Larry Wilson (football player)

Larry Wilson (football player)
Position (s): Free Safety	Jersey number (s): 8
born March 24, 1938 in  Rigby ,  Idaho
died on September 17, 2020 in  Scottsdale ,  Arizona
Career information
Active : 1960 - 1972
NFL Draft : 1960 / Round: 7 / Pick: 74
College : University of Utah
Teams
player St. Louis Cardinals (1960–1972)
Career statistics
Interceptions	52
Space gain	800 yards
Touchdowns	8th
Stats at NFL.com
Career highlights and awards
8 × Pro Bowl election (1962, 1963, 1965–1970) 8 × All-Pro Wahl (1963, 1965–1971) 1 + 2 team NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team NFL 1970s All-Decade Team NFL 1960s All-Decade Team Pro Football Hall of Fame (1978) Number 8 is no longer assigned by the Cardinals Missouri Sports Hall of Fame (2000) St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame

Lawrence Frank "Larry" Wilson (born March 24, 1938 in Rigby , Idaho , † September 17, 2020 in Scottsdale , Arizona ) was an American American football player on the position of safety . He played in the National Football League (NFL) with the St. Louis Cardinals .

Player career

college

Wilson attended high school in his hometown . At his college , the University of Utah , he played both offense and defense American football for the Utah Utes . In 1959 he set a school record as a halfback - he scored five touchdowns in one game and was elected to the national team of the league.

professional

Wilson was drafted 74th in the seventh round in 1960 . The late signing initially gave him little hope of a long NFL career. Before the 1960 season he was used in the pre-season games by the Cardinals in defense and attack, but realized himself that he would not prevail as an attacking player. His attempt to gain a foothold as a cornerback with the Cardinals also failed. In the last pre-season game, Wilson was used as safety , he developed into one of the most dominant players who was ever used in this position.

Wilson set numerous season records. In 1966 he got ten interceptions in one season. His Cardinals could not always keep up with his performance. Although the team achieved more victories than defeats in 1963, 1964, 1966, 1968 and 1970 , they were always denied a place in the play-offs . Wilson never won a title. In 1972 he ended his playing career.

Career as a functionary / trainer

Wilson stayed with the Cardinals after his playing days. From 1973 to 1976 he was the club's scout and from 1977 to 1987 its head of personnel. In 1979 he took over the position of head coach at short notice , but could not prevent the team from losing 11 of 16 games. In 1988, the Cardinals moved to Phoenix , Arizona , and Wilson became the team's general manager and vice president. From 1994 to 2002 he was only vice-president and then retired.

Honors

Wilson played eight times in the Pro Bowl and was voted All-Pro eight times . He is a member of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame , the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame, the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team , the NFL 1970s All-Decade Team , the NFL 1960s All-Decade Team and, since 1978, the Pro Football Hall of Fame . His shirt number has been blocked by the Cardinals and is no longer issued there. The Sporting News magazine named him one of the top 100 football players of all time. Wilson was signed very late by the Cardinals, so the NFL considers him one of the best late signings of all time.

Web links

• Larry Wilson with the Cardinals
• biography
• Short biography
• Larry Wilson's coaching statistics
• Larry Wilson in the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame
• Larry Wilson in the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Ken Belson: Larry Wilson, Who Made Safety an NFL Threat, Dies at 82. In: The New York Times , September 18, 2020 (English). Retrieved September 19, 2020.
2. ↑ Team statistics of the Cardinals
3. ↑ Larry Wilson at number 43 on the list of the 100 best football players of all time ( Memento from September 12, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
4. ↑ Larry Wilson ranked 9th on the NFL list ( January 4, 2014 memento on the Internet Archive )