Jump to content

Sonny Sixkiller: Difference between revisions

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
KolbertBot (talk | contribs)
Bots
1,166,042 edits
m Bot: HTTP→HTTPS (v485)
format edits
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Infobox NFL player
,{{Infobox NFL player
|name=Sonny Sixkiller
|name=Sonny Sixkiller
|image=
|image=
Line 16: Line 16:
* [[The Hawaiians (WFL)|The Hawaiians]] ({{NFL Year|1975}})
* [[The Hawaiians (WFL)|The Hawaiians]] ({{NFL Year|1975}})
}}
}}
⚫
'''Alex L.''' "'''Sonny'''" '''Sixkiller'''<ref name=alex>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4wsSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=le0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=2352%2C957755 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |agency=Associated Press |title=Soph passer brings hopt to Huskies |date=September 19, 1970 |page=14}}</ref> (born September 6, 1951) is a former [[United States|American]] [[American football|football]] player and current [[sports commentator]].

⚫
'''Alex L.''' "'''Sonny'''" '''Sixkiller'''<ref name=alex>''[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4wsSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=le0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=2352%2C957755 Spokesman-Review]'' - Soph passer brings hopt to Huskies - Associated Press - 1970-09-19 - p.14</ref> (born September 6, 1951) is a former [[United States|American]] [[American football|football]] player and current [[sports commentator]].


==Early years==
==Early years==
Born in [[Tahlequah, Oklahoma]], and a member of the [[Cherokee Nation]], Sixkiller's family moved to [[Ashland, Oregon|Ashland]] in southern [[Oregon]] when he was a year old, where his father worked in a lumber mill.<ref name=legsix>''[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2StSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qnUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7222,2623012 St. Petersburg Times] - 'Legend of Sonny Sixkiller' latest football ballad - United Press International - 1970-11-14 - p.2-C</ref><ref name=blount>{{Cite news|last=Blount| first=Roy, Jr.|title=The Magic Number Is Sixkiller|magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]|date=October 4, 1971|url= http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1085362/index.htm | postscript = .}}</ref>
Born in [[Tahlequah, Oklahoma]], and a member of the [[Cherokee Nation]], Sixkiller's family moved to [[Ashland, Oregon|Ashland]] in southern [[Oregon]] when he was a year old, where his father worked in a lumber mill.<ref name=legsix>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2StSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qnUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7222,2623012 |work=St. Petersburg Times |location=(Florida) |title='Legend of Sonny Sixkiller' latest football ballad |agency=UPI |date=November 14, 1970 |page=2-C}}</ref><ref name=blount>{{Cite news|last=Blount| first=Roy, Jr.|title=The magic number is Sixkiller|magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]|date=October 4, 1971|url=https://www.si.com/vault/1971/10/04/612437/the-magic-number-is-sixkiller<!--
He attended [[Ashland High School (Oregon)|Ashland High School]] and was a good student and a letterman in football, basketball, and baseball. In football, Sixkiller was an All-Southern Oregon Conference selection and a second team All-State selection. He was a back-up at quarterback as a sophomore to senior Gene Willis, who later played at [[Washington Huskies football|Washington]]. In [[basketball]], he was an all-conference selection. In [[baseball]], he was a pitcher and an all-conference selection. Sonny Sixkiller graduated from Ashland High School in 1969. He had hoped to stay in-state and play for [[Oregon State Beavers football|Oregon State]] in [[Corvallis, Oregon|Corvallis]], but head coach [[Dee Andros]] declined to offer him a [[Athletic scholarship|scholarship]], wary of his lack of size (5'11", 171&nbsp;lb.)<ref name=legsix/>
http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1085362/index.htm--> |page=34}}</ref> He attended [[Ashland High School (Oregon)|Ashland High School]] and was a good student and a letterman in football, basketball, and baseball.
In football, Sixkiller was an All-Southern Oregon Conference selection and a second team All-State selection. He was a back-up at quarterback as a sophomore to senior Gene Willis, who later played at [[Washington Huskies football|Washington]]. In [[basketball]], he was an all-conference selection. In [[baseball]], he was a pitcher and an all-conference selection. Sixkiller graduated in 1969 and had hoped to stay in-state and play for [[Oregon State Beavers football|Oregon State]] in [[Corvallis, Oregon|Corvallis]], but head coach [[Dee Andros]] declined to offer him a [[Athletic scholarship|scholarship]], wary of his lack of size ({{height|ft=5|in=11}}, {{nowrap|{{convert|171|lb|abbr=on}}).<ref name=legsix/>}}


