View source for Willie Fleming

{{Short description|American gridiron football player (born 1939)}}
{{other people||William Fleming (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox CFL biography
|name=Willie Fleming
|image=Willie Fleming VPL 44011 (15707508290).jpg
|caption=Fleming in 1960
|birth_date={{birth date and age|1939|2|2}}
|birth_place=[[Atlanta|Atlanta, Georgia]], U.S.
|death_date=
|import=yes
|position1=Running back
|College=[[University of Iowa|Iowa]]
|Height_ft=5
|Height_in=9
|Weight_lbs=183
|NFLDraftedYear=1961
|NFLDraftedRound=14
|NFLDraftedPick=196
|NFLDraftedTeam=[[Philadelphia Eagles]]
|career_highlights=
* [[Grey Cup]] champion ([[52nd Grey Cup|1964]])
* [[College football national championships in NCAA Division I FBS|National champion]] ([[1958 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1958]])
* First-team [[List of All-Big Ten Conference football teams|All-Big Ten]] ([[1958 All-Big Ten Conference football team|1958]])
|CFLAllStar={{CFL Year|1963}}
|CFLWestAllStar={{CFL Year|1961}}, {{CFL Year|1962}}, {{CFL Year|1963}}
|Retired #s=[[BC Lions#Retired numbers|BC Lions #15]]
|playing_years1={{CFL Year|1959}}–{{CFL Year|1966}}
|playing_team1=[[BC Lions]]
|CFHOF=willie-fleming
|CFHOFYear=1982
}}
'''Willie Fleming''' (born February 2, 1939) is an American former professional [[gridiron football|football]]  player with the [[Canadian Football League]] (CFL)'s [[BC Lions]]. Fleming played [[college football|collegiately]] as a [[Running back|halfback]] at the [[University of Iowa]], where he was a member of the [[Iowa Hawkeyes|Hawkeyes]]' [[1958 Iowa Hawkeyes football team#Rose Bowl|1959 Rose Bowl championship team]]. He is a member of the [[Canadian Football Hall of Fame]], the [[BC Sports Hall of Fame]], and the [[BC Lions#BC Lions Wall of Fame|BC Lions Wall of Fame]]. Fleming's number 15 jersey is one of eight numbers [[BC Lions#Retired numbers|retired]] by the Lions.<ref name="B.C. Lions Retired Numbers (BC Lions)">{{cite web | url = http://www.bclions.com/index.php?module=page&id=3066 | access-date = 2006-08-20 | title = BC Lions Retired Numbers | publisher = BCLions.com}}</ref> In 2003, Fleming was voted a member of the [[BC Lions#50th Anniversary Dream Team|BC Lions All-Time Dream Team]] as part of the club's 50th anniversary celebration.<ref name="BC Lions Dream Team">{{cite web | url = http://www.bclions.com/index.php?module=page&id=3060 | access-date = 2006-09-10 | title = BC Lions Dream Team | publisher = BCLions.com}}</ref> In 2006, Fleming was voted to the Honour Roll of the CFL's [[TSN Top 50 CFL Players|Top 50 players]] of the league's modern era by Canadian sports network [[The Sports Network|TSN]].<ref name="TSN Top 50 Honour Roll">{{cite web | url = https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/feature/?fid=10855 | access-date = 2007-05-01 | title = TSN Top 50 Honour Roll | publisher = TSN.ca | date = 2006-11-28}}</ref>

Fleming earned the nickname "The Wisp" or "Will 'o the Wisp" because of his elusive running style.<ref name="Canadian Football Hall of Fame: Willie Fleming">{{cite web | url = http://www.cfhof.ca/members/willie-fleming/ | access-date = 2010-03-05 | title = Canadian Football Hall of Fame: Willie Fleming | publisher = Canadian Football Hall of Fame & Museum | year = 1982}}</ref>

==Early life and college==
Fleming played [[Halfback (American football)|halfback]] at [[Hamtramck High School]] in Detroit, winning All-City honors in 1956.  His Head Coach was [[Babe Dimancheff]].

