Billy Yates (American football)
An undrafted offensive guard who fought his way into a seven-year NFL career and later transitioned to coaching, specializing in developing offensive linemen.
Born 1980 (age 46)·American football player and coach·Birthday: April 15·Generation X
Biography
Billy Yates’s football life has been defined by the grind. Coming out of Texas A&M as an undrafted free agent, he lacked the pedigree but not the tenacity. He clawed onto NFL rosters, spending time with five different teams but finding his most significant role with the New England Patriots. Yates was the quintessential depth lineman—versatile, tough, and prepared. He started games when called upon, including in the 2007 season when the Patriots marched to an undefeated regular season. His playing career, which included a Super Bowl appearance, was built on fundamental technique and sheer will. That same understanding of the trenches naturally led him into coaching. After hanging up his cleats, Yates began a new chapter teaching the craft, first at the college level and then returning to the NFL, where he now imparts the hard-earned lessons of survival and success on the line to a new generation.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Billy was born in 1980, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Billy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1980
#1 Movie
The Empire Strikes Back
Best Picture
Ordinary People
#1 TV Show
Dallas
Billy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1980Born
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1985Started school
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1993Became a teenager
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1996Could drive
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1998Could vote
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2001Turned 21
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2010Turned 30
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 40
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 46 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played seven seasons in the NFL as an offensive guard for five different teams, including the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns.
- Was a member of the 2007 New England Patriots team that completed a 16-0 regular season.
- Started 20 games over his NFL career, often stepping into the lineup as a reliable replacement.
- Transitioned to a successful coaching career, serving as an assistant offensive line coach for the New England Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders.
Did You Know?
He won two state championships playing high school football in Tyler, Texas.
He was signed and released multiple times early in his career before sticking with the Patriots.
He earned a Super Bowl ring as a member of the New England Patriots' coaching staff following the 2018 season.
He played in 12 games for the Patriots during their undefeated 2007 regular season.
“You earn your keep in the trenches, one snap at a time.”
