Billy Stacy lettered in football and track and was a member of the MSU Sports and Mississippi Sports Halls of Fame.
MSU Hall of Famer, 1957 All-American Billy Stacy Dies
September 11, 2019 | Football, Track & Field
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State Sports Hall of Famer and 1957 Bulldog football All-American Billy Stacy passed away on Tuesday in Starkville at the age of 83.
Stacy, a native of Drew, was a two-sport standout from 1956-59, earning three letters in football and two letters in track. A two-time, first-team All-Southeastern Conference quarterback from 1956-57, he became only the second Bulldog to eclipse over 1,000 yards of total offense in a season at the time when he accumulated 1,077 yards and nine touchdowns in 1956. That mark ranked eighth nationally. He also led the nation in punt returns with 24 attempts for 190 yards (12.1 average) and one touchdown that same fall.
Stacy's brilliant 1957 season earned him second-team All-America honors as he guided State to a 6-2-1 record and a No. 14 Associated Press final ranking. He finished that year with seven touchdowns.
Stacy capped his career with 2,332 yards of total offense and 19 touchdowns. Today, his 11.2 yards per punt return average remains fifth in MSU career annals. Stacy played in the 1959 North-South Shrine Game and the 1959 Senior Bowl before being selected in the first round of the 1959 NFL Draft by the Chicago Cardinals (now Arizona Cardinals) as a defensive back.
Stacy played five NFL seasons with the Cardinals and recorded 20 career interceptions. He earned Pro Bowl honors in 1961 with four picks, including two returned for touchdowns. That fall, he became the first NFL player since 1938 to tally touchdowns on a reception, an interception return and a fumble recovery in the same season. The feat wouldn't happen again until 52 years later when the Houston Texans' J.J. Watt did it in 2014.
Stacy coached on Charley Shira's Bulldog staff from 1967-69, and he served as Starkville's elected mayor from 1985-89. He was inducted into the MSU Sports Hall of Fame in football and track in 1970 and later inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in football in 1979.
Visitation will be held Friday, Sept. 13, from 9-11 a.m. at Calvary Baptist Church in Starkville with the service immediately following. In lieu of flowers, the Stacy family requests donations to the Calvary Baptist Church Building Fund or Food Closet. (Calvary Baptist Church, 405 N Jackson St, Starkville, MS 39759 or www.calvarystarkville.com).
Stacy, a native of Drew, was a two-sport standout from 1956-59, earning three letters in football and two letters in track. A two-time, first-team All-Southeastern Conference quarterback from 1956-57, he became only the second Bulldog to eclipse over 1,000 yards of total offense in a season at the time when he accumulated 1,077 yards and nine touchdowns in 1956. That mark ranked eighth nationally. He also led the nation in punt returns with 24 attempts for 190 yards (12.1 average) and one touchdown that same fall.
Stacy's brilliant 1957 season earned him second-team All-America honors as he guided State to a 6-2-1 record and a No. 14 Associated Press final ranking. He finished that year with seven touchdowns.
Stacy capped his career with 2,332 yards of total offense and 19 touchdowns. Today, his 11.2 yards per punt return average remains fifth in MSU career annals. Stacy played in the 1959 North-South Shrine Game and the 1959 Senior Bowl before being selected in the first round of the 1959 NFL Draft by the Chicago Cardinals (now Arizona Cardinals) as a defensive back.
Stacy played five NFL seasons with the Cardinals and recorded 20 career interceptions. He earned Pro Bowl honors in 1961 with four picks, including two returned for touchdowns. That fall, he became the first NFL player since 1938 to tally touchdowns on a reception, an interception return and a fumble recovery in the same season. The feat wouldn't happen again until 52 years later when the Houston Texans' J.J. Watt did it in 2014.
Stacy coached on Charley Shira's Bulldog staff from 1967-69, and he served as Starkville's elected mayor from 1985-89. He was inducted into the MSU Sports Hall of Fame in football and track in 1970 and later inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in football in 1979.
Visitation will be held Friday, Sept. 13, from 9-11 a.m. at Calvary Baptist Church in Starkville with the service immediately following. In lieu of flowers, the Stacy family requests donations to the Calvary Baptist Church Building Fund or Food Closet. (Calvary Baptist Church, 405 N Jackson St, Starkville, MS 39759 or www.calvarystarkville.com).
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