In 1957, Fleming began his college career at the [[University of Iowa]], where he was eventually named an [[Associated Press]] First Team All-[[Big Ten]] player in 1958.  In [[1958 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1958]], Fleming helped the Hawkeyes to a 6-0-1 Big Ten clinching victory over the [[University of Minnesota]], and led [[1958 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|the team]] in scoring.<ref name="Top Ten (College Football)">{{cite magazine | url = http://jcgi.pathfinder.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,810670,00.html | access-date = 2006-08-26 | title = Top Ten (College Football) | magazine = TIME.com| date = 1958-11-17}}</ref><ref name="2005 Iowa Hawkeye's Football Media Guide - Year-by-Year Scoring Records">{{cite web | url = http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/iowa/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/0506-supplement.pdf | access-date = 2006-09-05 | title = 2005 Iowa Hawkeye's Football Media Guide - Year-by-Year Scoring Records | year = 2005}}</ref>

In 1959, Fleming and the 7-1-1 Hawkeyes defeated the [[University of California, Berkeley|University of California]] (and Fleming's future BC Lions teammate, [[quarterback]] [[Joe Kapp]]) 38–12, in the [[1958 Iowa Hawkeyes football team#Rose Bowl|1959 Rose Bowl]].<ref name="Rose Bowl Game Photo Timeline: 1950-1959">{{cite web | url = http://www.tournamentofroses.com/photogallery/RBGtimeline/1950sb.htm | access-date = 2006-08-26 | title = Rose Bowl Game Photo Timeline: 1950-1959 | publisher = Pasadena Tournament of Roses }}</ref> Fleming scored 2 [[Rush (American football)|rushing]] [[touchdowns]] in the game, and finished with 85 yards on 9 attempts.<ref name="2005 Iowa Hawkeye's Football Media Guide - Iowa Bowl History (1959 Rose Bowl)">{{cite web | url = http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/iowa/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/0506-supplement.pdf | access-date = 2006-09-05 | title = 2005 Iowa Hawkeye's Football Media Guide - Iowa Bowl History (1959 Rose Bowl) | year = 2005}}</ref>

==Professional career==
[[File:Arlene and Willie Fleming VPL 60573 (15707304828).jpg|thumb|left|175px|Arlene and Willie Fleming in 1960.]]
Following the 1959 Rose Bowl, Fleming joined the [[Canadian Football League]] [[BC Lions]] for the {{CFL Year|1959}} season.  By {{CFL Year|1960}}, he became the first Lion to eclipse 1,000 yards rushing with 1,051 yards on 125 carries for an 8.4 yard average.<ref name="CFL:  A Historical Look - Willie Fleming (BC Lions)">{{cite web | url = http://www.geocities.com/cfl_historical/Fleming.Willie.htm | access-date = 2006-08-26 | title = CFL: A Historical Look - Willie Fleming (BC Lions) | publisher = CFL: A Historical Look (Fan Site)|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090807012509/http://geocities.com/cfl_historical/Fleming.Willie.htm|archive-date=2009-08-07}}</ref>

In {{CFL Year|1963}}, Fleming and Kapp led the Lions to a 12–4 record and the [[Canadian Football League West Division|CFL Western Division]] championship.<ref name="CFL:  A Historical Look - Willie Fleming (BC Lions)"/> The Lions next faced the [[Hamilton Tiger-Cats]] in the 1963 CFL Championship [[Grey Cup]].  During the [[51st Grey Cup|1963 Grey Cup]] game, Fleming was involved in a widely discussed and controversial play as he was hit by Ti-Cat [[defensive lineman]] [[Angelo Mosca]], while Fleming was out of bounds, resulting in Fleming's absence from the remainder of the game (and a trip to the hospital).<ref name="CFL:  A Historical Look - Willie Fleming (BC Lions)"/><ref name="BC Sports Hall of Fame - Willie Fleming">{{cite web|url=https://bcsportshall.com/honoured_member/willie-fleming/ |access-date=2006-08-26 |title=BC Sports Hall of Fame - Willie Fleming |publisher=BC Sports Hall of Fame.com |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927064553/http://www.bcsportshalloffame.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi?person_id=53&stype=searchname&keyword=fleming&type=ind&sport_id=41&year_=2006&category_id=team |archive-date=September 27, 2007 }}</ref> Despite a disappointing end to the season (the Lions lost to the Tiger-Cats, 21-10), Fleming had his finest season as a professional football player, as he rushed for 1,234 yards on 127 carries for an incredible 9.7 yard average.<ref name="CFL:  A Historical Look - Willie Fleming (BC Lions)"/>

