Card: Topps 1989
Acquired: Canton Acquisition 2012

Bill Maas was the 5th pick of the 1984 draft out of Pitt. The Chargers (3rd) and Eagles (6th) both called Bill indicating that they were going to take him with their selection, but in the end the Kansas City Chiefs drafted him in the 5th slot, so it came as quite a surprise to him. The first defensive player taken off the board that year, Maas brought enthusiasm to the table for the Chiefs- a long beleaguered franchise that had not embraced winning ways in some 15 years. The Chiefs had a 3-4 defense, so they shifted him from defensive tackle to nose and let him wreck havoc along the line.  His rookie season, Bill had 5 sacks and helped slow the bleeding of an otherwise porous defense in previous years. This earned him NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Honors after the season. The next two seasons he also split time at defensive end, and responded both seasons by garnering 7 sacks each. Bill’s 1986 and 1987 seasons earned him All Pro Honors for his play at nose tackle. After his 1988 season and 89 seasons were shortened, he was replaced in the lineup by free agent Dan Saleaumua, and then shifted to the outside to defensive end for the remainder of his career before signing with the Packers in 1993. With one final season in Green Bay, he’d start 3 games and then retire.

Bill Maas is a player who has lived life in the fast line and been hit a few times trying to slow down. I guess if you want to beat around the bush with euphemisms, that is the best way to put it. He’s battled drug, legal, and alcohol problems since retirement, and even spent time in a corrections facility. He’s done some truly dumb things that have just gone the wrong way, such as walking through an airport metal detector with a gun in his bag. Still Maas keeps battling back, despite his public self-destructive behavior, and has returned to broadcasting.  Currently Bill also enjoys his time as a Chiefs Ambassador and I wish him all the best in life as he continues to move forward.

G/Gs 130/114   Tac  N/a    Sac  40    Fum 8    Int 0   Yds 0   Avg -.-   Td 0   Lg  0