Willie Wood:
Lombardi-era Packers safety dies and is remembered as an undrafted rookie who became the fiercest of competitors.
Willie Wood died Feb. 3 in his hometown of Washington, D.C., the Green Bay Packers announced. He was 83.
Wood was a fiercely athletic safety for the Packers whose interception in Super Bowl I remains a cherished highlight for the organization.
The dynamic Wood was regarded as one of the best defensive backs in NFL history, a player whose vicious hits and plentiful interceptions dominated an entire decade in the 1960s. He played 12 seasons from 1960 to 1971 – all with the Packers – and finished second in franchise history with 48 interceptions.
His streak of 166 consecutive games played ranks fourth in franchise history behind quarterback Brett Favre (255), offensive lineman Forrest Gregg (167) and long snapper Rob Davis (167), a testament to the durability and attitude Wood hoped would define his game.
“Determination probably was my trademark,” Wood said. “I was talented, but so were a lot of people. I’d like people to tell you I was the toughest guy they ever played against.”
Wood, who began his career as a quarterback, followed a circuitous route to Green Bay. A year of junior college in California gave way to a three-year career at Southern California with modest numbers and little national buzz. Wood went undrafted as an undersized black quarterback and relied instead on Bill Butler, his coach at the Washington, D.C., Boys Club, to write letters to pro teams campaigning on his behalf.
“Mr. Lombardi, if you could see this kid unshackled you would really agree with me,” Butler said in a letter to coach Vince Lombardi in December 1959. “If you hadn’t contemplated giving him a chance, just try him one time, and I’ll guarantee you’ll be glad you did.”
Wood switched to defense and went through training camp with the Packers in 1960. He made the team as a rookie free agent and contributed immediately as a punt returner on special teams.
One year later, however, the legend of Wood was born. He replaced injured starter Jess Whittenton at safety late in the 1961 season and entrenched himself as one of the premier defensive backs in the league.
Wood made the Pro Bowl eight times in the next 11 seasons and led the Packers in interceptions five times. He earned AP All-Pro honors six times and was a unanimous selection in 1965 and 1966.
Wood retired after the 1971 season and took a job as an assistant coach for the San Diego Chargers. He went on to become the first black head coach in professional football by taking over the Philadelphia Bell of the World Football League in 1975.
Five years later he became the first black head coach of the Canadian Football League as well.
“The thing is, my dad never wanted to leave football,” Andre Wood, another son of Willie’s, told The New York Times in an article published in 2016. “He needed a stable way to make a living. But I know he would have stayed in the NFL coaching track had he been asked to. But he wasn’t.”
Perhaps his finest moment came in Super Bowl I when the Packers played the Kansas City Chiefs. Wood undercut an ugly throw by Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson for an easy interception that, after a 50-yard return, set up a touchdown in what finished as a blowout win for the Packers.
“My dad was so proud of his Super Bowl moment, but I used to tease him about being tackled from behind on the play,” Willie Wood Jr. told The New York Times. “And his response would be, ‘Yes, but I was there.’ ”
As detailed by the newspaper, Wood spent the last decade in an assisted living facility in his hometown of Washington. While he originally entered for chronic pain in his neck, hip and knee, Wood eventually developed dementia that sapped his memory and limited his cognitive functions.