Tom Bettis
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Bettis on a 1955 Bowman football card | |||
| Position: | LB | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Date of birth: | March 17, 1933 | ||
| Place of birth: | Chicago, Illinois | ||
| Date of death: | February 28, 2015 (aged 81) | ||
| Place of death: | Katy, Texas | ||
| Career information | |||
| High school: | Chicago (IL) St. Mel | ||
| College: | Purdue | ||
| NFL Draft: | 1955 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5 | ||
| Career history | |||
| Career NFL statistics | |||
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Thomas William Bettis (March 17, 1933 – February 28, 2015) was an All-American football linebacker, NFL player, and NFL coach. After starring at Purdue, Bettis was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the 1955 NFL Draft. He played nine seasons for the Packers, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Chicago Bears. After his playing career, Tom went on to coach in the NFL for 30 years, including for the 1969-70 Super Bowl IV Champions and the 1966-67 AFL Champions, Kansas City Chiefs. Bettis served as interim coach of the Kansas City Chiefs in 1977 after the firing of Paul Wiggin. In seven games as Head Coach, Bettis complied a 1-6 record ending a 12-year stint as a coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. He returned in 1988 to be the defensive backs coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. Tom was inducted into both the Purdue University Athletic Hall of Fame and the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame.[1]
Bettis died on February 28, 2015.[2]