Willie Wood
| Willie Wood | |
|---|---|
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Position (s): Safety |
Jersey number (s): 24 |
| born on December 23, 1936 in Washington, DC | |
| died on February 3, 2020 in Washington, DC | |
| Career information | |
| Active : 1960 - 1971 | |
| Undrafted in 1960 | |
| College : USC | |
| Teams | |
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| Career statistics | |
| Interceptions | 48 |
| Games | 166 |
| Touchdowns | 4th |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
| Stats at pro-football-reference.com | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Pro Football Hall of Fame | |
William Vernell "Willie" Wood (born December 23, 1936 in Washington, DC , USA ; † February 3, 2020 there ) was an American American football player and coach . He played as safety in the National Football League (NFL) with the Green Bay Packers .
youth
Willie Wood attended Armstrong High School in his hometown, where he played baseball in addition to American football . His father was a painter and his mother worked in a post office. His parents divorced during his childhood , so he mostly grew up with his grandparents. He spent his free time in a youth club run by the local police . The local sports coach Bill Butler also helped him to get a scholarship to the USC . Although he had offers from numerous colleges , he wanted to study in California . His sports coach therefore turned to the college in Berkeley , pointed out its abilities and after a year of waiting at a junior college, he was able to start his studies there.
Player career
Willie Wood studied from 1957 to 1959 at the University of Southern California for the USC Trojans . Wood was the first dark-skinned quarterback in his college and in the entire league. After his studies he was not drafted by any professional club . Again it was his old coach from the youth club who stood up for him. Bill Butler wrote to various NFL clubs, but only Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi replied and gave Wood the opportunity to take part in a trial session. Wood was able to convince and received a one-year contract as safety with a salary of US $ 6,500 (according to other sources it was an annual salary of US $ 10,000). Wood was initially a substitute in his rookie game year, but was able to take over his position in a game against the Baltimore Colts during the sixth game day due to an injury of a regular player . He remained a regular with the Packers until the end of his career.
William Wood won five NFL championships with the Packers . After the Packers had failed in the 1960 final, they were able to win the title with a 37-0 win over the New York Giants the following year . The following year Wood intercepted nine balls from the opposing quarterback, setting a league record. The team from Wisconsin was able to defend its title. They beat the Giants again in the final, this time 16: 7. Then in 1965 Wood won his third league title. The Cleveland Browns lost to the Packers in the final with 23:12.
In 1966, Wood and his team won his fourth title with a 34-7 win over the Dallas Cowboys . The victory meant a place in the first AFL-NFL World Championship Game, which later in Super Bowl I was renamed. Opponents in the game were the Kansas City Chiefs . Wood should be instrumental in his team's 35:10 win. At the beginning of the second half he was able to intercept a pass from Len Dawson , the quarterback of the Chiefs, and carry it over a distance of 50 yards towards the end zone of the Chiefs. Shortly before that, he was stopped by the Chiefs Defense . The Packers were able to achieve the decisive touchdown to 21: 7 in the next move . Bart Starr , the Packers quarterback, described Wood's win as a game crucial after the Super Bowl .
The year 1967 should also be successful for Wood. He was now making nearly $ 30,000 a year and was one of the best players in his position. After 1966, he and his team won the second Super Bowl ever played. The way to the final was difficult, however. In the NFC final they met the team from Dallas again . The game would go down in NFL history as the Ice Bowl . The game was played at −25 degrees Celsius on a field covered with ice. Wood made a serious mistake during the game. He dropped a pun return . From this mistake, the Cowboys' kicker was able to score a field goal at 14:10 half-time for the Packers. After the break, the Cowboys took the lead with 17:14. Fortunately for Wood, Starr was able to bring the team from Green Bay into the lead with 21:17 shortly before the end of the game and thus lead to victory. In Super Bowl II , the Packers then proved superior to the Oakland Raiders and won with 33:14.
After the 1971 season, Wood finished with 48 interceptions and after four touchdowns scored his playing career.
Coaching career
In 1974 and 1975 Wood coached the Philadelphia Bell , a football team from the World Football League, as head coach . Due to financial problems, the team from Philadelphia in 1975 had to stop playing during the season. In 1980 and 1981 he coached the Toronto Argonauts . The Argonauts play in the Canadian Football League (CFL). Wood was the first dark-skinned head coach in the league.
Honors
Willie Wood played eight times in the Pro Bowl , the final game of the best players of the season. He has been elected All-Pro eight times and is a member of the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame since 1989 .
After the career
Wood suffered numerous serious injuries during his professional career, from which he suffered until the end of his life. He was also suffering from dementia and lived in a nursing home in his hometown. Despite making $ 90,000 in his final year as a pro , he was impoverished and unable to pay medical bills. He was getting a $ 1,100 a month pension from the NFL. He was dependent on donations to settle his bills. Willie Wood left two sons and a daughter. His grave is not known.
Web links
- Willie Wood's CV in the New York Times
- Willie Wood at USC Legends
- Willie Wood with the Packers
- Willie Wood in the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame
- Willie Wood in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Obituary from the Green Bay Packers
- Obituary from college
- Willie Wood in the Find a Grave database
Individual evidence
- ↑ Annual statistics of the Packers 1961
- ↑ 1961 NFL final
- ↑ Annual statistics of the Packers 1962
- ↑ 1962 NFL final
- ↑ Annual statistics of the Packers 1965
- ↑ 1965 NFL final
- ↑ Annual statistics of the Packers 1966
- ↑ NFL final 1966
- ↑ Statistics Super Bowl I.
- ↑ Annual statistics of the Packers 1967
- ^ 1967 NFL final
- ↑ Statistics Super Bowl II
- ^ Bill Pennington: Willie Wood Made the Most Memorable Play of Super Bowl I. He Has No Recollection. In: The New York Times. February 4, 2016, accessed April 24, 2016 .
- ↑ Health Status of Willie Wood article in Washington Post
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Wood, Willie |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Wood, William Vernell |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American football player and coach |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 23, 1936 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Washington, DC , USA |
| DATE OF DEATH | 3rd February 2020 |
| Place of death | Washington, DC , USA |