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Football: Former LBCC standout, professional player Bill Jessup dies at age 85

Bill Jessup played for the Viking Football team in 1947 and was inducted into the LBCC Hall of Champions in 2006
Bill Jessup played for the Viking Football team in 1947 and was inducted into the LBCC Hall of Champions in 2006
Posted: Jan 20, 2015

The Long Beach community lost another standout former athlete as Bill Jessup passed away at the age of 85 on January 3.

Jessup stared for the Long Beach City College football team as a tight end and defensive back during the 1947 season before transferring to USC to play three seasons.

He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL) in 1951, playing seven seasons in San Francisco at the receiver and punter positions. Jessup followed that with a season in the Canadian Football League (CFL) with the British Columbia Lions in 1959 and closed out his pro career with the Denver Broncos of the American Football League (AFL) in 1960.

In 1953, Jessup joined the Navy and was an All-Navy Defensive Back.

Jessup was a 2006 emeritus inductee into the Long Beach City College Hall of Champions. He is also a member of the Long Beach Poly High School and Long Beach Century Club hall of fames.

Funeral services are scheduled for January 23 at Westminster Memorial Park.