Larry Wilson

“''We decided to retire Larry’s number two years before he retired''”

-Bill Bidwill

Larry "Wildcat" Wilson was an NFL Safety who played for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1960-1972. Wilson set and still holds the Cardinals record for career interceptions. After his retirement Wilson continued to work for the Cardinals as Defensive Back Coach, General Manager and even Interim Head Coach before retiring from that in 2002. Wilson was inducted to the hall of fame in 1978. The Cardinals would also retire his jersey number #8.

Football Career
Larry Wilson was born and raised in Rigby, Idaho. Wilson attended Rigby High School, where a plaque now hangs noting his accomplishments. After his graduation in 1956, he played college football in Salt Lake City at the University of Utah, where he was a starter at halfback and safety for the Utes. Wilson was drafted by the Chicago Cardinals in the 1960 draft 7th round (71 overall). Before the 60' season started the Cardinals moved to St. Louis. Prior to Wilson being drafted, defensive coordinator Chuck Drulis created a play that called for the free safety to blitz. The play was code-named "Wildcat," but Drulis didn't think there was anyone with the skills and athleticism to run it until Wilson's arrival. This is where Larry depeloped the nickname "Wildcat". In 1962 Wilson would go to his first of eight Pro Bowls. In 1966 he was named defensive player of the year. Despite Wilson's success on the Cardinals, he was one of the few hall of famers never to have led his team to the postseason. Jerry Kramer, a guard for the Green Bay Packers, called Wilson "the finest football player in the NFL." One of the highlights of Larry's career was after breaking both of his wrists he still played. Not only that but he even caught an interception with his cast-encased hands. Wilson ended his career with 52 career picks for 800 yards and five touchdowns. Wilson retired after the 1972 season. He is one of the few players to have played in the NFL for at least 10 years without having taken part in an official playoff game. The closest he came to postseason play was in 1964, when the Cardinals played in and won the Playoff Bowl, a postseason third-place game.

Post Retirement
Immediately following his retirement Wilson was named Defensive Back coach and director of scouting for the Cardinals In 1977, he was named general manager. He also served as interim head coach in 1979 after head coach Bud Wilkinson was fired. After the Cardinals moved to Arizona Larry became General Manager and Vice President. He stepped down as GM in 1993, but remained as vice president until his retirement after the 2002 season.

Legacy
Wilson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978, making him one of the few Hall of Famers to have

never played in the postseason. In 1999, he was ranked number 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 Cardinals retired his uniform number 8.

In 2007, NFL Network ranked him #9 on its list of the "Top 10 Draft Steals" in NFL history.

On the September 18, 2006 edition of SportsCenter, Mike Ditka challenged Terrell Owens' toughness by not playing for 2–4 weeks due to a broken finger. He cited, "Wilson's interception with casts on both hands as proof of a tougher football player."

Larry holds the Cardinals record for career interceptions with 52