Sonny Utz
| No. 28 | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Fullback |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | May 21, 1942 Annandale, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died: | December 31, 1991 (aged 49) |
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight: | 208 lb (94 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Annandale (VA) |
| College: | Virginia Tech |
| NFL draft: | 1965 / Round: 6 / Pick: 75 |
| AFL draft: | 1965 / Round: 13 / Pick: 100 |
| Career history | |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Silas Alexander "Sonny" Utz, III (May 21, 1942 - December 31, 1991) was an American football fullback in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Winnipeg Blue bombers. He also was a member of the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Virginia Tech.
Early years[edit]
Utz attended Annandale High School, where he practiced football and baseball. He contributed to the school winning four consecutive county football championships. As a senior, he received All-Met and All Northern Region honors.[2]
College career[edit]
Utz accepted a football scholarship from Virginia Tech. He was referred to as "Mr. Inside" as a fullback in the Tech offense that featured star quarterback Bob Schweickert, who was called "Mr. Outside."[3] He also played as a linebacker.
1962 season[edit]
Utz was one of four backs who ran for over 250 yards for the Gobblers, racking up 261 yards on 66 carries.[4] He scored one touchdown for the 5-5 Techmen.
1963 season[edit]
Utz led the conference in scoring for the only Virginia Tech team to ever win the Southern Conference title.[1] He scored 10 touchdowns in 10 games for the Hokies who finished the year 8-2 and with a perfect 5-0 conference mark.[4] He also was second to Sweickert on the team in rushing with 567 yards.[4] That was good enough for third place in the Southern Conference.[1]
1964 season[edit]
In the 1964 season, Utz led the Southern in both rushing and scoring.[1] However, the Hokies lost to West Virginia to spoil their bid for back-to-back Southern Conference championships. Utz scored 10 times on the ground in 10 games for the second straight year, but also caught a pass for a touchdown to tally a total of 66 points.[1]
His accomplishments led to his induction into the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 1987.
Professional career[edit]
Utz was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the 6th round (75th overall) of the 1965 NFL Draft.[5] He also was selected by the New York Jets in the 13th round (100th overall) of the 1965 AFL Draft.[6] He opted to sign with the Cowboys, but missed all of training camp due to ankle injury he suffered in a motorcycle accident the previous spring. On August 24, 1966, he was waived to be placed on the injured reserve list.[7]
On April 11, 1967, he signed as a free agents with the Atlanta Falcons.[8] He was released on July 21.[9]
In August 1967, he was signed as a free agent by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League.[10] He registered 12 carries for 16 yards, 15 receptions for 145 yards and 12 kickoff returns for 272 yards.[11] He was released in October.
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f "Sonny Utz". Sports Reference College Football. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
- ^ "Star Atoms inducted into AHS Athletic Hall of Fame". Retrieved 19 February 2019.
- ^ Schlabach, Mark; Wood, Norm; Glier, Ray (2011). Always a Hokie: Players, coaches and fans share their passion for Virginia Tech football. Chicago: Triumph Books.
- ^ a b c "1962 Virginia Tech Hokies Stats". Sports Reference College Football. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
- ^ "1965 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2019-03-16.
- ^ "1965 AFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2019-03-16.
- ^ "Cowboys Release Manatee's Pettee". Retrieved 19 February 2019.
- ^ "Atlanta". 12 April 1967. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
- ^ "Transactions". 22 July 1967. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
- ^ "Ball in the Air". 9 August 1967. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
- ^ "Sonny Utz - The Pro Football Archives". www.profootballarchives.com. Retrieved 2019-03-16.