Larry Wilson

Infobox NFLretired


|caption=
width=
position=Free safety
number=8
birthdate=birth date and age|1938|5|24
Rigby, Idaho
deathdate=
debutyear=1960
finalyear=1972
draftyear=1960
draftround=7
draftpick=74
college=Utah
teams=
* St. Louis Cardinals (1960-1972)
stat1label=INT
stat1value=52
stat2label=INT yards
stat2value=800
stat3label=Touchdowns
stat3value=5
nfl=WIL743130
highlights=
* 8x Pro Bowl selection (1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970)
* 8x All-Pro selection (1963, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971)
* NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team
* NFL 1970s All-Decade Team
* NFL 1960s All-Decade Team
* Arizona Cardinals #8 Retired
* Arizona Cardinals Career Interceptions Leader with 52
HOF=232
CollegeHOF=

Lawrence Frank Wilson (born May 24, 1938, in Rigby, Idaho) is a former American football free safety who played for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Wilson attended Rigby High School, where a plaque now hangs noting his accomplishments. After high school Wilson played college football at the University of Utah, where he was a two-way starter.

NFL career

Despite his skill and adaptability, Wilson was not drafted until the 7th round of the 1960 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. After originally playing as a cornerback, Wilson switched to free safety, and it was here that he found his place on the team.

Not long after Wilson made the team, 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", after Wilson's nickname. When the Cardinals first ran the safety blitz, the pressure was severe since most teams didn't (and still don't) expect a defensive back to take part in a pass rush.

Wilson eventually made All-Pro honors eight times in his career. Wilson represented the Cardinals on eight Pro Bowl teams. During the 1966 NFL season, Wilson had at least one interception in seven consecutive games, en route to a 10-pick season that led his league. 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." [Kramer, J. (1968). "Instant Replay: The Green Bay diary of Jerry Kramer. New York: The World Publishing Company, p. 173."] Wilson is renowned for not only playing, but intercepting a pass, with casts on both hands due to broken wrists. 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 citied 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.

Wilson served as the Cardinals' interim head coach in 1979 after the disimissal of Bud Wilkinson, and was the franchise's general manager from 1980 through 1993.

Honors

Wilson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978. 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 Cardinal franchise. The team has also retired his uniform number 8.

References

Notes

External links

*"Pro Football Hall of Fame:" [http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.jsp?player_id=232 Member profile]
* [http://www.footballcardgallery.com/player/Larry+Wilson Football cards]