Jun 13, 2009 6:59 pm US/Central
Friends, Teammates Remember Gopher Great Billy Bye
(WCCO)
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Billy Bye played halfback for the Gophers from 1946 to 1949. He wore Number 7 and was named the team's most valuable player his senior year.
Mark Erickson/MSHSL/MNPrepPhoto.com
Legendary Gopher football player Billy Bye died Friday in a boating accident in Brainerd. He was boating with his wife Sally and good friends when the pontoon motor got tangled up with a buoy.
Bye jumped off to fix the problem, but as the boat drifted, he started struggling. His wife and friends tried to throw him ropes and life jackets, but he couldn't make it out of the water.
"This just took my breath away, I don't know how else to explain it," said University of Minnesota Athletic Director Joel Maturi. "I spoke to Billy within the last couple of weeks, healthy, vibrant, wouldn't expect this to happen and I think when it's sudden like this, it [is] a little bit more difficult to take."
Bye played halfback for the Gophers from 1946 to 1949. He wore Number 7 and was named the team's most valuable player his senior year. He played with former Vikings coach Bud Grant. Grant said he was too upset to talk about his late friend today.
Bob McNamara looked up to Grant and Bye. He later became good friends with his heroes and followed in their footsteps, playing college ball at the University and professional football in Winnipeg.
"What some people don't know (about Bye)," said McNamara, "He's probably the best high school athlete, maybe of all time."
McNamara played for Thief River Falls, where his father was Superintendent of Schools. When his Dad got a job leading the schools in Anoka, Bye started playing there.
"Since seventh grade on, he played golf and he played basketball, track and he was on the football team and he was on the baseball team. I don't know, he could have been in the band for all I knew. He did everything," said McNamara.
Bye's daughter Julianne reports her father was in the band, but that activity wasn't one of his 21 varsity letters.
Bye was recently welcomed into the Minnesota High School Hall of Fame. He was looking forward to his induction into the National High School Hall this summer. After his football career, Bye coached high school, worked for the Vikings and started his own benefits business.
McNamara said Bye loved his alma mater and helped raise money for the new stadium.
"When Coach Brewster came here, he went over right away, offered to help and that's the way he was," said McNamara. "He would help anybody."
McNamara said his friend was a great host known for throwing annual golf-and-tennis outings at his home on Bay Lake.
"And so, it won't be just me missing him. A lot of people will miss him," he said.
Seven years ago Bye was an honorary pallbearer at his friend Paul Giel's funeral. He ended his tribute to the former athletic director with the words, "This is not farewell, nor is it goodbye. It's 'til we meet again on the other side of that rainbow."
Bye would have been 82 on Friday. Visitation will be at Washburn McReavy Edina Chapel from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday. Bye's funeral will be 2 p.m. Wednesday at St. Andrew's Lutheran Church in Eden Prairie.
Paula Engelking, Producer
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