Willis Crenshaw
| No. 33 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Running back | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born | July 16, 1941 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Died | October 20, 2025 (aged 84) | ||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 230 lb (104 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school | Soldan (St. Louis, Missouri) | ||||||||||||
| College | Kansas St. (1959-1963) | ||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1963: 9th round, 114th overall pick | ||||||||||||
| AFL draft | 1963: 26th round, 204th overall pick | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Willis Clarence Crenshaw Jr.[1] (July 16, 1941 – October 20, 2025) was an American professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) from 1964 through 1970. He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats.[2]
High school and college career
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, on July 16, 1941,[2] Crenshaw played for Soldan High School and Kansas State University, where he started out at wide receiver and was a star player;[3][4] played in the 1963 College All Star Football Game.[5] In high school, his main sport was pole vaulting, with a personal best of 13 feet 2 inches (4.01 m); he started out with a double scholarship at Kansas State, where he recalled being one of approximately 50 Black students, before focusing on football after weight training.[5]
Professional career
St Louis Cardinals
Crenshaw was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the ninth round in 1963 NFL draft. In 1968, he led the team in rushing with 813 yds and touchdowns (7).[3]
Denver Broncos
In 1970, he was traded to the Denver Broncos in exchange for a third-round draft pick; he played one season,[5][6][7] although he was listed for the 1971 season.[8]
NFL career statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1964 | STL | 14 | 3 | 60 | 297 | 5.0 | 49 | 1 | 8 | 58 | 7.3 | 19 | 0 |
| 1965 | STL | 14 | 10 | 127 | 437 | 3.4 | 27 | 0 | 23 | 232 | 10.1 | 78 | 1 |
| 1966 | STL | 14 | 7 | 94 | 360 | 3.8 | 33 | 0 | 15 | 46 | 3.1 | 19 | 0 |
| 1967 | STL | 14 | 1 | 44 | 149 | 3.4 | 23 | 0 | 6 | 30 | 5.0 | 12 | 0 |
| 1968 | STL | 14 | 14 | 203 | 813 | 4.0 | 66 | 6 | 23 | 232 | 10.1 | 42 | 1 |
| 1969 | STL | 14 | 5 | 55 | 172 | 3.1 | 26 | 3 | 11 | 94 | 8.5 | 31 | 0 |
| 1970 | DEN | 12 | 12 | 69 | 200 | 2.9 | 25 | 5 | 18 | 105 | 5.8 | 35 | 1 |
| 96 | 52 | 652 | 2,428 | 3.7 | 66 | 15 | 104 | 797 | 7.7 | 78 | 3 | ||
Later life and death
Crenshaw later worked selling life insurance, for Monsanto, and as a financial planner.[5] He died on October 20, 2025, at the age of 84.[1]
References
- ^ a b "Willis Clarence Crenshaw Jr". Dignity Memorial. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
- ^ a b "Willis Crenshaw" at Pro Football Reference.com.
- ^ a b "The Top 100 St. Louis Football Cardinals (90-81): 88. Willis Crenshaw (RB)", The Big Red Zone, August 14, 2019.
- ^ "Willis Crenshaw", College Football at Sports Reference.com.
- ^ a b c d "Crenshaw Defies Odds to Reach NFL", Kansas State University Athletics, September 3, 2013.
- ^ Brian Shrout, "Do The Broncos Shuffle: Draft Related Trades During Denver's First Two Decades", Mile High Report, April 18, 2011.
- ^ CaptainKirk, "Denver Broncos Greats... By The Numbers: #33", Mile High Report, April 21, 2011.
- ^ 1971 Denver Broncos media guide, p. 16.
External links
- Willis Crenshaw at John Troan's Pro Players database, updated April 21, 2018.