All-Time NFL Players From Louisiana: Willie Hector

A number of people have represented the Acadiana area in the National Football League.

All summer long, we’re going to spotlight the fantastic athletes from the area, people that were actually born in one of the Acadiana parishes, that went on to play football at the highest level, the NFL.

Yesterday, we profiled New Iberia native Howard "Howie" Ferguson.

Today, we spotlight Willie Hector.

As far as we can tell, Hector was the fourth person who was born in the Acadiana area that went on to play in the NFL.

Born on December 23, 1939, in New Iberia, Hector moved to California, where he attended Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley, California.

After high school, Hector went to college at the University of the Pacific, where he excelled in both football and track, before being selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the 5th round of the 1961 NFL Draft.

In those days, the NFL was known to limit the number of African-American payers on its rosters, but the Rams, who selected Hector, an African-American himself, were on of the more integrated teams.

A 6-foot-2, 220-pound offensive lineman, Hector made his NFL debut in 1961, at the age of 22, playing in 12 games for the Rams.

That would be Hector's only NFL season however, as he moved on to the Canadian Football League, where he played two seasons (1962-1963) for the Calgary Stampeders, before retiring.

Following his playing days, Hector was the head football coach at Tamalpais High School from 1966 to 1968.

In 2002, Hector was inducted into the Pacific Athletics Hall of Fame.