If not for covid-19, there would have been a standing-room-only crowd to honor the life of William Richard "Bill" Phillips on Sunday afternoon.
Longtime admirer and former Gov. Mike Beebe was one of the speakers.
Who knew the Harrison native had such a full and dignified name? He always came across as just Bill.
If he had any enemies, no one knew them.
He was a big, gregarious man with a caring nature who also was a ferocious football player.
To think of him leaving this world at just 71 years of age is almost beyond comprehension.
When he missed a couple of board meetings for the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, which he was inducted into in 2016, everyone knew he had to be very ill.
Bill did not miss those meetings. The night he was inducted into the Hall of Fame, he fought back tears of joy.
Several schools offered him a football scholarship when he was in high school, but then-Arkansas State coach Bennie Ellender wanted Bill the most and made no bones about it.
In seven years, Ellender compiled a 52-20-2 record at ASU and took the Red Wolves (then called the Indians) to three consecutive Pecan Bowls, a bowl designated to crown a national champion from the smaller schools. His success eventually landed him at Tulane.
Bill was a key player on all three of those Pecan Bowl teams. In 1970, ASU went undefeated and won the national championship. Bill, a two-time All-Southland Conference player, was named an All-American.
He was drafted by the Denver Broncos, but was injured and decided it was time to get on with real life.
He and his wife Peggy Ann (Brinkley) returned to Arkansas, and Bill got a job with Blue Cross Blue Shield and proved to be one of their most productive salesmen.
When the company decided it needed its own government relations division, Bill was the first -- and probably the only -- one considered.
Just as easily as he transitioned from the playing field to the sales field, Bill took to the world of lobbying.
He loved it and was good at it.
People trusted Bill because he was sincere and honest. He had a strong personality, and charisma was a big part of it.
Bill never bored anyone. He could tell a great story in under a minute.
When the talk was football, it was always about the great players he had been blessed to play with, never about himself.
When the 1970 ASU team was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, Bill whispered, "See, I told you I played with some of the greats."
Bill was as proud of his teammates as they were him.
The son of Earl and Hazel Phillips, born Feb. 5, 1949, he was proud of his Arkansas roots. He could have lived anywhere in the world and been successful, but he chose to stay home and make a difference.
When it was time for Bill to transition to heaven on Friday, his wife of 52 years was by his side.
He is survived by his son, Bradley Jordan, and his grandson, William "Little Bill" Richard Phillips of Conway; his sister and brother-in-law Kay and Rusty Hayes of Harrison; Pam Hunter of Ozark, Mo., and numerous beloved cousins, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Jim Phillips, of Harrison.
Bill will be remembered by legions as a success story in every chapter of his life.
Those who played with or against him will remember him for his greatness as a player and teammate.
Bill Phillips was a winner and unafraid of any challenge. He'll be missed.