NFL Hall of Famer Willie Wood dies at age of 83

Willie Wood (Google Images)

According to Richard Goldstein of the New York Times,  former Green Bay Packers safety Willie Wood passed away at the age of 83 on Monday. Wood had played with the Packers from 1960 to 1971, and was part of the Packers teams that won the first two Super Bowls in 1967 and 1968.

In the 1967 Super Bowl, Wood had a 50 yard interception as the Packers beat the Kansas City Chiefs 35-10 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. In the 1968 Super Bowl, Wood had five punt returns for 35 yards as the Packers beat the Oakland Raiders 33-14 at the Orange Bowl in Miami.

Wood participated in eight Pro Bowls (1962, 1964-1970), and was a first-team all-pro (1964-1967, 1969). In 1962, Wood led the NFL with nine interceptions. He would finish his career with 48 interceptions. Wood also recovered 16 fumbles, including five in the 1961 season.

In 1989, Wood was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. He was in a class alongside Art Shell, Terry Bradshaw and Mel Blount.

It should be noted that Wood also won three National Football League Championship games before the first Super Bowl was played. The Packers beat the New York Giants twice and the Cleveland Browns once.

A native of Washington, D.C., Wood played his college career at the University of Southern California. While at USC, he became the first African-American quarterback in the Pac-12 Conference (known at the time as the Pacific Coast Conference). After his playing career, Wood made more football history. He became the first African American head coach in professional football when he coached the Philadelphia Bell of the World Football League in 1975 and became the first African American head coach in the Canadian Football League when he coached the Toronto Argonauts in 1980.