Hall of Fame
Position: Halfback
Years: 1927-1929
Place of Birth: Lake Charles, LA
Date of Birth: Apr 04, 1907
Place of Death: New Orleans, LA
Date of Death: Sep 25, 1985
High School: Lake Charles, LA (Lake Charles HS)
The "Blond Blizzard" - fast, shifty, his sun-bleached hair looked a blur when he ran helmet-less through the defense. Bill Banker was one of the flashiest backs in Tulane football history, and even today, remains among the all-time statistical leaders at the Louisiana school. A 1929 All-American, he held the Tulane school record for career scoring (263 points), career touchdowns (37), touchdowns in a single game (4), most rushes in a career (515), most rushes in a game (43) and average yards rushing in a game (93.2). In his senior year he led Tulane to an undefeated season. After his final game in 1929, Banker went to Hollywood, signed a five-year contract with Warner Brothers, appeared in a series of films and finally talked the studio into releasing him from his agreement in order to return to Tulane to continue his studies. To pay for his education he played professionally with the Memphis Tigers. He graduated with a degree in business administration and went into the oil business. He became president of both the Pinnacle Oil company and Southern Solvents Chemical Company before his retirement.
