 1950)
NFL Statistical Championships
Rushing Titles: 1942, 1946,
Punt Return Titles: 1946
Interception Titles: 1946
Team Statistical Championships
Rushing Titles: 1942, 1946, 1949D
Passing Titles: 1942, 1946
Scoring Titles: 1942, 1945, 1946, 1947D, 1948D, 1949D, 1950W, 1951W, 1953W
Interception Titles: 1946, 1947D
Kickoff Return Titles: 1947D
Punt Return Titles: 1947D, 1949D, 1950W, 1951W
D Detroit Lions W Washington Redskins All other titles with the Pittsburgh Steelers
• 1946 NFL Most Valuable Player (OF)
• 1940s All-Decade Team
| 1942 |
Pittsburgh Steelers |
7 |
4 |
0 |
(2nd) |
| 1945 |
Pittsburgh Steelers |
2 |
8 |
0 |
(5th) |
| 1946 |
Pittsburgh Steelers |
5 |
5 |
1 |
(5th) |
| 1947 |
Detroit Lions |
3 |
9 |
0 |
(5th) |
| 1948 |
Detroit Lions |
2 |
10 |
0 |
(5th) |
| 1949 |
Detroit Lions |
4 |
8 |
0 |
(4th) |
| 1950 |
Washington Redskins |
3 |
9 |
0 |
(6th) |
| 1951 |
Washington Redskins |
5 |
7 |
0 |
(3rd) |
| 1953 |
Washington Redskins |
6 |
5 |
1 |
(3rd) |
Full Name: William McGarvey Dudley
Birthdate: December 24, 1921
Birthplace: Bluefield, Virginia
Died: February, 4, 2010 at age of 88
High School: Graham (Bluefield, VA)
Enshrined into Pro Football Hall of Fame: September 17, 1966
Other Members of Class of 1966: Joe Guyon, Arnie Herber, Walt Kiesling, George McAfee, Steve Owen, Hugh “Shorty” Ray, Clyde “Bulldog” Turner
Pro Career: 9 seasons, 90 games
Drafted: 1st round (1st overall) in 1942 by Pittsburgh Steelers
Uniform Number: #35 with Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Redskins, #44 with Detroit Lions