The following year, Fleming and the Lions would get their revenge, as the BC Lions again faced the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the [[52nd Grey Cup|1964 Grey Cup]]. The [[BC Lions#1964 champions|Lions won their first CFL championship]] 34–24, and Fleming scored a game-breaking touchdown on a 68-yard scoring run over Mosca's position.<ref name="BC Sports Hall of Fame - Willie Fleming"/> Earlier in the {{CFL Year|1964}} season, Fleming scored the longest touchdown run from scrimmage (109 yards) against the [[Edmonton Eskimos]], a CFL record that still stands.<ref name="Rings of Glory">{{cite news | url = http://www.vancourier.com/issues06/081106/news/081106nn1.html | access-date = 2006-08-26 | author = Corben, Len | title = Rings of Glory | newspaper = Vancouver Courier| date = 2006-08-02 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061017180115/http://www.vancourier.com/issues06/081106/news/081106nn1.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 2006-10-17}}</ref>

Fleming retired from the CFL and the BC Lions following the {{CFL Year|1966}} season. Fleming retired as a CFL All-Star in {{CFL Year|1963}}, a three-time [[Canadian Football League West Division|CFL Western Division]] All-Star, and was named the most popular BC Lions Player three times. After sitting out the 1967 season, Fleming attempted a comeback with the [[Minnesota Vikings]] in 1968, but was released before the regular season began. Fleming was inducted into the [[Canadian Football Hall of Fame]] in 1982.<ref name="BC Sports Hall of Fame - Willie Fleming"/> In {{CFL Year|2003}}, Fleming was voted a member of the [[BC Lions#50th Anniversary Dream Team|BC Lions All-Time Dream Team]], at the [[running back|running back position]], as part of the club's 50 year anniversary celebration.<ref name="BC Lions Dream Team"/> In November, {{CFL Year|2006}}, Fleming was voted to the Honour Roll of the CFL's top 50 players of the league's modern era by Canadian sports network [[The Sports Network|TSN]].<ref name="TSN Top 50 Honour Roll"/>

== Career regular season rushing statistics ==
{| class="wikitable" style="background: #FFFFFF;"
! Year !! Team !! GP !! Rush !! Yards !! Y/R !! Lg !! TD
|-
| {{CFL Year|1959}} || [[BC Lions]] || 16 || 110	||774	||7.0	||52|| 	3
|-
| {{CFL Year|1960}} || [[BC Lions]] || 16 || 125	||1051	||8.4	||98 	||10
|-
| {{CFL Year|1961}} || [[BC Lions]] || 15|| 96	||468	||4.9	||64 	||2
|-
| {{CFL Year|1962}} || [[BC Lions]] || 16 ||139	||993	||7.1	||97 	||7 
|-
| {{CFL Year|1963}} ||[[BC Lions]]|| 16 || 127	||1234	||9.7	||97 	||5
|-
| {{CFL Year|1964}} ||[[BC Lions]] || 16 || 129	||750	||5.8	||109 	||6
|-
| {{CFL Year|1965}} || [[BC Lions]]|| 15 || 93	||595	||6.4	||30 	||2
|-
| {{CFL Year|1966}} || [[BC Lions]] || 16 || 49	||260	||5.3	||29 	||3
|-
|  || '''''CFL Totals''''' || || '''868''' || '''6125''' || '''7.1''' || '''109''' || '''38'''
|}

==After football==
Retired from the [[Canadian Football League|CFL]] since {{CFL Year|1967}}, Fleming currently resides in [[Bedford, Ohio]] and stays busy working out three times a week, keeping in shape.

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{cite web | url = http://www.cflmagazine.com/ | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20041101215408/http://www.cflmagazine.com/ | url-status = usurped | archive-date = November 1, 2004 | access-date = 2006-08-26 | first = John | last = Cooper | title = Hall of Fame Pro-File: "Willie the Wisp" | publisher = CFL Magazine | date = 2006-09-01}}
*[http://www.lionbackers.com/history/fleming.html Lionbackers.com Profile - #15 Willie Fleming (Fan Site)]

{{1958 Iowa Hawkeyes football navbox}}
{{Eagles1961DraftPicks}}
{{52nd Grey Cup}}
{{BC Lions}}
{{Canadian Football Hall of Fame members}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fleming, Willie}}
[[Category:1939 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:BC Lions players]]
[[Category:Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Canadian football running backs]]
[[Category:Iowa Hawkeyes football players]]
[[Category:Players of Canadian football from Atlanta]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Michigan]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Hamtramck, Michigan]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]
[[Category:Players of Canadian football from Michigan]]