| Personal information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born: | January 28, 1953 Massillon, Ohio | ||||
| Died: | September 19, 2021 (aged 68) Massillon, Ohio | ||||
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 235 lb (107 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | Massillon Washington (OH) | ||||
| Position: | Running back | ||||
| Career history | |||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||
Willie Thomas Spencer Sr. (January 28, 1953 - September 19, 2021) is a former American football player.
Spencer was born in Massillon, Ohio, in 1953. He attended Massillon Washington High School.[1] In 1971, he led the county with 116 points scored and 1,251 yards.[2] He also played basketball and led Jefferson in rebounding as a senior.[3]
Spencer opted to skip college football and signed in 1972 with the Ottawa Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League.[3] He was cut by Ottawa in July 1972 and assigned to Indianapolis of the Midwest Football League.[4]
In 1973, he played in the Atlantic Coast Football League for the Hartford Knights.[1] He jumped to the Memphis Southmen of the newly formed World Football League (WFL) in 1974. He scored five touchdowns against the Jacksonville Sharks on October 2, 1974.[5] He played two seasons with Memphis, appearing in 27 games and rushing for 1,369 yards during the 1974 and 1975 seasons.[1]
The WFL folded after the 1975 season, and Spencer played in 1976 for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL).[6] He concluded his football career with the New York Giants during the 1977 and 1978 seasons. He appeared in a total of 31 NFL games.[6]
Spencer died on September 19, 2021.[7]