Rose Bowl Hall of Fame
1952 Rose Bowl Game
1996 Inductee
Bill Tate did it all for Illinois in the early 1950s. Unlike the specialty players in today’s game, Tate played offense and defense, while also assuming punting duties and throwing an occasional pass. The 6-foot 1-inch, 188-pound fullback and linebacker saved his greatest performance for the 1952 Rose Bowl Game against Stanford. Tate ran for 150 yards on 20 attempts and scored twice. A 41-yard gallop in the first quarter set up
Illinois’ first touchdown and set the stage for the Illini’s 40–7 victory over a talented
Stanford team.
Tate credits outstanding backfield mate John Karras for creating his opportunity to shine in the Rose Bowl Game spotlight. Tate later served as an assistant coach for Illinois from 1957 to 1963 before becoming the head coach at Wake Forest from 1964 to 1968.
