18 Facts About Bill Groman

William Frederick Groman was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver in the American Football League.

Bill Groman played college football for the Heidelberg Student Princes, and played professionally for the Houston Oilers from 1960 through 1962 and was on the first two AFL championship teams.

Bill Groman played for the Denver Broncos in 1963, and for the Buffalo Bills in 1964 and 1965, playing on the Bills' two league championship teams.

For 63 years, Bill Groman held the National Football League record for the most receiving yards in a season by a rookie, with 1,473 yards in the 1960 season.

Bill Groman attended Heidelberg University and graduated with a bachelor's degree while lettering in three sports that included football.

Bill Groman did not have initial aspirations of being a pro player, instead moving on to teaching after leaving college in 1958.

Bill Groman taught science for eighth graders in Perrysburg, Ohio, near where he grew up before one day being approached to have lunch with a fellow teacher and her husband Bob Snyder, a former coach in the NFL.

Bill Groman started his career off with a bang, having a rookie year like no other receiver ever had before.

Bill Groman played in 13 of the 14 games in the Oilers season, and he caught 72 passes for 1,473 yards with 12 touchdowns.

Bill Groman set the record for receiving yards in a rookie season with 1,473 in 1960, when the season was 14 games long rather than the current 17; Bill Groman played in only 13 of the Oilers 14 games.

Bill Groman was selected as one of the offensive ends on the first Sporting News AFL All-League Team in 1960.

Alongside his teammate Charlie Hennigan, they were referred to as "The Long-Distance Twins", with Bill Groman benefitting from his quick feet that made him a track star in college.

Bill Groman was traded to the Denver Broncos in 1963 and played in just five games for 27 catches, 437 yards, and three touchdowns.

Bill Groman moved to the Buffalo Bills for 1964 and 1965, where the team won two AFL titles, although Groman only caught a combined total of four catches for 68 yards in 10 total games for the Bills.

Bill Groman became a stockbroker after his career ended, but he did not leave football for very long, becoming a weekend scout for the Cincinnati Bengals and later other teams, including a stint as pro personnel director for two teams in the United States Football League.

Bill Groman spent the majority of his scouting time with the Atlanta Falcons, and he credited his recommendation of Jamal Anderson as one of his best ones.

Bill Groman retired from scouting in 2003 to take care of his ailing wife.

Bill Groman died on June 17,2020, at the age of 83 of natural causes.