Recent from talks
Walter Suggs
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Walter Suggs
William Walter Suggs Jr. (May 15, 1939 – September 5, 2022) was a college and professional American football player. An offensive and defensive lineman, he played college football at Mississippi State University, and played professionally in the American Football League (AFL) for the Houston Oilers from 1962 through 1969, and for the National Football League (NFL) Oilers in 1970 and 1971. Suggs played in 137 consecutive games. He played in the first pro football game played in the Houston Astrodome in 1968. He was an American Football League All-Star in 1967 and 1968.
Suggs was born on May 15, 1939, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He attended Forrest County Agricultural High School in Brooklyn, Mississippi, where he boarded and played on the football team in the DeSoto Conference. Suggs was junior class president (1955-56). He was selected All-State and All-DeSoto Conference in football. In 1956, he was named Most Outstanding Lineman in the DeSoto Conference. While tackle was his primary position, he also filled in as a fullback, once scoring three touchdowns in a championship game (one receiving and two rushing) in leading Forrest to the DeSoto Conference title with a perfect 11–0 record in 1956. Suggs played in the August 1957 Mississippi High School All-Star Football Game as a 230 lb. (104.3 kg) tackle.
Suggs attended Mississippi State University on a football scholarship, graduating in 1961. He played offensive tackle on the football team in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m), 228 lb. (103.4 kg) Suggs got his first start at right tackle as a sophomore early in the 1958 season. Going into the 1959 season, the 240 lb. (108.9 kg) Suggs was considered one of the best tackles in the conference. He was named team captain as a senior.
United Press International (UPI) named Suggs second-team All-SEC as a junior (1959) and a senior (1960) at tackle. He also was named to the All-SEC Academic team in 1960. In early January 1961, he was named a third-team Academic All-American. Suggs was selected to play in the Senior Bowl (January 7, 1961) and in the Blue Gray Game (December 31, 1960).
The Houston Oilers selected Suggs in the third round of the 1961 AFL draft, 24th overall. Suggs was not selected by any team in the NFL draft, and he signed with the Oilers in December 1960. The Oilers also drafted Suggs' Mississippi State teammate Tom Goode, a center and second-team All-American, who went on to play with Suggs in Houston from 1962 to 1965.
Neither Suggs nor Goode were on the Oilers' 1961 roster, beginning their rookie seasons in 1962. As a rookie in 1962, Suggs was a backup tackle and did not start any games. Suggs became the Oilers' starting left tackle in 1963, playing next to six-time AFL All-Star left guard Bob Talamini. Suggs and Talamini would play every game as starters side-by-side from 1963 through 1967, until Talamini was traded to the New York Jets.
The Oilers had won the AFL's first two championships in 1960 and 1961, and lost the 1962 championship game in overtime, behind future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback George Blanda, and star players such as former Heisman Trophy winner Billy Cannon, and AFL All-Stars Charlie Tolar and Charley Hennigan on offense. The 1962 double-overtime championship game is the second longest game in AFL/NFL history, going 77 minutes and 54 seconds.
From 1963 through 1966, however, the team was never above .500 and the Oilers' record was 6–8, 4–10, 4–10 and 3–11, respectively. By 1967, the 40-year old Blanda, Cannon, Tolar and Hennigan were no longer with the team.
Hub AI
Walter Suggs AI simulator
(@Walter Suggs_simulator)
Walter Suggs
William Walter Suggs Jr. (May 15, 1939 – September 5, 2022) was a college and professional American football player. An offensive and defensive lineman, he played college football at Mississippi State University, and played professionally in the American Football League (AFL) for the Houston Oilers from 1962 through 1969, and for the National Football League (NFL) Oilers in 1970 and 1971. Suggs played in 137 consecutive games. He played in the first pro football game played in the Houston Astrodome in 1968. He was an American Football League All-Star in 1967 and 1968.
Suggs was born on May 15, 1939, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He attended Forrest County Agricultural High School in Brooklyn, Mississippi, where he boarded and played on the football team in the DeSoto Conference. Suggs was junior class president (1955-56). He was selected All-State and All-DeSoto Conference in football. In 1956, he was named Most Outstanding Lineman in the DeSoto Conference. While tackle was his primary position, he also filled in as a fullback, once scoring three touchdowns in a championship game (one receiving and two rushing) in leading Forrest to the DeSoto Conference title with a perfect 11–0 record in 1956. Suggs played in the August 1957 Mississippi High School All-Star Football Game as a 230 lb. (104.3 kg) tackle.
Suggs attended Mississippi State University on a football scholarship, graduating in 1961. He played offensive tackle on the football team in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m), 228 lb. (103.4 kg) Suggs got his first start at right tackle as a sophomore early in the 1958 season. Going into the 1959 season, the 240 lb. (108.9 kg) Suggs was considered one of the best tackles in the conference. He was named team captain as a senior.
United Press International (UPI) named Suggs second-team All-SEC as a junior (1959) and a senior (1960) at tackle. He also was named to the All-SEC Academic team in 1960. In early January 1961, he was named a third-team Academic All-American. Suggs was selected to play in the Senior Bowl (January 7, 1961) and in the Blue Gray Game (December 31, 1960).
The Houston Oilers selected Suggs in the third round of the 1961 AFL draft, 24th overall. Suggs was not selected by any team in the NFL draft, and he signed with the Oilers in December 1960. The Oilers also drafted Suggs' Mississippi State teammate Tom Goode, a center and second-team All-American, who went on to play with Suggs in Houston from 1962 to 1965.
Neither Suggs nor Goode were on the Oilers' 1961 roster, beginning their rookie seasons in 1962. As a rookie in 1962, Suggs was a backup tackle and did not start any games. Suggs became the Oilers' starting left tackle in 1963, playing next to six-time AFL All-Star left guard Bob Talamini. Suggs and Talamini would play every game as starters side-by-side from 1963 through 1967, until Talamini was traded to the New York Jets.
The Oilers had won the AFL's first two championships in 1960 and 1961, and lost the 1962 championship game in overtime, behind future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback George Blanda, and star players such as former Heisman Trophy winner Billy Cannon, and AFL All-Stars Charlie Tolar and Charley Hennigan on offense. The 1962 double-overtime championship game is the second longest game in AFL/NFL history, going 77 minutes and 54 seconds.
From 1963 through 1966, however, the team was never above .500 and the Oilers' record was 6–8, 4–10, 4–10 and 3–11, respectively. By 1967, the 40-year old Blanda, Cannon, Tolar and Hennigan were no longer with the team.