Feathers, Beattie (William Beattie)
Football
b. Aug. 4, 1908, Bristol, VA
d. March 11, 1979
Feathers became the first NFL player to rush for more than 1,000 yards as a rookie with the Chicago Bears in 1934, when he gained 1,004 yards in just 101 carries, an average of 9.9 yards per attempt, still the league record. He was greatly aided by the blocking ability of fullback Bronko Nagurski, who led him on many of his runs.
A triple-threat tailback at the University of Tennessee, Feathers was a consensus All-American in 1933. His finest college game was probably a 7-3 defeat of the University of Kentucky in 1932, when he punted 20 times for a 48-yard average and scored the winning touchdown.
The 5-foot-10, 185-pound Feathers then joined the Bears. After his outstanding rookie season, he was frequently hampered by injuries. He played for the NFL's Brooklyn Dodgers in 1938 and 1939 and went to the Green Bay Packers for a final season in 1940.
During his 7 professional seasons, Feathers rushed for 1,979 yards on 360 carries, a 5.6 average, and scored 16 touchdowns. He also caught 14 passes for 222 yards, a 15.9 average, and 1 touchdown, and he threw 1 touchdown pass.
Feathers coached Appalachian State College to a 9-7-1 record in 1941 and 1942. In 1946, he became head baseball and football coach at North Carolina State University, where his teams won 37 games, lost 38, and tied 3 in 8 seasons. He was also baseball coach at Wake Forest from 1972 through 1976.