Oregon State University College Football Hall of Fame player, William “Bill†D. Enyart, died of cancer, Tuesday, February 10, 2015 in Turner, Oregon at the home of his mother, Betty Enyart Harty. Bill was born in Pawhuska, Oklahoma on April 28, 1947. His family moved to Hood River, Oregon in 1958 when he was 11 years old and then relocated to Medford, Oregon in 1961 where Bill attended high school. As a sophomore Bill helped lead the Medford Black Tornado football team to a State Title in 1962. He was an outstanding baseball player and received All-State honors in both Football and Basketball during his High School career.
Colleges from across the nation recruited Bill, but he chose to stay in-state and attend Oregon State University. He proved to be an outstanding student athlete, achieving All-America status in both athletics and academics. During his time as a Beaver at OSU, he was the fullback of the legendary “Giant Killer†football team and set single game records for both rushing yards and number of carries by a player that still stand to this day, 48 years later.
After graduating from Oregon State, Bill was drafted in 1969 by the Buffalo Bills and was the 27th overall pick in the draft that year. He played two seasons for the Bills and was then traded to the Oakland Raiders in 1971. In his first year with the Raiders, during an exhibition game against the New York Jets, he sustained a career ending knee injury.
Following his football career, Bill moved to Bend where he lived and worked for the next 30 years. He married JoAnn Slechta and together they had two children, Benjamin, and Elizabeth. He had a long-time career working for the State of Oregon. He genuinely loved Oregon and the outdoors.
In 2011, Bill “Earthquake†Enyart was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in New York City, and was proud to share this honor with his teammates and Oregon State University. He will be missed.
Bill is survived by his two children, a son, Ben of Bend, Oregon, a daughter, Eliza Groff of Okinawa, Japan, his mother, Betty Enyart Harty of Turner, OR, his two sisters, Jodi Hines and Marcia Schuh, and the mother of his children, former wife, JoAnn Grant.
A memorial celebrating Bill’s life will be held at Reser Stadium (Club Level) on the campus of Oregon State University on Saturday, April 11, 2015 at 3 PM. Medford and OSU teammates, family and friends will be participating. Attendees are encouraged to wear orange & black game-day attire. In lieu of flowers, donations may be directed to the Oregon State University Athletics Department’s “Beavers Without Borders†Fund. Checks should be made payable to the OSU Foundation, noting Enyart Memorial gift and sent to 850 SW 35th Street, Corvallis, OR 97333. Memorial gifts may also be made by calling Our Beaver Nation at 541-737-2370.
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Colleges from across the nation recruited Bill, but he chose to stay in-state and attend Oregon State University. He proved to be an outstanding student athlete, achieving All-America status in both athletics and academics. During his time as a Beaver at OSU, he was the fullback of the legendary “Giant Killer†football team and set single game records for both rushing yards and number of carries by a player that still stand to this day, 48 years later.
After graduating from Oregon State, Bill was drafted in 1969 by the Buffalo Bills and was the 27th overall pick in the draft that year. He played two seasons for the Bills and was then traded to the Oakland Raiders in 1971. In his first year with the Raiders, during an exhibition game against the New York Jets, he sustained a career ending knee injury.
Following his football career, Bill moved to Bend where he lived and worked for the next 30 years. He married JoAnn Slechta and together they had two children, Benjamin, and Elizabeth. He had a long-time career working for the State of Oregon. He genuinely loved Oregon and the outdoors.
In 2011, Bill “Earthquake†Enyart was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in New York City, and was proud to share this honor with his teammates and Oregon State University. He will be missed.
Bill is survived by his two children, a son, Ben of Bend, Oregon, a daughter, Eliza Groff of Okinawa, Japan, his mother, Betty Enyart Harty of Turner, OR, his two sisters, Jodi Hines and Marcia Schuh, and the mother of his children, former wife, JoAnn Grant.
A memorial celebrating Bill’s life will be held at Reser Stadium (Club Level) on the campus of Oregon State University on Saturday, April 11, 2015 at 3 PM. Medford and OSU teammates, family and friends will be participating. Attendees are encouraged to wear orange & black game-day attire. In lieu of flowers, donations may be directed to the Oregon State University Athletics Department’s “Beavers Without Borders†Fund. Checks should be made payable to the OSU Foundation, noting Enyart Memorial gift and sent to 850 SW 35th Street, Corvallis, OR 97333. Memorial gifts may also be made by calling Our Beaver Nation at 541-737-2370.
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