Ronnie Bull

Ronald David Bull (born February 2, 1940) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL).

Early life Bull was born on February 2, 1940, in Kingsville, Texas. He started playing organized football as a halfback when he was in fifth grade. Bull also played defense, started 36 of 37 games, and played 40 minutes in the game in which he did not start.

While at Baylor he played in the December 31,1960 Gator Bowl against the University of Florida, where he scored a touchdown with a minute left in the game, but Baylor lost 13–12 when it failed in making a two-point conversion. He played in the inaugural 1961 Gotham Bowl in New York, with Baylor winning over Utah State (and star player Merlin Olsen) 24–9. Bull received the Bill Corum Award as the game's most outstanding player.

Bull also played in the East–West Shrine Game, the Senior Bowl, After gaining 133 yards, including a then-record 58-yard run, Bull was named the 1962 Senior Bowl Most Valuable Player, along with Earl Gros.

Bull was a business administration major in college, and was selected as Baylor’s first CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) Academic All-American in 1961. Bull also was selected by the Chicago Bears as the seventh pick in the first round in the 1962 NFL draft. He ultimately signed to play for the Bears.

There was a controversy over whether Bull already had signed a contract to play for Bears before the Gotham Bowl, which would have made him ineligible for that game. The Bears personnel director attending the game, future Pro Football Hall of Fame coach George Allen, denied that Bull had already signed with the Bears. After the game, Allen took Bull and his wife to Chicago, as part of the team's effort to sign Bull, before Lamar Hunt, owner of the Dallas Texans, could sign Bull to play for the Texans in the American Football League. Bull did not sign in Chicago and he and his wife went home to Texas. Allen pursued Bull across the country to preempt Bull meeting with Lamar Hunt in Texas. Allen spent five hours talking to Bull at Love Field airport in Dallas, where Bull finally signed a contract with the Bears. Even without Allen's pursuit, Bull had reasoned that his best opportunity to play running back would come with the Bears. Bull was on the 1963 Bears world championship team. He was second on the team in rushing attempts and total rushing yards.

When future Hall of Fame halfback Gale Sayers joined the Bears in 1965, he became the focus of the run offense, and Bull played more fullback than halfback. When Sayers was injured nine games into the 1968 season, Bull stepped up and had his best rushing season with 472 yards and a 4.4 yards per carry average, and most rushing attempts since 1963. Bull was on the cover of the October 14, 1963 issue of Sports Illustrated.

Personal life He currently runs his specialty advertising business, Ronnie Bull Sales, Inc. in the Chicago area.