Billy Vessels
1953 · Round 1 · Pick 2 · RB · Baltimore Colts
Billy Vessels was born in Cleveland, Oklahoma, and played at Cleveland High School. At Oklahoma he starred in the "Phantom Backfield" with Eddie Crowder, Buck McPhail and Buddy Leake. He scored 15 touchdowns for the 1950 national champions. In 1952 he ran for 1,072 yards and 17 touchdowns and became OU's first Heisman Trophy winner. Baltimore drafted him second overall in 1953, but he signed with Edmonton and won the first award for Canada's most outstanding player. After two years of military service he played one season with the Colts in 1956 and retired, unhappy as a reserve, to go into construction in Coral Gables, Florida. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1974 and died on November 17, 2001. The Daily Oklahoman wrote on January 15, 1953 (NewsBank page 21): "Billy Vessels, Oklahoma's senior halfback from Cleveland, Okla., will fly Thursday morning to Cleveland, Ohio, where he will receive the Cleveland Touchdown club's award as outstanding college player in the nation this past season."
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Vessels | https://grokipedia.com/page/Billy_Vessels | https://soonersports.com/sports/2019/8/13/208798496 | https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/V/VessBi20.htm | The Daily Oklahoman, January 15, 1953, NewsBank page 21 (via NewsBank Oklahoman Collection, scanned page)