Bill Laskey (American football)

Bill Laskey
No. 52, 42, 51, 45
Position:Linebacker
Personal information
Born:(1943-02-10)February 10, 1943
Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.
Died:May 6, 2022(2022-05-06) (aged 79)
Leland, Michigan, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High school:Milan (Milan, Michigan)
College:Michigan
Undrafted:1964
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career AFL/NFL statistics
Games played:119
Interceptions:7
Fumble recoveries:8
Stats at Pro Football Reference

William Grant Laskey (February 10, 1943 – May 6, 2022) was an American professional football player who was a linebacker. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines and professionally for ten years in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) from 1965 to 1974.

Early life

Laskey was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on February 10, 1943. He attended Milan High School in Milan, Michigan,[1] where he played football, basketball, and track and field. He broke the school's record in hurdling and registered a long jump of more than 22 feet (6.7 m). After graduating in 1961, he studied at the University of Michigan and played college football for the Michigan Wolverines from 1962 to 1964. He played as an offensive end,[2][3] and caught nine passes for 118 yards and one touchdown during the 1963 and 1964 seasons.[4]

Professional career

Laskey signed with the Buffalo Bills in 1965,[5] and changed positions to linebacker.[2] He played in 14 games (1 start) during his rookie season and was selected to the Pro Bowl that same year,[1] with the Bills winning the 1965 AFL Championship Game.[2] He joined the Oakland Raiders the following year and finished sixth in the league in fumbles recovered (3) during the 1967 season.[1] He won his second AFL championship that year,[2] before playing in Super Bowl II, in which the Raiders lost 33–14 to the Green Bay Packers.[6] Laskey ended up playing 53 games (22 starts) in five seasons with the franchise, tallying 4 interceptions for 66 yards and recovering 5 fumbles.[7]

Laskey went on to play for the Baltimore Colts from 1971 to 1972, before finishing his NFL career with the Denver Broncos in 1973–1974.[1] He was selected by the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) as a second-team All-AFL player in 1967.[8] Over the course of a ten-year NFL career, Laskey appeared in 119 games, 45 as a starter, and had seven interceptions and eight fumble recoveries.[1]

Personal life

Laskey was married to Dona until his death. Bill had three children with his first wife who passed at an early age from breast cancer: Lance, Beau, and Margaux.[9]

Laskey died on May 6, 2022, in Leland, Michigan. He was 79, and suffered from an unspecified long illness prior to his death.[2][9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Bill Laskey Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e Kruger, Niles (May 4, 2022). "Milan graduate Bill Laskey, a former NFL player, dies at the age of 79". The Monroe News. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
  3. ^ "All-Time Football Roster Database". University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  4. ^ "Michigan Football Statistic Archive Query Page". University of Michigan. Archived from the original on November 12, 2007. Retrieved March 23, 2015.
  5. ^ Williams, Charean (May 6, 2022). "Former NFL linebacker Bill Laskey dies at 79". Profootballtalk.com. NBC Sports. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
  6. ^ "Super Bowl II – Oakland Raiders vs. Green Bay Packers". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. January 14, 1968. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  7. ^ "Bill Laskey – All-Time Roster". Las Vegas Raiders. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  8. ^ Zahn, Jay. "Bill Laskey" (PDF). Professional Football Researchers Association. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  9. ^ a b "Raiders mourn the passing of Bill Laskey". Las Vegas Raiders. May 6, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2022.