Willie Wood (American football)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Willie Wood | |
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| Position(s): Safety |
Jersey #(s): 24 |
| Born: December 23, 1936 Washington, D.C. |
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| Career Information | |
| Year(s): 1960–1971 | |
| College: USC | |
| Professional Teams | |
| Career Stats | |
| Interceptions | 48 |
| Interception yards | 699 |
| Touchdowns | 2 |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
| Career Highlights and Awards | |
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| Pro Football Hall of Fame | |
William Vernell Wood Sr. (born December 23, 1936, in Washington, D.C.) was a safety for the Green Bay Packers.
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[edit] College career
Wood played for the USC Trojans, where he was the first African American quarterback for the entire conference.
[edit] Football career
Out of the University of Southern California, Wood was not drafted by any National Football League team. He had to tryout before the Packers signed him as a free agent in 1960. He was recast as a free safety, and was a starter in his 1961 season. He started until his retirement in 1971.
Wood won All-NFL honors nine times in a nine-year stretch from 1962 through the 1971 season, participated in the Pro Bowl eight times, and played in six NFL championship games, winning all except the first one in 1960.
Wood was the starting free safety for the Packers in Super Bowl I against the Kansas City Chiefs and Super Bowl II against the Oakland Raiders. In Super Bowl I, he recorded a key interception that helped the Packers put the game away in the second half. In Super Bowl II, he returned 5 punts for 35 yards, including a 31-yard return that would stand as the record for longest punt return in a Super Bowl until Darrell Green's 34-yard return in Super Bowl XVIII. He won the NFL interception title in 1962 and the league punt return championship.
Wood finished his 12 NFL seasons with 48 interceptions, which he returned for 699 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also gained 1,391 yards and scored 2 touchdowns on 187 punt returns.
He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989.
In 1973 (just 2 years removed from his days as a player), Willie was named the head coach of the Philadelphia Bell of the WFL. This made him the first African American head coach in professional football of the modern era. Willie was also a head coach in the Canadian Football League.
[edit] Personal
Willie has a son, Willie Wood Jr., who played for (1992-1993) and later coached the Indiana Firebirds AFL team after coaching at Woodrow Wilson High School in Washington, D.C. Willie Wood Jr. is currently the Wide Receiver/Defensive Backs Coach and Special Teams Coordinator for the Cleveland Gladiators of the Arena Football League.
As of March 2007, Willie, aged 71, is currently living in an assisted care facility and has had many operative procedures as a result of his being injured during his NFL career. He has had replacement knees and replacement hips, dementia and forgetfulness, and his current NFL pension of a little over $1100 per month is just not enough to pay all of his bills. In the Washington area a benefit is being held for Willie to help raise over $25,000 to pay his medical bills. His situation is one of many of former NFL players suffering from disabilities and even dementia and need a lot more help than the NFL is willing to provide to ex-players.
He currently lives in Manitowoc, Wisconsin.
[edit] External links
- Pro Football Hall of Fame: Member profile
- Willie Wood Profile at USC Legends
- Jerry Kramer.com Article with references to Willie Wood and NFL players in retirement with physical disabilities.
- USA Today "NFL retirees feel forgotten as fight for benefits rages." References to former NFL player Willie Wood.
- Willie Wood football card gallery
| Preceded by Forrest Gregg |
Toronto Argonauts Head Coaches 1980–1981 |
Succeeded by Tommy Hudspeth |
| Preceded by Tom Maudlin |
USC Trojans Starting Quarterbacks 1959 |
Succeeded by Bill Nelsen |
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