Bill Bechtold
1982 · Round 3 · Pick 67 · C · Los Angeles Rams
Bill Bechtold played C at Oklahoma and was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in round 3, pick 67, of the 1982 draft. Note: there is no Wikipedia article on him. Pro Football Reference has no player page for him. This bio covers his draft record plus SoonerStats roster data. SoonerStats lists him on OU's roster for 1977 FR, 1978 SO C, 1979 JR C, 1980 SR C, 1981 SR C. His listed size in 1981 was 6-4, 245 lb. SoonerStats gives his full name as William B. Bechtold. It gives his hometown as Midwest City, OK and his high school as Midwest City. It lists his birth as April 7, 1959. Pro Football Archives lists him as a letterman at Oklahoma in 1979, 1980 and 1981. Its transaction log shows that the Los Angeles Rams (NFL) signed him in 1982, placed him on injured reserve on 9/6/1982 and released him in 1983. The Oklahoman wrote on December 28, 1981: "Senior center Bill Bechtold rendered two Cougar nose guards powerless to stop OU's inside running game." The Oklahoman wrote on January 3, 1982: "Leaving is one of the Sooners' best ever, Bill Bechtold."
Sources
https://soonersports.com/sports/2019/8/13/208798496 | https://soonerstats.com/football/players/details.cfm?playerid=98 | https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/b/bech00350.html | The Oklahoman, 1981-12-28, ""Older' Sooners Predict Return to Glory Next Season" (via NewsBank The Oklahoman) | The Oklahoman, 1982-01-03, "Sweeping Changes (I Formation?) Possible in Sooners' Future" (via NewsBank The Oklahoman)