Bill Hartman, an All-America fullback at the University of Georgia and a 1984 College Football Hall of Fame inductee, died on Thursday. He was 91.

A great college player in the 1930’s at UGA, he later played professional football, coached under Wally Butts for the Bulldogs, and became nationally known as Georgia¹s volunteer kicking coach turning out numerous pro punters and kickers including Kevin Butler, John Kasay, Bucky Dilts, and Todd Peterson.

Hartman was born in Thomaston, Ga., on March 17, 1915, but his football career began while attending public schools in Madison where he often scrimmaged against the powerful prep team at Madison A&M coached by Wally Butts. After graduation, his family moved to Milledgeville--the same year Butts became coach at Georgia Military College--and Hartman played the
next two years at GMC.

Hartman was highly recruited by southern schools, but decided on Georgia where he always wanted to play. He became one of the Bulldogs' greatest fullbacks and linebackers and was named both All-SEC and All-America as a senior and captain of the 1937 team. Many say his best all-around performance came against Fordham and the "seven blocks of granite" in 1936 at the Polo Grounds in New York. Sportswriters called his performance "magnificent" as undermanned Georgia battled Fordham to a 7-7 tie which knocked the Rams out of Rose Bowl contention.

In 1937, Hartman also became known for his mighty punts including an 82-yarder against Tulane. Two weeks later against Georgia Tech, he fielded a second-half kickoff at the seven yard line and after fumbling the ball, he nonchalantly picked it up with his usual calm, and raced 93-yards for the tying touchdown

After graduation, Hartman played briefly with the Washington Redskins before returning to the University as backfield coach under mentor, Wally Butts. He helped lead Georgia to victories in both the Orange and Rose Bowls before entering World War Two in the Army's Counter-Intelligence Corps. When he returned to Athens, he entered the insurance business although he continued to coach almost full time until 1956. However, he returned to the field in the early '70's as a volunteer to coach Vince Dooley's kickers where he remained until the mid-'90's. He developed a national reputation for coaching many outstanding punters and place-kickers that went on to play in the NFL including Kevin Butler, Allan Leavitt, Rex Robinson, John Kasay, Todd Peterson, Bucky Dilts, and Mike Garrett.