Billy Wilson (American football)
Wilson on a 1955 Bowman football card
|
|
| Date of birth | February 3, 1927 |
|---|---|
| Place of birth | Sayre, Oklahoma |
| Date of death | January 27, 2009 (aged 81) |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | Wide receiver |
| College | San Jose State |
| NFL draft | 1950 / Round: 22 / Pick: 283 |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1951–1960 | San Francisco 49ers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Pro Bowls | 6 |
| Career stats | |
|
|
Billy Wilson (February 3, 1927 – January 27, 2009) was an American football wide receiver who played for the San Francisco 49ers from 1951 to 1960. He was named to the Pro Bowl six times.
Born in Sayre, Oklahoma on February 3, 1927, he moved with his family to California at the age of three as his parents sought to escape the Dust Bowl that was sweeping through the prairies during the Great Depression. He attended Campbell High School and enlisted in the United States Navy during World War II.
He played college football at San Jose State University, and was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the 22nd round of the 1950 NFL Draft, the 283rd player selected overall and the seventh receiver drafted that year by the 49ers. He played his entire career, ten seasons, with the 49ers, finishing his career with 407 catches for 5,902 yards and 49 touchdowns, was a first-team selection to the Associated Press All-Pro team in 1957 and was Most Valuable Player of the 1956 NFL Pro Bowl. Wilson led the NFL in receptions in three seasons, with 60 catches in 1954, 60 in 1956 and 52 in 1957. He ranked fourth in touchdown catches, fifth in receiving yards and sixth in receptions in franchise history at the time of his death. He also led the entire decade of the 1950s in receptions.
Y. A. Tittle, a quarterback whose time with the 49ers matched up with Wilson's, called him "one of the fiercest competitors I ever played with" and described him as "our No. 1 receiver." "Whenever we needed a big catch, I went to him because I knew he would make the play." Bob St. Clair, an offensive tackle who played with Wilson for eight seasons in San Francisco, reflected on his ability to catch balls with "hands of glue" and run with the ball after making catches, calling him "probably one of the most underrated players in N.F.L. history."
...
Wikipedia