Larry Wilson (American football)
No. 8 | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Position: | Safety | ||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||
Born: | Rigby, Idaho, U.S. | March 24, 1938||||||||||||
Died: | September 17, 2020 Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S. | (aged 82)||||||||||||
Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||
Weight: | 190 lb (86 kg) | ||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||
High school: | Rigby (Rigby, Idaho) | ||||||||||||
College: | Utah | ||||||||||||
NFL draft: | 1960 / round: 7 / pick: 74 | ||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||
As a player: | |||||||||||||
As a coach: | |||||||||||||
As an executive: | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Head coaching record | |||||||||||||
Career: | 2–1 (.667) | ||||||||||||
Record at Pro Football Reference | |||||||||||||
Lawrence Frank Wilson (March 24, 1938 – September 17, 2020) was an American professional football safety who played with the St. Louis Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL).[1] An eight-time Pro Bowl selection, he played his entire 13-year career with the Cardinals and remained on the team's payroll until 2003, long after the team moved to Phoenix in the 1988 season.[2][3]
Wilson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978,[4] his first year of eligibility,[1][5] was named to the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1994[6] and was named to the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team in 2019.[7]
Early life
[edit]Wilson was born on March 24, 1938, in Rigby, Idaho, where he was raised.[8] Wilson attended Rigby High School, where a Hometown Hall of Famer plaque now hangs, presented by the Pro Football Hall of Fame,[9] noting his accomplishments. The school’s stadium was named for Wilson until the school relocated, and he was honored with a $20,000 monument in 2021 at the new site.[10]
After graduation in 1956, he played college football at the University of Utah, where he was a two-way starter at halfback and cornerback for the Utes under head coaches Jack Curtice and Ray Nagel.[1][8] In 1959, he was third team All-American and first team All-Skyline Conference at running back, averaging 5.7 yards per carry. He rushed for over 1,200 yards with 11 touchdowns in his college career, averaging 26.1 yards in kick returns. He was inducted into the Crimson Club Hall of Fame in 1985.[11]
Professional career
[edit]Despite his skill and adaptability, Wilson's small size (he was only six feet tall) resulted in him not being selected until the 7th round of the 1960 NFL draft by the Chicago Cardinals. The draft was held in November 1959, and the franchise moved to St. Louis before the start of the 1960 season.[8] Wilson was chosen by the Buffalo Bills in the first American Football League draft.[12]
Shortly before Wilson's signing, defensive coordinator Chuck Drulis crafted a play that called for the free safety to take part in a blitz. The play was code-named "Wildcat", but Drulis didn't think he had anyone with the skills and athleticism to run it until Wilson's arrival. Drulis was impressed enough with Wilson that he persuaded the Cardinals to convert him to free safety. When the Cardinals first ran the safety blitz, the pressure was severe since most teams did not (and still do not) expect a defensive back to take part in a pass rush. This single play also helped to set up today's defenses where a blitz can come from anywhere. Wilson became so identified with the play that "Wildcat" became his nickname. It has also been reported that Wilson’s nickname was already Wildcat, and the safety blitz was named “wildcat”because of the close association with Wilson.[8][13]
Wilson was named first or second team All-Pro seven times in his career and represented the Cardinals on eight Pro Bowl teams.[14][15] He was named runner up at safety on the NFL 50th Anniversary All Time Team.[16] During 1966, he had at least one interception in seven consecutive games, en route to a 10-pick season that led his league.[15] That year, he was one of only four non-quarterbacks to receive votes for most valuable player.[17] Fellow Idahoan Jerry Kramer, a guard for the Green Bay Packers and author of Instant Replay, called Wilson "the finest football player in the NFL." Kramer described Wilson's play during an October 30, 1967, game, "...he fired up their whole team ... (h)is enthusiasm was infectious."[18] Wilson is renowned for not only playing, but intercepting a pass, with casts on both hands due to broken wrists, which he returned for a touchdown.[8] On the September 18, 2006, edition of SportsCenter, Mike Ditka challenged Terrell Owens' toughness by not playing for 2–4 weeks due to a broken finger. He cited Wilson's interception with casts on both hands as proof of a tougher football player. He ended his career with 52 career picks for 800 yards and five touchdowns, as well as 14 fumble recoveries for 173 yards and 2 more scores.[14]
Wilson retired after the 1972 season. He is one of the few players to have played in the NFL for at least 10 years without having taken part in an official playoff game. The closest he came to postseason play was in 1964, when the Cardinals played in and won the Playoff Bowl, a postseason third-place game. Although it counted as a playoff game at the time, it has since been retconned as an exhibition. The 1964 season was also one of only five winning seasons the Cardinals had during his 13-year career.
