{{Short description|American football player (born 1961)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox NFL biography | name = Bill Contz | image = Bill Contz.jpg | upright = .85 | number = 75, 70 | position = Offensive tackle | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1961|5|12}} | birth_place = Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania, U.S. | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 5 | weight_lb = 268 | high_school = Belle Vernon Area | college = Penn State (1979–1982) | draftyear = 1983 | draftround = 5 | draftpick = 122 | pastteams = * Cleveland Browns ({{NFL Year|1983|1986}}) * New Orleans Saints (1986–{{NFL Year|1988}}) * Denver Broncos ({{NFL Year|1989}})* * Indianapolis Colts (1989)* | highlights = * National champion (1982) * Second-team All-East (1982) | statlabel1 = Games played | statvalue1 = 63 | statlabel2 = Games started | statvalue2 = 25 | statlabel3 = Fumble recoveries | statvalue3 = 2 | pfr = C/ContBi20 }}
'''Julius William Contz''' (born May 12, 1961) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle for six seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints. He was selected by the Browns in the fifth round of the 1983 NFL draft after playing college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions.
==Early life== Julius William Contz was born on May 12, 1961, in Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania.<ref name="Pfa">{{cite web | url=http://www.profootballarchives.com/players/c/cont00600.html | title=BILL CONTZ | publisher=Pro Football Archives | accessdate=25 December 2024}}</ref> He played football and basketball at Belle Vernon Area High School in Belle Vernon.<ref name="Pfa"/><ref name="2015a"/> He was a two way tackle on the football team and helped them win their first conference title.<ref name="2015a"/> He also helped the basketball team win their first WPIAL title.<ref name="2015a"/> Contz averaged 17.4 points per game in basketball his senior year in 1978–79.<ref name="2015a"/>
==College career== Contz was a member of the Nittany Lions at Pennsylvania State University from 1979 to 1982 and a three-year letterman from 1980 to 1982.<ref name="Pfa"/> He became a starter in 1981 and was a starter on the school's first ever national championship team in 1982.<ref name="2015a"/> He earned Associated Press second-team All-East honors that season.<ref>{{cite news|title=All-East Team|newspaper=Gettysburg Times|date=December 4, 1982|page=10|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aaNcAAAAIBAJ&dq=1982+All-East+football+team&pg=PA10&article_id=4803,3388450}}</ref>
==Professional career== Contz was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round, with the 122nd overall pick, of the 1983 NFL draft.<ref name="Pfr"/> He officially signed with the team on May 31.<ref name="transactions"/> He played in all 16 games for the Browns during his rookie year in 1983.<ref name="Pfr"/> He appeared in 15 games, starting nine, for the team in 1984 before being placed on injured reserve on December 12, 1984.<ref name="transactions"/><ref name="Pfr"/> The next year, Contz was placed on the physically unable to perform list on August 20, 1985.<ref name="transactions"/> He was later activated on October 19 and played in four games during the 1985 season.<ref name="transactions"/><ref name="Pfr"/> He played in one game for the Browns in 1986 before being released on September 10, 1986.<ref name="transactions"/><ref name="Pfr"/>
Contz signed with the New Orleans Saints on September 23, 1986.<ref name="transactions"/> He proceeded to start the next 13 games for the Saints that year, recovering two fumbles.<ref name="Pfr"/> The Saints finished the 1986 season with a 7–9 record.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.profootballarchives.com/1986nflno.html | title=1986 New Orleans Saints (NFL) | publisher=Pro Football Archives | accessdate=25 December 2024}}</ref> He only appeared in three games for the team during the 1987 season.<ref name="Pfr"/> He played in 11 games, starting two, in 1988. Contz spent the month of November 1988 on injured reserve.<ref name="Pfr">{{cite web | url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/C/ContBi20.htm | title=Bill Contz | publisher=Pro Football Reference | accessdate=25 December 2024}}</ref><ref name="transactions"/> He became a free agent after the 1988 season.<ref name="transactions"/>
Contz was signed by the Denver Broncos on March 29, 1989.<ref name="transactions"/>
On August 21, 1989, he was traded to the Indianapolis Colts for a 1990 conditional eleventh round draft pick.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://prosportstransactions.com/football/Search/SearchResults.php?Player=Bill+Contz&Team=&BeginDate=&EndDate=&PlayerMovementChkBx=yes&submit=Search | title=Search Results | publisher=prosportstransactions.com | accessdate=25 December 2024}}</ref> He was released by the Colts on August 30, 1989.<ref name="transactions">{{cite web | url=http://www.profootballarchives.com/transactions/c/cont00600.html | title=Bill Contz NFL Transactions | publisher=Pro Football Archives | accessdate=25 December 2024}}</ref>
==Personal life== After his NFL career, Contz worked for Federated Investors and then worked in medical device sales.<ref name="2015a">{{cite news | url=https://www.heraldstandard.com/sports/2015/sep/21/contz-saw-many-firsts-in-his-career/ | title=Contz saw many firsts in his career | work=The Herald-Standard | date=September 21, 2015 | accessdate=25 December 2024 | author=Von Benko, George}}</ref> His book "When the Lions Roared: Joe Paterno and One of College Football's Greatest Teams" (Triumph Books) was released in September 2017.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.triumphbooks.com/when-the-lions-roared-products-9781629373720.php | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171129172654/http://www.triumphbooks.com/when-the-lions-roared-products-9781629373720.php | url-status=dead | archive-date=November 29, 2017 | title=When the Lions Roared: Joe Paterno and One of College Football's Greatest Teams | publisher=triumphbooks.com | access-date=November 29, 2017}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{1982 Penn State Nittany Lions football navbox}} {{Browns1983DraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Contz, Bill}} Category:Living people Category:1961 births Category:American football offensive tackles Category:Penn State Nittany Lions football players Category:Cleveland Browns players Category:New Orleans Saints players Category:Players of American football from Fayette County, Pennsylvania Category:Denver Broncos players Category:Indianapolis Colts players Category:20th-century American sportsmen