Bill Hewitt (American football)
| No. 56, 82 | |||||||||||||
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| Positions | Defensive end End | ||||||||||||
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| Born | October 8, 1909 Bay City, Michigan, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Died | January 14, 1947 (aged 37) Sellersville, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Listed height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) | ||||||||||||
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| High school | Central (Bay City, Michigan) | ||||||||||||
| College | Michigan (1929–1931) | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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William Ernest Hewitt (October 8, 1909 – January 14, 1947) was an American professional football defensive end and end who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played five seasons for the Chicago Bears (1932–1936), three for the Philadelphia Eagles (1937–1939), and one for the Phil-Pitt Steagles (1943). He is remembered for his refusal to wear a helmet as one of the last NFL players not to wear one.
Hewitt played college football for the Michigan Wolverines, where he was named team's most valuable player and second-team All-Big Ten his senior season. In nine NFL seasons, he was named an All-Pro six times, won two NFL championships, and in 1934 led the league in touchdown receptions. His jersey number 56 is retired by the Bears and he is a member of the Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame. Hewitt was posthumously inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971.