Billy Kilmer

William Orland Kilmer Jr. (born September 5, 1939) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints, and Washington Redskins.

He was also used as a running back and wide receiver.

He played college football for the UCLA Bruins, then 18 seasons as a professional.

After graduation from high school in 1957, Kilmer competed in football for one year at Citrus Junior College, where he scored six touchdowns and threw for 15 more, with a broken foot limiting his playing time for the Citrus basketball team.

The following year Kilmer was primarily used as a running back but his season came to an early end following a December 5 auto accident in which he fell asleep in his 1957 Chevrolet convertible and drove off the Bayshore Freeway into the San Francisco Bay.

He transferred to UCLA in 1958 and played three seasons.

Kilmer also played on the Bruins basketball team in 1959–60 under head coach John Wooden.

He capped off his college career with an outstanding senior season in 1960: he threw for over 1,000 yards, ran for over 800, scored eight touchdowns and served as the team's punter.

Kilmer was also awarded the 1960 W.J. Voit Memorial Trophy as the outstanding football player on the Pacific Coast, and finished fifth in voting for the Heisman Trophy.

He was also selected in the fifth round of the 1961 AFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers, but signed with San Francisco on December 30, 1960.

After the conclusion of a UCLA career that saw him finish among the top five in school history for passing and rushing yards, as well as total offense, Kilmer played in the 1961 College All-Star Game, where he earned Most Valuable Player honors.

Kilmer was the 11th overall selection of the 1961 NFL draft, taken by the 49ers.

During that rookie season in 1961, he saw action as a primarily running quarterback in Red Hickey's shotgun formation, rushing for 509 yards and ten touchdowns, with his top performance coming against the expansion Minnesota Vikings on October 15 when he rushed for four touchdowns.

Suffering a fractured leg, Kilmer's injury was bad enough to also force him to sit out the entire 1963 NFL season.

He was able to return the following year, but his production was limited.

In 1964, while playing running back for the 49ers, Kilmer played a supporting role in one of the most infamous incidents in gridiron history when Vikings defensive lineman Jim Marshall ran Kilmer's fumble back 66 yards into the wrong end zone.

Born in Topeka, Kansas, Kilmer was raised in southern California and played baseball, football, and basketball at Citrus Union High School in Azusa, scoring more than 1,500 points in the latter sport while earning All-American honors.

His baseball exploits saw him win all-conference accolades, while the poor fortunes of his football squad saw him relegated to third-team all-conference recognition.

His most memorable play as a 49er came in 1964 during a game against the Vikings at Kezar Stadium.

On October 25, 1964 Kilmer fumbled after catching a pass from George Mira.

The fumble was recovered by Vikings defensive end Jim Marshall, who infamously ran 66 yards in the wrong direction.

In spite of Marshall's gaffe, the Vikings still beat the 49ers, 27–22.

After he saw no action in 1965 and was involved in a training camp contract dispute the next season, Kilmer was placed in the 1967 NFL Expansion Draft.

On February 10, 1967, Kilmer was selected in the expansion draft by the New Orleans Saints and, despite originally being thought of as the team's third-best signal caller, became the team's starting quarterback for much of the next four seasons.

He was the starter for the team's first game, a 27–13 loss at home to the Los Angeles Rams.

Kilmer lost his starting job in 1967 after the first three games (all losses), and was replaced by former Baltimore Colt quarterback Gary Cuozzo.

However, Kilmer regained that job in 1968.

His most prolific performance during his four-year stint with the team came in 1969, when he threw for 345 yards and six touchdowns in a 51–42 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on November 2.

Kilmer's last win as the Saints' starting quarterback came on week 8 of the 1970 season.

Coach Tom Fears had benched Kilmer after three season-opening losses in favor of backup Ed Hargett.

However, Fears was fired after week 7 and replaced by J.D. Roberts.

The new coach brought Kilmer back as the starting quarterback.

On November 8, 1970, in a home game versus the Detroit Lions, Kilmer led what proved to be a game-winning drive, although he could only bring the Saints as far as their own 44 yard line.

With just one play left in the game, and his team down by a 17–16 margin, coach Roberts opted against asking Kilmer to go for a "Hail Mary" pass.

Instead, kicker Tom Dempsey, who had earlier in the second half kicked an 8-yard field goal, was asked to attempt a 63-yard field goal.

(The goal posts were still placed on the goal line in 1970, and not on the end line as they are today.) Dempsey made the kick, which broke the existing record by 7 yards.

He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999.

There is some lingering controversy over exactly which position he played.

His Hall of Fame plaque lists him as a halfback and says he "played tailback in UCLA's single-wing formation."

Other sources list him as a quarterback.