Larry Wilson (American football)

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Larry Wilson
No. 8
Position:Safety
Personal information
Born:(1938-03-24)March 24, 1938
Rigby, Idaho, U.S.
Died:September 17, 2020(2020-09-17) (aged 82)
Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S.
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:
  • St. Louis Cardinals (1973)
    Defensive backs
  • St. Louis Cardinals (1979)
    Interim head coach
As an executive:
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Interceptions:52
Interception yards:800
Fumble recoveries:14
Safeties:1
Total touchdowns:8
Head coaching record
Career:2–1 (.667)
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR
Coaching stats at PFR
Executive profile at PFR

Lawrence Frank Wilson (March 24, 1938 – September 17, 2020) was an American 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

NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team in 2019.[7]

Early years

Born and raised in Rigby, Idaho, Wilson attended Rigby High School, where a plaque now hangs noting his accomplishments. 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]

NFL career

Player

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

Chicago Cardinals. The draft was held in November 1959, and the franchise moved to St. Louis before the start of the 1960
season.

Shortly before Wilson's signing,

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.

Wilson was named All-Pro six times in his career and represented the Cardinals on eight

touchdowns
, as well as 14 fumble recoveries for 173 yards and 2 more scores.

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.

Executive

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. 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.[9] Wilson added the title of vice president in 1988, after the team's move to Arizona.[2] He stepped down as GM in 1993, but remained as vice president until his retirement after the 2002 season.[3]

Honors

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.[10] 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

Wilson was married to Nancy Wilson for over forty years and had two children. He died on September 17, 2020, in Scottsdale, Arizona.[11][12]

References

  1. ^ a b c Benson, Lee (February 3, 1978). "Football returns favor, surprises Wilson". Deseret News. p. B8.
  2. ^ a b "Wilson looks to future after taking general manager's role". Mohave Daily Miner. Kingman, Arizona. Associated Press. September 7, 1988. p. 6.
  3. ^ a b "Larry Wilson ends 43-year career with Cardinals". Daily Courier. Sedona, Arizona. Associated Press. April 15, 2003. p. 11A.
  4. ^ "Hall inducts Wilson". Deseret News. UPI. July 29, 1978. p. 3A.
  5. ^ "Ewbank, Alworth lead five new Hall of Fame pro grid entries". Lodi News-Sentinel. California. UPI. January 24, 1978. p. 11.
  6. ^ a b "75th Anniversary All Time Team". National Football League. 1994. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
  7. ^ a b Battista, Judy. "NFL's All-Time Team: Defensive backs, special teams revealed". NFL.com.
  8. ^ Kramer, J. (1968). Instant Replay: The Green Bay diary of Jerry Kramer. New York: The World Publishing Company, p. 173.
  9. ^ "Cardinals fire Bud Wilkinson; Larry Wilson interim coach". Pittsburgh Press. November 29, 1979. p. C-14.
  10. ^ "How many Pro Football Hall of Famers never made the playoffs?". 17 March 2018.
  11. ^ Belson, Ken (18 September 2020). "Larry Wilson, Who Made Safety an N.F.L. Threat, Dies at 82". The New York Times.
  12. ^ "Cardinals Hall Of Famer Larry Wilson Passes Away". www.azcardinals.com. Retrieved 2020-09-18.

External links

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