| Bill Overmyer | |
| Position: | Linebacker |
| Number: | 56 |
| Birth Date: | 16 June 1949 |
| Birth Place: | Fremont, Ohio, U.S. |
| Height Ft: | 6 |
| Weight Lb: | 220 |
| Height In: | 3 |
| Draftyear: | 1972 |
| Draftround: | 14 |
| Draftpick: | 352 |
| College: | Ashland College |
| Teams: |
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| Statlabel1: | Kickoff returns |
| Statvalue1: | 1 |
| Statlabel2: | Kickoff return yards |
| Statvalue2: | 0 |
| Pfr: | OverBi20 |
William Lee Overmyer (born June 16, 1949) is a former American football linebacker.
Overmyer played college football as a defensive end at Ashland College, where he was named the school's "best defensive lineman" in 1969, 1970 and 1971.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] In 1971 he also earned an honorable mention in the Associated Press All-America team and he was a second-team of the Kodak College All-America Football Team.[6] He was inducted into Ashland's hall of fame in 2004.[5]
Overmyer was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 14th round of the 1972 NFL draft with the 352nd overall pick.[1] In the preseason he competed with three others – fellow rookie Will Foster and veterans Ike Kelley and Bill Cody – to replace Tim Rossovich, who was holding out and was eventually traded, to be the Eagles' middle linebacker after Steve Zabel was injured in training camp.[7] Overmyer said of the experience:
Because he always had to prove himself, his Eagles' teammates nicknamed him "underdog."[5] Overmyer was waived late in the preseason but was later signed to join the Eagles' taxi squad.[8] [9]
He was activated for the first time in November for the Eagles' 9th game of the season against the Houston Oilers.[10] [11] He then played in every game for the Eagles for the rest of the season, for a total of 6 games.[10] In the last game of the season, which proved to be his last game in the National Football League, he was credited with a kickoff return for no yards against the St. Louis Cardinals.[10] He was cut by the Eagles during the 1973 preseason.[12]
In 1974 he signed with the Houston Texans of the World Football League but was not on their regular season roster.[13] [14] [15] [5] In 1975 he signed as a free agent with the Washington Redskins but was cut during preseason.[16] [5]