Larry Wilson

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Wilson was born on March 24, 1938, in Rigby, Idaho, where he grew up. His mother died when he was a child and his father raised Wilson and his brother. Wilson helped raise his younger brother, with his father out of the house as a truck driver at times. As a teen, he worked long days harvesting potatoes. In 1967, Rigby honored Wilson with a Larry Wilson Day. He attended Rigby High School, earning 16 varsity sports letters, and the football team won a state championship. He set state records in the high jump and high hurdles. In 1956, he was the state champion in both the 120-yard high hurdles and 180-yard low hurdles. A Hometown Hall of Famer plaque now hangs at the school, presented by the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The school’s stadium was named for Wilson until the school relocated, and he was later honored with a $20,000 monument in 2021 at the new site. His jersey number 7 has been permanently retired, and the Larry Wilson Sharpening the Axe Award is given annually to one offensive and one defensive player on the football team. A scholarship is given annually in Wilson’s name to one senior, based on a number of factors, including that the person reflect Wilson’s qualities of kindness, humility, and having the respect of peers. 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. In 1959, he was third-team All-American and first-team All-Skyline Conference at running back, averaging 5.7 yards per carry. He rushed for over 1,200 yards with 11 touchdowns in his college career, averaging 26.1 yards in kick returns. Wilson played more minutes than any player in school history. He was inducted into the Crimson Club Hall of Fame in 1985. He was the first Utah player ever inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Despite his small size (six feet tall), he was selected in the seventh round of the 1960 NFL draft by the Chicago Cardinals. The draft was held in November 1959, and the franchise moved to St. Louis before the start of the 1960 season. Wilson was chosen by the Buffalo Bills in the first American Football League draft. During his first Cardinals training camp, Wilson was unsuccessful at running back and cornerback, and was in danger of being cut. He was moved to safety by coach Frank 'Pop' Ivy and defensive

In Their Own Story

In 1960, Wilson entered training camp as a running back and cornerback but faced being cut until coach Frank 'Pop' Ivy and defensive coordinator Chuck Drulis moved him to safety. In the opening game of his second season (1961) against the New York Giants, he executed two safety blitzes that sacked the quarterback twice, leading to an upset victory. During the 1966 season, Wilson tied an NFL record with at least one interception in seven consecutive games and led the league with 10 interceptions, earning first-team All-Pro honors from five major organizations.

Reader's Guide

Wilson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978, making him one of five Hall of Famers to have never played in the postseason. He was named to the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1994 and to the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team in 2019. In 1969, he was named runner up at safety on the NFL 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. He was a member of the NFL’s 1960s All-Decade Team and the NFL 1970s All-Decade Team. In 1999, he was ranked No. 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 No. 8. During his career, Wilson was named first- or second-team All-Pro seven times and represented the Cardinals on eight Pro Bowl teams. The AP selected Wilson first-team All-Pro from 1966-69, and UPI selected him as first-team All-Pro in 1963, 1966, and 1968-69, and second-team All-Pro in 1965 and 1967. In 1966, he was one of only four non-quarterbacks to receive votes for most valuable player. The NEA named him Defensive Player of the Year in 1966. In 2007, NFL Network ranked him ninth on its list of the 'Top 10 Draft Steals' in NFL history. Fellow Idahoan Jerry Kramer called Wilson 'the finest football player in the NFL.'

Did You Know?

• Wilson's nickname 'Wildcat' predated the safety blitz play that was named after him.
• Wilson intercepted a pass with casts on both hands due to broke