Bill Uhl


William George Uhl Sr. is a retired American basketball player. The center was a consensus second team All-American player at the University of Dayton in 1956.
Uhl starred at McClain High School in Greenfield, Ohio, graduating in 1951. He accepted a scholarship offer to Ohio State University, following in the footsteps of Greenfield's Don Grate. However, Uhl experienced adjustment issues and dropped out shortly after the beginning of the second semester.
Uhl played three varsity seasons at Dayton, from 1953–56, and was the school's first seven-footer which earned him the nickname of the "Greenfield Goliath." For his career, Uhl averaged 18.5 points and 14.6 rebounds per game. He finished with 1,627 points for his career.
The Flyers also had great team success during Uhl's tenure, going 75-15 over his three years, with three NIT appearances—including trips to the championship game in both 1955 and 1956. The Flyers also achieved the highest national ranking in their history during the 1955–56 season, tanked #2 behind undefeated defending national champion San Francisco.
Following the completion of his collegiate career, Uhl was drafted by the Rochester Royals in the 1956 NBA draft. However, he opted to instead enter the insurance business, a career he continued until his retirement. Uhl's son, Bill Uhl, Jr., who also played basketball at Dayton, continues his father's insurance business.
Uhl was inducted into the University of Dayton Athletic Hall of Fame in 1968 and was named to the school's All-Century team during the 2003–04 season. In 2013, he was inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame.
Uhl married his wife, Cynthia, in 1957 and they reside in Washington Township near Dayton. The Uhls have five children and 11 grandchildren.