By Darin Hayes September 29, 1942 – Dave “The Intimidator” Wilcox was a linebacker who hailed from the University of Oregon.
He was an intimidating specimen, just as his nickname suggests, standing at 6’-3″ and weighing in at 241 pounds when he was selected by both the Houston Oilers of the AFL and the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers in the 1964 respective league drafts.
The 49ers won the bid and drafted a great player in the 3rd round. Wilcox played for eleven seasons in the League as a linebacker, and his aggressive style of play earned him the reputation as one of the best players at the position in that era of football.
According to his bio on ProFootballHOF.com, Wilcox prided himself on being unblockable and was known for jamming tight ends at the line and knocking them off their designed routes. In those 11 seasons, Dave Wilcox missed only one game due to injury and was selected as an All-NFL player 5 times and as a second-team All-NFL in three others! The Pro Football Hall of Fame placed his bronze bust on display during the 2000s induction ceremonies.