Sonny Sixkiller
Encyclopedia
Alex L. "Sonny" Sixkiller (born September 6, 1951) is a former American
football
player and current sports commentator
.
, Oklahoma
, and a member of the Cherokee Nation
, Sixkiller's family moved to Ashland
in southern Oregon
when he was a year old, where his father worked in a lumber mill.
He attended Ashland High School
and was a good student and a letterman in football, basketball, and baseball. In football, Sixkiller was an All-Southern Oregon Conference selection and a second team All-State selection. He was a back-up at quarterback as a sophomore to senior Gene Willis, who later played at Washington
. In basketball
, he was an all-conference selection. In baseball
, he was a pitcher and an all-conference selection. Sonny Sixkiller graduated from Ashland High School in 1969. He had hoped to stay in-state and play for Oregon State
in Corvallis
, but head coach Dee Andros
declined to offer him a scholarship
, wary of his lack of size (5'11", 171 lb.)
recruited Sixkiller and offered him a scholarship to the University of Washington
in Seattle. He became the starting quarterback for the Huskies
as a sophomore in 1970 and led the NCAA in passing as the Huskies posted a 6-4 record, a vast improvement over the 1-9 record in 1969. He completed 186 passes for 2303 yards and 15 touchdowns. He missed four games as a senior in 1972 finished his college career with 385 completions for 5496 yards and 35 touchdowns, and held fifteen school records. The Huskies posted consecutive 8-3 records in 1971 and 1972.
, Sixkiller had tryouts with the Los Angeles Rams
in 1973 and with the Toronto Argonauts
of the Canadian Football League
in 1974. He signed with the Philadelphia Bell
of the World Football League
in September 1974 and played with The Hawaiians
in 1975, until the league folded in October. He tried out with the San Diego Chargers
in 1976.
Sixkiller was also a cast member in the 1974
film The Longest Yard. Sixkiller currently works as a color analyst for FSN Northwest
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and current sports commentator
Sports commentator
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
.
Early years
Born in TahlequahTahlequah, Oklahoma
Tahlequah is a city in Cherokee County, Oklahoma, United States located at the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. It was founded as a capital of the original Cherokee Nation in 1838 to welcome those Cherokee forced west on the Trail of Tears. The city's population was 15,753 at the 2010 census. It...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, and a member of the Cherokee Nation
Cherokee Nation
The Cherokee Nation is the largest of three Cherokee federally recognized tribes in the United States. It was established in the 20th century, and includes people descended from members of the old Cherokee Nation who relocated voluntarily from the Southeast to Indian Territory and Cherokees who...
, Sixkiller's family moved to Ashland
Ashland, Oregon
Ashland is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States, near Interstate 5 and the California border, and located in the south end of the Rogue Valley. It was named after Ashland County, Ohio, point of origin of Abel Helman and other founders, and secondarily for Ashland, Kentucky, where other...
in southern Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
when he was a year old, where his father worked in a lumber mill.
He attended Ashland High School
Ashland High School (Oregon)
Ashland High School is public high school in Ashland, Oregon, United States near the Southern Oregon University campus.-Academics:In 2008, 81% of the school's seniors received their high school diploma. Of 296 students, 239 graduated, 53 dropped out, 1 received a modified diploma, and 3 are still...
and was a good student and a letterman in football, basketball, and baseball. In football, Sixkiller was an All-Southern Oregon Conference selection and a second team All-State selection. He was a back-up at quarterback as a sophomore to senior Gene Willis, who later played at Washington
Washington Huskies football
College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by...
. In basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, he was an all-conference selection. In baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, he was a pitcher and an all-conference selection. Sonny Sixkiller graduated from Ashland High School in 1969. He had hoped to stay in-state and play for Oregon State
Oregon State Beavers football
The Oregon State Beavers football team represents Oregon State University in NCAA Division I-A college football. The team first fielded an organized football team in 1893 and is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. The head coach is Mike Riley, with Danny Langsdorf as the offensive...
in Corvallis
Corvallis, Oregon
Corvallis is a city located in central western Oregon, United States. It is the county seat of Benton County and the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Benton County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 54,462....
, but head coach Dee Andros
Dee Andros
Demosthenes Konstandies "Dee" Andrecopoulos was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator in the United States. He served as the head football coach at the University of Idaho from 1962 to 1964 and at Oregon State University from 1965 to 1975, compiling career...
declined to offer him a scholarship
Athletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
, wary of his lack of size (5'11", 171 lb.)
University of Washington
On the advisement of Willis, head coach Jim OwensJim Owens
-External links:...
recruited Sixkiller and offered him a scholarship to the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
in Seattle. He became the starting quarterback for the Huskies
Washington Huskies football
College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by...
as a sophomore in 1970 and led the NCAA in passing as the Huskies posted a 6-4 record, a vast improvement over the 1-9 record in 1969. He completed 186 passes for 2303 yards and 15 touchdowns. He missed four games as a senior in 1972 finished his college career with 385 completions for 5496 yards and 35 touchdowns, and held fifteen school records. The Huskies posted consecutive 8-3 records in 1971 and 1972.
Professional football
Not selected in the 1973 NFL Draft1973 NFL Draft
The 1973 National Football League Draft was held on January 30–31, 1973.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
, Sixkiller had tryouts with the Los Angeles Rams
1973 Los Angeles Rams season
The 1973 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 36th year with the National Football League and the 28th season in Los Angeles. The Rams were 7-0 at home for the first time since 1945. On the road, the Rams were 5-2.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Week 6: vs...
in 1973 and with the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
in 1974. He signed with the Philadelphia Bell
Philadelphia Bell
The Philadelphia Bell was a franchise in the World Football League, which operated in 1974 and a portion of a season in 1975. The Bell played their home games at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. The team logo was a representation of the Liberty Bell....
of the World Football League
World Football League
The World Football League was a short-lived gridiron football league that played in 1974 and part of 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest the WFL reached was placing a team – the Hawaiians – in Honolulu, Hawaii. The...
in September 1974 and played with The Hawaiians
The Hawaiians
The Hawaiians were a professional American football team based out of Honolulu that played in the World Football League. They played two seasons, 1974 and 1975. Their records were 9-11 in 1974 and 4-7-1 in 1975. Their home stadium was Honolulu Stadium in 1974 and Aloha Stadium in 1975...
in 1975, until the league folded in October. He tried out with the San Diego Chargers
1976 San Diego Chargers season
The 1976 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to improve on their 2–12 record in 1975.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-See also:*1976 NFL season...
in 1976.
Sixkiller was also a cast member in the 1974
1974 in film
The year 1974 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*February 7 - Blazing Saddles is released in the USA.*August 7 - Peter Wolf, lead singer of The J...
film The Longest Yard. Sixkiller currently works as a color analyst for FSN Northwest
FSN Northwest
Root Sports Northwest is a United States regional sports network available in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska...
.
External links
- Sonny Sixkiller on Internet Movie Database
- Profile of Sixkiller from the Mail Tribune (September 17, 2004)