==University of Washington==
==University of Washington==
On the advice of Willis, head coach [[Jim Owens]] recruited Sixkiller and offered him a scholarship to the [[University of Washington]] in [[Seattle]]. Due to his name, he was given uniform number 6. He became the starting quarterback for the [[Washington Huskies football|Huskies]] as a sophomore in 1970 and led the Huskies to a 6-4 record, a vast improvement over the 1-9 record in 1969. He completed 186 passes for 2303 yards and 15 touchdowns in what many called the Year of The Quarterback, in which Jim Plunkett passed for 2,715 yards on the year and broke his own conference record. Plunkett won the [[Heisman Trophy]], given annually to the top college football player in the country, beating out Notre Dame's Joe Theismann and Archie Manning of Ole Miss. Sixkiller missed four games as a senior in 1972 finished his college career with 385 completions for 5496 yards and 35 touchdowns, and held fifteen school records.<ref name= ramsonny>''[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=g-ZVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OuEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2743,2793519 Eugene Register-Guard]'' - Sonny's bid for Ram job comes to end - United Press International - 1973-08-12 - p.B1</ref> The Huskies posted consecutive 8-3 records in 1971 and 1972.<ref>[http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/pac10/washington/yearly_results.php?year=1970 cfbdatawarehouse.com] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120925043336/http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/pac10/washington/yearly_results.php?year=1970 |date=2012-09-25 }} - Washington Huskies - 1970-74</ref>
On the advice of Willis, head coach [[Jim Owens]] recruited Sixkiller and offered him a scholarship to the [[University of Washington]] in [[Seattle]]. Due to his name, he was given uniform number 6. He became the starting quarterback for the [[Washington Huskies football|Huskies]] as a sophomore in [[1970 Washington Huskies football team|1970]] and led the Huskies to a {{nowrap|6-4}} record, a vast improvement over the {{nowrap|1–9}} record in [[1969 Washington Huskies football team|1969]]. He completed 186 passes for 2,303 yards and 15 touchdowns in what many called the Year of The Quarterback, in which [[Jim Plunkett]] of [[1970 Stanford Indians football team|Stanford]] passed for 2,715 yards on the year and broke his own conference record. Plunkett won the [[Heisman Trophy]] in [[1970 college football season#Heisman Trophy voting|1970]], <!--given annually to the top college football player in the country,--> beating out [[1970 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team|Notre Dame's]] [[Joe Theismann]] and [[Archie Manning]] of [[1970 Ole Miss Rebels football team|Ole Miss]].
Sixkiller missed four games as a senior in [[1972 Washington Huskies football team|1972]] finished his college career with 385 completions for 5,496 yards and 35 touchdowns, and held fifteen school records.<ref name= ramsonny>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=g-ZVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OuEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2743,2793519 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon)|agency=UPI |title=Sonny's bid for Ram job comes to end |date=August 12, 1973 |page=B1}}</ref> The Huskies posted consecutive {{nowrap|8–3}} records in [[1971 Washington Huskies football team|1971]] and 1972.<ref>[http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/pac10/washington/yearly_results.php?year=1970 cfbdatawarehouse.com] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120925043336/http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/pac10/washington/yearly_results.php?year=1970 |date=2012-09-25 }} - Washington Huskies - 1970-74</ref> The [[Pac-12 Conference|Pac-8 Conference]] allowed only one team to play in the postseason, the [[Rose Bowl Game|Rose Bowl]], until the [[1975 NCAA Division I football season|1975]] season.


==Professional football==
==Professional football==
Not selected in the [[1973 NFL Draft]], Sixkiller had tryouts with the [[1973 Los Angeles Rams season|Los Angeles Rams]] in 1973<ref name= ramsonny/> and with the [[Toronto Argonauts]] of the [[Canadian Football League]] in 1974. He signed with the [[Philadelphia Bell]] of the [[World Football League]] in September 1974<ref>''[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ExxOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=newDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1667,1732052 Spokesman-Review]'' - Bell inks Huskies' Sixkiller - Associated Press - 1974-09-20 - p.26</ref> and played with [[The Hawaiians (WFL)|The Hawaiians]] in 1975, until the league folded in October. He tried out with the [[1976 San Diego Chargers season|San Diego Chargers]] in 1976.
Unselected in the [[1973 NFL Draft]], Sixkiller had tryouts with the [[1973 Los Angeles Rams season|Los Angeles Rams]] in 1973,<ref name= ramsonny/> and with the [[Toronto Argonauts]] of the [[Canadian Football League]] in 1974. He signed with the [[Philadelphia Bell]] of the [[World Football League]] in September 1974,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ExxOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=newDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1667,1732052 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |agency=Associated Press |title=Bell inks Huskies' Sixkiller |date=September 20, 1974 |page=26}}</ref> and played with [[The Hawaiians (WFL)|The Hawaiians]] in 1975, until the league folded in October. He tried out with the [[1976 San Diego Chargers season|San Diego Chargers]] in 1976.


