Bill Hickok

Who was Bill Hickok?

William Orville "Wild Bill" Hickok III was an American football player and industrialist. Inevitably nicknamed "Wild Bill" for the folk hero of the American Old West, and also known as "Hickey", he starred at Yale in track as well as football and was eventually inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. After his athletic career, he became the president of his family's manufacturing business.

Hickok was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to William Orville Hickok, Jr., and Louisa Harrison Anderson Hickok. The family was prominent in Harrisburg civic life through his grandfather's machinery business, W.O. Hickok Manufacturing Company.

Bill played guard at Yale and was twice selected as an All-American. In addition, he set records in the shot put and hammer throw for the track team.

After completing his studies, Hickok returned to Pennsylvania. In 1896 he was asked by another Yale graduate from Harrisburg, Vance McCormick, to coach the football team McCormick had organized at the nearby Carlisle Indian School. The team went 5-5 against a challenging schedule that included the leading Ivy League powers.

For the game against his alma mater, Hickok also served as a referee along with an official provided by the Yale side. In a memorable moment, the Indians appeared to have scored a late touchdown to potentially tie the game when one of their players broke free with a handoff after the team's halfback had dived into the line. However, Hickok blew his whistle to call it back on the grounds that the play was dead prior to the handoff, causing his own team to protest. One newspaper covering the contest would compare his action to that of a corrupt Indian agent.