Post-playing career
[edit]Following his retirement as a player, Wilson was named secondary coach and director of scouting. He stepped down as secondary coach after the 1973 season. He was the Cardinals’ Director of Pro Scouting from 1973-1976, and Director of Pro Personnel 1977-1988.[19] In 1977, he was named general manager, a post he would hold (under various titles) for the next 17 years. He also served as interim head coach in 1979 after the dismissal of Bud Wilkinson.[20] Wilson was the first general manager of the Arizona Cardinals in 1988, adding the title of vice president, after the team's move to Arizona.[2][21] He stepped down as GM in 1993, but remained as vice president until his retirement after the 2002 season.[3]
NFL career statistics
[edit]Legend | |
---|---|
NFL Defensive Player of the Year | |
Led the league | |
Bold | Career high |
General | Interceptions | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Team | GP | Int | Yds | TD | Lng |
1960 | STL | 11 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
1961 | STL | 11 | 3 | 36 | 0 | 25 |
1962 | STL | 14 | 2 | 59 | 1 | 57 |
1963 | STL | 14 | 4 | 67 | 0 | 36 |
1964 | STL | 14 | 3 | 44 | 1 | 42 |
1965 | STL | 10 | 6 | 153 | 1 | 96 |
1966 | STL | 14 | 10 | 180 | 2 | 91 |
1967 | STL | 14 | 4 | 75 | 0 | 44 |
1968 | STL | 14 | 4 | 14 | 0 | 8 |
1969 | STL | 14 | 2 | 15 | 0 | 15 |
1970 | STL | 13 | 5 | 72 | 0 | 22 |
1971 | STL | 14 | 4 | 46 | 0 | 23 |
1972 | STL | 12 | 3 | 35 | 0 | 24 |
Career | 169 | 52 | 800 | 5 | 96 |
Honors
[edit]Wilson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978, making him one of four Hall of Famers to have never played in the postseason.[22] In 1999, he was ranked number 43 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, making him the highest-ranked player to have played a majority of his career with the Cardinals. The team has also retired his uniform number 8. In 2007, NFL Network ranked him ninth on its list of the "Top 10 Draft Steals" in NFL history. Wilson was named to the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1994 and was named to the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team in 2019.[6][7]
Personal life
[edit]Wilson was married to Nancy Wilson for over forty years and had two children. He died on September 17, 2020, in Scottsdale, Arizona.[23][24]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Benson, Lee (February 3, 1978). "Football returns favor, surprises Wilson". Deseret News. p. B8.
- ^ a b "Wilson looks to future after taking general manager's role". Mohave Daily Miner. Kingman, Arizona. Associated Press. September 7, 1988. p. 6.
- ^ a b "Larry Wilson ends 43-year career with Cardinals". Daily Courier. Sedona, Arizona. Associated Press. April 15, 2003. p. 11A.
- ^ "Hall inducts Wilson". Deseret News. UPI. July 29, 1978. p. 3A.
- ^ "Ewbank, Alworth lead five new Hall of Fame pro grid entries". Lodi News-Sentinel. California. UPI. January 24, 1978. p. 11.
- ^ a b "75th Anniversary All Time Team". National Football League. 1994. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
- ^ a b Battista, Judy. "NFL's All-Time Team: Defensive backs, special teams revealed". NFL.com.
- ^ a b c d e Belson, Ken (September 18, 2020). "Larry Wilson, Who Made Safety an N.F.L. Threat, Dies At 82".
- ^ "Larry Wilson honored in hometown | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- ^ Woods, Greg (August 26, 2021). "The complicated legacy of Larry Wilson at Rigby". Post Register. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- ^ "Utah Athletics Mourns the Passing of Larry Wilson". University of Utah Athletics. September 18, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- ^ "1960 AFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- ^ Cox, Seth (September 18, 2020). "Arizona Cardinals legend Larry Wilson has passed away". Revenge of the Birds. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- ^ a b "Larry Wilson Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- ^ a b "Larry Wilson | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- ^ "Unitas QBs NFL Team". Tampa Tribune. September 7, 1969. p. 34.
- ^ "Non quarterbacks and running backs who received an MVP vote - Professional Football Researchers Association Forum". www.profootballresearchers.com. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- ^ Kramer, J. (1968). Instant Replay: The Green Bay diary of Jerry Kramer. New York: The World Publishing Company, p. 173.
- ^ "Cardinals Hall Of Famer Larry Wilson Passes Away". www.azcardinals.com. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
- ^ "Cardinals fire Bud Wilkinson; Larry Wilson interim coach". Pittsburgh Press. November 29, 1979. p. C-14.
- ^ "Cardinals Hall Of Famer Larry Wilson Passes Away". www.azcardinals.com. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- ^ "How many Pro Football Hall of Famers never made the playoffs?". March 17, 2018.
- ^ Belson, Ken (September 18, 2020). "Larry Wilson, Who Made Safety an N.F.L. Threat, Dies at 82". The New York Times.
- ^ "Cardinals Hall Of Famer Larry Wilson Passes Away". www.azcardinals.com. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
External links
[edit]- Career statistics from NFL.com · Pro Football Reference ·
- Larry Wilson at the Pro Football Hall of Fame
- 1938 births
- 2020 deaths
- American football safeties
- Arizona Cardinals executives
- St. Louis Cardinals (football) coaches
- St. Louis Cardinals (football) players
- Utah Utes football players
- National Football League general managers
- Eastern Conference Pro Bowl players
- National Conference Pro Bowl players
- National Football League players with retired numbers
- Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees
- Players of American football from Idaho
- People from Rigby, Idaho
- St. Louis Cardinals (football) head coaches
- Arizona Cardinals scouts
- Coaches of American football from Idaho