Sixkiller was also a cast member in the [[1974 in film|1974]] film ''[[The Longest Yard (1974 film)|The Longest Yard]]''. Sixkiller is currently an executive for sports marketing firm [[IMG College]], serving his alma mater, the University of Washington.
Sixkiller was also a cast member in the [[1974 in film|1974]] film ''[[The Longest Yard (1974 film)|The Longest Yard]]''. He is currently an executive for sports marketing firm [[IMG College]], serving his alma mater, the University of Washington.


==See also==
==See also==
Line 43: Line 46:
*{{IMDb name|0803460}}
*{{IMDb name|0803460}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070310213759/http://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2004/0917/sport/stories/04sport.htm Profile of Sixkiller] from the ''Mail Tribune'' (September 17, 2004)
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070310213759/http://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2004/0917/sport/stories/04sport.htm Profile of Sixkiller] from the ''Mail Tribune'' (September 17, 2004)
*{{cite web | title=Sonny Sixkiller Sports Illustrated Cover: October 4, 1971 |url=https://www.si.com/vault/issue/43094/1/1?cover_view=1| accessdate=2017-09-23}}
*{{cite web | title=<!--Sonny Sixkiller-->''Sports Illustrated'' cover: October 4, 1971 |url=https://www.si.com/vault/issue/43094/0<!--https://www.si.com/vault/1971/10/04/612437/the-magic-number-is-sixkiller-->| accessdate=2017-09-23}}


{{Washington Huskies quarterback navbox}}
{{Washington Huskies quarterback navbox}}

Revision as of 00:25, 22 June 2018

,

Sonny Sixkiller
No. 28, 6, 11
Position:Quarterback
Personal information
Born: (1951-09-06) September 6, 1951 (age 73)
Tahlequah, Oklahoma, U.S.
Height:5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High school:Ashland (OR)
College:Washington
Undrafted:1973
Career history

Alex L. "Sonny" Sixkiller[1] (born September 6, 1951) is a former American football player and current sports commentator.

Early years

Born in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and a member of the Cherokee Nation, Sixkiller's family moved to Ashland in southern Oregon when he was a year old, where his father worked in a lumber mill.[2][3] He attended Ashland High School and was a good student and a letterman in football, basketball, and baseball.

In football, Sixkiller was an All-Southern Oregon Conference selection and a second team All-State selection. He was a back-up at quarterback as a sophomore to senior Gene Willis, who later played at Washington. In basketball, he was an all-conference selection. In baseball, he was a pitcher and an all-conference selection. Sixkiller graduated in 1969 and had hoped to stay in-state and play for Oregon State in Corvallis, but head coach Dee Andros declined to offer him a scholarship, wary of his lack of size (5 ft 11 in (1.80 m), 171 lb (78 kg)).[2]

University of Washington

On the advice of Willis, head coach Jim Owens recruited Sixkiller and offered him a scholarship to the University of Washington in Seattle. Due to his name, he was given uniform number 6. He became the starting quarterback for the Huskies as a sophomore in 1970 and led the Huskies to a 6-4 record, a vast improvement over the 1–9 record in 1969. He completed 186 passes for 2,303 yards and 15 touchdowns in what many called the Year of The Quarterback, in which Jim Plunkett of Stanford passed for 2,715 yards on the year and broke his own conference record. Plunkett won the Heisman Trophy in 1970, beating out Notre Dame's Joe Theismann and Archie Manning of Ole Miss.

Sixkiller missed four games as a senior in 1972 finished his college career with 385 completions for 5,496 yards and 35 touchdowns, and held fifteen school records.[4] The Huskies posted consecutive 8–3 records in 1971 and 1972.[5] The Pac-8 Conference allowed only one team to play in the postseason, the Rose Bowl, until the 1975 season.

Professional football

Unselected in the 1973 NFL Draft, Sixkiller had tryouts with the Los Angeles Rams in 1973,[4] and with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League in 1974. He signed with the Philadelphia Bell of the World Football League in September 1974,[6] and played with The Hawaiians in 1975, until the league folded in October. He tried out with the San Diego Chargers in 1976.

Sixkiller was also a cast member in the 1974 film The Longest Yard. He is currently an executive for sports marketing firm IMG College, serving his alma mater, the University of Washington.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Soph passer brings hopt to Huskies". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. September 19, 1970. p. 14.
  2. ^ a b "'Legend of Sonny Sixkiller' latest football ballad". St. Petersburg Times. (Florida). UPI. November 14, 1970. p. 2-C.
  3. ^ Blount, Roy, Jr. (October 4, 1971). "The magic number is Sixkiller". Sports Illustrated. p. 34.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ a b "Sonny's bid for Ram job comes to end". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). UPI. August 12, 1973. p. B1.
  5. ^ cfbdatawarehouse.com Archived 2012-09-25 at the Wayback Machine - Washington Huskies - 1970-74
  6. ^ "Bell inks Huskies' Sixkiller". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. September 20, 1974. p. 26.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Sonny_Sixkiller&oldid=846964268"