Ronald Smith Billingsley (April 6, 1945 – February 5, 2017) was an American football player, a defensive tackle in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL).

Early years

Born in Florence, Alabama, Billingsley was a multi-sport athlete at Gadsden High School in Gadsden and graduated in 1963. He attended the University of Wyoming in Laramie, where he played college football for the Cowboys under head coach Lloyd Eaton. Billngsley received notice from AFL scouts during his senior season in 1966, when the Cowboys went 10–1, won the WAC championship, and defeated Florida State 28–20 in the Sun Bowl. He was selected to the All-WAC team as a senior.

Pro football

The San Diego Chargers of the AFL selected Billingsley as the 14th pick of the 1967 NFL/AFL Draft, the first year that the two leagues held a common draft after their merger agreement. He played for the Chargers for four seasons as a defensive starter. After the 1970 season, he was traded to the Houston Oilers. After another complete season as a starter at Houston, Billingsley experienced problems with an injury and only played in four games during the 1972 season. After 1972, he and Kent Nix were traded to the New Orleans Saints for Dave Parks, Tom Stincic, and Edd Hargett. However, because of the continued problems with his injury, he never played a game with the Saints and retired in 1973. During his NFL career, the 6ft 8in Billingsley was known for being one of the tallest players in the league.

In the news

On June 15, 2007, Billingsley rescued two fellow residents of his apartment complex in Glencoe, Alabama after one of the units caught fire.

Death

Billingsley died at age 71 in Gadsden in 2017 and was buried at its Crestwood Cemetery.