Billy Dunavant: In a league of his own
William B. ‘Billy’ Dunavant (with his wife Tommie Dunavant) passed away Sept. 11, 2021. (Courtesy Ducks Unlimted)
Inductee William B. Dunavant Jr. gives an acceptance speech at the inaugural Memphis Sports Hall of Fame ceremony at AutoZone Park on Oct. 10, 2019. (Ziggy Mack/Daily Memphian)
Landing an NFL team for Memphis proved to be the dream that got away in Billy Dunavant’s professional life. But when the scores are added up, he won much more than he lost. And so did those who were fortunate enough to know him well.
Topics
Billy Dunavant John Calipari Chuck Smith Kelli Dunavant Steve Ehrhart Ron Higgins Pepper Rodgers Memphis Showboats Subscriber Only Mac WinkerThank you for supporting local journalism.
Subscribers to The Daily Memphian help fund our not-for-profit newsroom of nearly 40 local journalists plus more than 20 freelancers, all of whom work around the clock to cover the issues impacting our community. Subscriptions - and donations - also help fund our community access programs which provide free access to K-12 schools, community organizations, and more. Thank you for making our work possible.
Don Wade
Don Wade has been a Memphis journalist since 1998 and he has won awards for both his sports and news/feature writing. He is originally from Kansas City and is married with three sons.
Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.