Henry County native Bill Hudson had a long and distinguished football career which began at Grove High School, where he was a two-year all-conference selection in 1956 and 1957. Hudson then enrolled at Memphis State University, where he was a four-year starter on the football team from 1958 to 1961.
A third-round draft choice of the San Diego Chargers in 1961, Hudson went on to play for the Buffalo Bills from 1963 to 1968. He was a member of the Bills AFL Championship teams in 1964 and 1965 and divisional championship team in 1966. In recognition of his fine contributions, he was selected as a member of the Buffalo Bills Team of the Decade in 1979.
With bachelor and master degrees from Memphis State University, Hudson, after his playing days, taught first at his high school alma mater and then at Henry County High School in 1969 and 1970.
Hudson coached basketball at Grove from 1954 to 1957 and football at Henry County from 1969 to 1973, and he served as assistant principal at Henry County High from 1970 until he retired in 1998. Hudson was inducted into the Memphis State Hall of Fame in 1985 and the Henry County Sports Hall of Fame in 1995. Bill Hudson is yet another Tennessee gridiron star who brought national pride and recognition to his home state.