University of Minnesota Athletics
Gopher Family Loses Legend Bye
6/13/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Gopher legend Billy Bye, one of the greatest athletes ever produced by the state of Minnesota, passed away in a boating accident Friday on Bay Lake east of Brainerd.
Bye, who was recently elected to the National High School Hall of Fame by the National Federation of State High School Associations, starred as a halfback for the Golden Gophers from 1946-1949 and was the MVP of the 1946 team.
The 81-year old Bye maintained close ties with the athletics department following his playing days and the news of his passing sent shockwaves through the Gopher Athletics family. He had recently been selected to serve as one of the Gophers’ honorary captains for the inaugural football game in TCF Bank Stadium against Air Force on Sept. 12.
“Billy Bye is one of the most-loved Gophers of all time,” said head football coach Tim Brewster, who had developed a close relationship with the former Minnesota great. “His passing is a stunning and tragic loss for the entire Gopher family. Billy meant so much to all Gophers. He was clearly a great player. But he was an even better person. His dedication to the U of M was unique and I could not be more proud that he was selected to be one of the honorary captains for the inaugural game at TCF Bank Stadium this fall. It is a tremendous loss and Billy will be greatly missed.”
Director of Athletics Joel Maturi, who had worked with Bye on several projects at Minnesota, considered Bye a close friend and said he was stunned and extremely saddened by the news of Bye’s passing.
“This is an incredibly sad day for the Gopher Athletics family,” director of athletics Joel Maturi said. “Billy accomplished so much as an athlete and a person and his passing is a huge loss for all of us. He epitomized what it meant to be a Gopher. He was tremendously supportive and a great friend of Minnesota Athletics. We will all miss him greatly.”
Bye attended Thief River Falls High School and Anoka High School before beginning his collegiate career at Minnesota and was perhaps the most prolific and versatile athlete in the state’s history. In four years playing for Thief River Falls High School and two years for Anoka High School, Bye earned 21 letters in six sports. He excelled in hockey, golf, football, basketball, baseball, and track and field.
Bye captained an undefeated football team, a district champion basketball team, and a state champion baseball team during his prep career. He was also named to all-star teams in football and baseball, and was all-conference and all-district selection several times in football and basketball. Bye was a region champion and state participant multiple times in track and field and golf, and placed as high as third individually in both state tournaments. He also was a leading scorer on Thief River Falls’ hockey teams prior to the League sponsoring a state tournament.
Bye’s on-the-field exploits for the Gophers were no less impressive. He led Minnesota in rushing during the 1946, ’47 and ’49 seasons and still ranks 18th all time in school history in career rushing yards with 1,784. He also ranks 10th in career rushing touchdowns with 20, while his 81-yard run against Wyoming on Oct. 19, 1946 stands as the fifth longest ever by a Gopher.
Following his collegiate career, Bye was a 19th round pick by the Chicago Bears in the 1950 draft. He then played in the Canadian Football League for three years before returning to Minnesota to teach and coach.
Bye coached football, wrestling, basketball, and track and field at Detroit Lakes, Minnetonka, and Edina High Schools, and was named the 1960 Minnesota Football Coach of the Year with his undefeated Edina squad. Bye also was a WCCO radio broadcaster, served on advisory committees for six Minnesota governors and five University of Minnesota presidents, and worked for the Minnesota Vikings.
Bye graduated from Anoka High School in 1945 and from the University of Minnesota in 1950. He later added a master’s degree from Concordia University in St. Paul.
Funeral arrangements for Bye are pending, according to family members.