| Willie Bethea | |
| Position1: | Halfback |
| Position2: | Fullback |
| Birth Date: | 21 July 1938 |
| Birth Place: | Trenton, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Import: | yes |
| College: | Rider |
| Height Ft: | 6 |
| Height In: | 0 |
| Weight Lbs: | 190 |
| Career Highlights: |
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| Playing Years1: | - |
| Playing Team1: | Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
Willie Bethea (July 21, 1938 – January 5, 2024) was an American professional football player who was a running back for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He won the Grey Cup with them in 1963, 1965 and 1967.
Bethea was born in Trenton, New Jersey, on July 21, 1938,[1] He was an All-American in football in high school, and attended Rider College on a scholarship to play basketball. They did not have a football team. Bethea played semi-pro football with the Paterson Miners, and secured a trial with the National Football League's Baltimore Colts in 1962. He joined Hamilton in 1963.[2]
Bethea was inducted into the Tiger-Cats Wall of Honour in 2012.[3] He died on January 5, 2024, at the age of 85.[4] [1]