Former Vicksburg resident and Pro Football Hall of Famer Billy Shaw has died

Former Vicksburg resident and Pro Football Hall of Famer Billy Shaw has died. Shaw died at his home in Toccoa, Ga., with his wife, Patsy, and their three daughters at his bedside. Earlier reports indicate that hyponatremia is the cause of death.

“Billy Shaw holds the distinction of being the only member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame to play his entire career in the American Football League, but while that fact is worthy of noting and nice to recite, it comes nowhere near providing the reason he was elected as a member of the Class of 1999,” said Hall Presiden Jim Porter. “Billy’s all-around athleticism brought a new dimension to the guard position and made the 1960s Buffalo Bills a formidable opponent capable of bruising opponents with a punishing rushing attack. And while Billy could be unforgiving to anyone in his way on the football field, he was the classic example of the ‘Southern gentlemen’ off the field to everyone he encountered.” 

Shaw was born in Natchez, Mississippi but moved closer to Vicksburg as a child. He first attended Jett High School but transferred to Carr Central High School in Vicksburg, Mississippi. 

After high school, Shaw went on to play at Georgia Tech where he became a three-year letterman and received All-American honors. He was then drafted by the Dallas Cowboys(NFL) and the Buffalo Bills(AFL) but decided to stick with the Bills in 1961. Shaw played on the offensive line for the Bills from 1961-1969. 

After starting all 14 games as a rookie, Shaw also earned first-team All-Pro honors and was selected to play in the AFL All-Star Game. Overall, he was a two-time AFL Champion and seven-time All-AFL selectee.

In 1999, Shaw was inducted into the Hall of Fame. He died at the age of 85.