Newsroom

Bill Redell Inducted Into National College Football Hall of Fame

He was considered one of college football’s last “triple threats,” excelling at offense, defense and special teams. Redell is the first Occidental athlete to earn the honor. He went on to a successful professional football career and is now head football coach at Oaks Christian High in Westlake Village. Redell will be inducted during enshrinement ceremonies Aug. 10-12 in South Bend, Ind.

“This validates my playing career and speaks very highly of the guys I played with at Occidental College,” Redell said. “I’m very excited, and happy for Occidental. The college played a vital role in my life, both in education and athletics.”

Redell was one of five people voted this year into the Hall of Fame’s small college category. He was chosen from among 127 nominees by the Divisional Honors Court of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, Inc.  

During his 1962-63 college career, Redell was primarily known for his quarterback prowess, although he was named a first-team All-Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) representative for offensive and defensive play in 1962. He was a first-team All Pacific Coast quarterback in 1963, as well as a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) first-team All-American at defensive back. Redell, a physical education major, was team captain and most valuable player during both years at Oxy. Redell’s versatility is reflected in his statistics: he passed for 1,567 yards and rushed for 1,583 yards. He also filled in at kicking and punting, connecting for 36 of 43 point-after attempts and two of three field goals.

In a letter to the Hall of Fame recommending Redell’s induction, Jim Mora, the former Oxy assistant coach and current head coach of the Baltimore Colts, wrote that Redell was highly respected by his coaches and teammates. “I have seldom coached a player as competitive and tough as Bill,” Mora wrote. “He always practiced and played with maximum effort and would compete hard in every game from the first play to the last, regardless of score or other circumstances.”

In 1963, Redell was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams and Denver Broncos, but would go on to a successful career in the Canadian Football League. From 1964-69, he played for the Edmonton Eskimos, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Calgary Stampeders. He helped lead the Tiger-Cats to the Grey Cup championship in 1967. In 1966, Redell was named all pro in the western conference and led the league in pass interceptions as a defensive back. In 1965, he set the CFL pass percentage record for a season.

Redell, 60, is a 1959 San Marino High School graduate. He is chief executive officer of Bolton & Co. Insurance Brokers in South Pasadena. He is married and has three sons.