Elijah Eugene Pitts was an American professional football player who was a halfback in the National Football League for 11 seasons, including 10 with the Green Bay Packers.
11 Facts About Elijah Pitts
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Elijah Pitts had offers from Big Ten programs and notable black colleges, but chose to stay close to home and played college football at Philander Smith College in Little Rock, where his older brother and former coach were.
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Elijah Pitts was selected by the Packers in the 13th round of the 1961 NFL draft, 180th overall.
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Elijah Pitts turned down a higher offer from the Boston Patriots of the AFL to play for a better team in the more established league.
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Elijah Pitts was a member of all five NFL championship teams under head coach Vince Lombardi, including wins in the first two Super Bowls.
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Elijah Pitts was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1979.
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Elijah Pitts went with Knox to the Buffalo Bills in 1978, then left for the Houston Oilers in 1981, on first-year head coach Ed Biles' staff, coaching hall of fame back Earl Campbell.
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Elijah Pitts returned to the Bills in 1985 under head coach Kay Stephenson and was retained by new coaches Hank Bullough and Marv Levy in 1986.
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Elijah Pitts became assistant head coach in 1992, coached in all four of the Bills' Super Bowl appearances in the early 1990s, and substituted as head coach for Levy for three games in the 1995 season.
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In October 1997, Elijah Pitts was diagnosed with stomach cancer while he was still the Bills' assistant head coach.
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Elijah Pitts was survived by his wife, two sons, and a daughter.