Tom Bettis

Tom Bettis

Bettis on a 1955 Bowman football card
Date of birth	(1933-03-17)March 17, 1933
Place of birth	Chicago, Illinois
Date of death
Place of death	Katy, Texas
Career information
Position(s)	LB
College	Purdue
NFL draft	1955 / Round: 1 / Pick 5
Career history
As player
1955-1961	Green Bay Packers
1962	Pittsburgh Steelers
1963	Chicago Bears
Career stats
Playing stats at DatabaseFootball.com

Thomas William "Tom" Bettis (March 17, 1933 – February 28, 2015) was an All-American football linebacker, NFL player, and NFL coach. After starring at Purdue, Bettis was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the 1955 NFL Draft. He played nine seasons for the Packers, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Chicago Bears. After his playing career, Tom went on to coach in the NFL for 30 years, including for the 1969-70 Super Bowl IV Champions and the 1966-67 AFL Champions, Kansas City Chiefs. Bettis served as interim coach of the Kansas City Chiefs in 1977 after the firing of Paul Wiggin. In seven games as Head Coach, Bettis complied a 1-6 record ending a 12-year stint as a coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. He returned in 1988 to be the defensive backs coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. Tom was inducted into both the Purdue University Athletic Hall of Fame and the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame.

Bettis died on February 28, 2015.

See also

• 1954 College Football All-America Team
• Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame

References

Preceded by Vince Costello	Kansas City Chiefs Defensive Coordinator 1977	Succeeded by Rod Rust
Preceded by Ray Willsey	St. Louis Cardinals Defensive Coordinator 1978-1984	Succeeded by Floyd Peters
Preceded by Dave Adolph	Cleveland Browns Defensive Coordinator 1985	Succeeded by Dave Adolph
Preceded by Dave Brazil	Kansas City Chiefs Defensive Backs Coach 1988	Succeeded by Tony Dungy