Osmanski, "Bill" (William)
Football
b. Dec. 29, 1915, Providence, RI
d. Dec. 25, 1996
A 5-foot-11, 195-pound fullback, Osmanski combined speed with power. Nicknamed "Bullet Bill" because he ran the sprints in track and field, he was a starter at College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts from 1936 through 1938.
Osmanski was chosen in the first round of the 1939 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears. He studied dentistry at Northwestern University while playing professional football. As a rookie, Osmanski led the NFL in rushing with 699 yards on 121 carries, a 5.8 average, though he played in only seven games because of a broken leg.
In Chicago's 73-0 win over the Washington Redskins for the 1940 NFL championship, Osmanski ran 68 yards for a touchdown on the team's second play from scrimmage.
Osmanski served in the Marines during World War II and was an assistant coach with the Great Lakes Naval Training Station and Camp LeJeune teams. He returned to the Bears in 1946 and retired from playing after the 1947 season. Osmanski coached Holy Cross to a 6-14-0 record in 1948 and 1949, and then left football to practice dentistry.
During his NFL career, he gained 1,743 yards on 374 rushing attempts, a 4.7 average, and 20 touchdowns. Osmanski also caught 12 passes for 170 yards, a 14.2 average, and 1 touchdown.