Tag: Dave Wilcox

Oregon faithful share memories after passing of NFL Hall of Famer and Duck legend

The football world at large mourned the loss of an Oregon Ducks and San Francisco 49ers legend.

Oregon Ducks’ legend Dave Wilcox passed away at the age of 80, it was announced on Wednesday afternoon.

An 11-year career with the San Francisco 49ers put Wilcox in NFL lore, cementing his spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as one of the best linebackers in 49ers history.

For the Ducks, Wilcox was a two-way player in the 1960s, working as a blocker for fellow Oregon greats like Bob Berry and Mel Renfro, while also drawing the attention of NFL scouts on the defensive side of the ball. Though he only played for two seasons with the Ducks, Wilcox made his mark, and was eventually enshrined in the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1993.

Once the news of his passing went public on Wednesday, fans from Eugene and across the nation in the football world mourned the loss, sharing memories of Wilcox on Twitter and lifting up his name.

Here are some of the best stories and words from football fans across the nation.

Oregon legend and NFL Hall of Famer passes away at age 80

Oregon Duck football legend and NFL Hall of Famer Dave Wilcox passes away at the age of 80.

Dave Wilcox may be the only person to go from Ontario, Oregon to Canton, Ohio.

The Oregon Duck football legend and NFL Hall of Fame linebacker passed away on Wednesday at the age of 80. He was the father of former Duck tight end Josh Wilcox and safety Justin Wilcox, who is also the current head coach at California.

Born Sept. 29, 1942 in Ontario, Ore., Wilcox earned nine varsity letters in high school, three each in football, baseball and basketball, and was a two-way end for Vale Union High School on two state championship football teams.

His college career began at Boise Junior College (now Boise State), where he was named to the NJCAA All-America Team and was credited with blocking eight kicks in one season. He then came to Oregon, where he was a teammate of Hall of Famer Mel Renfro, and went on to become one of the best linebackers in Oregon history.

He was able to turn an 11-year career in the Bay Area with the San Francisco 49ers into a legendary career. Wilcox was a seven-time Pro Bowler and was enshrined into the Hall of Fame in 2000 after becoming someone who many consider among the best linebackers in 49ers franchise history.

Wilcox was enshrined in the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1993.

“While Dave Wilcox was nicknamed ‘The Intimidator’ for his aggressive style of play, he was a kind, humble and gracious man in all other aspects of life,” Pro Football Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said in a statement. “He transformed the outside linebacker position, one of the many feats that earned him a forever home in Canton.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Dave’s wife, Merle, and their entire family. We will preserve his legacy for generations to come.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Oregon legend named to college football ‘all-time all-transfer’ team

When you think of Duck football transfers, you think of LeGarrette Blount or Jeremiah Masoli. It was this Oregon legend to make the ‘all-transfer’ team though.

When you think about transfers in college football, a lot of recent memory will come up. Thanks to the dawn of the transfer portal era, we now see some of the most talented plays in the nation picking up and finding new schools year after year. Guys like Caleb Williams, Jordan Addison, Quinn Ewers, and Eli Ricks — all are among the most talented players in the nation, and all will play for new teams this fall.

However, transfers in college football were a big thing before the portal came into existence. If you look back in the game’s history, you’ll see some of the biggest names moved around a little bit, searching for new schools with which to find a perfect fit.

[lawrence-related id=24558]

QB Roger Staubach? He transferred from New Mexico Military Institute to Navy. WR Randy Moss went from Notre Dame to Florida State, then to Marshall. More recently, DE J.J. Watt transferred from Central Michigan to Wisconsin.

The point is that transfers in college football are nothing new; they simply have been made easier via the portal. To help display this, On3 recently put together an ‘all-time all-transfer’ team to show the best players in the history of the sport to find a new team.

For the Oregon Ducks, there is one legend who made the cut. The OG Duck fans will know him well, and the younger generation will be smart to look him up.

His name is Dave Wilcox, and he is one of the best linebackers to ever play for the Ducks.

Wilcox played just two seasons (1963, 1964) at Oregon after transferring from Boise Junior College, but made such an impact in those two years that he was inducted into the Oregon Ducks Hall of Fame in 1993. Wilcox earned the LB spot on On3’s all-time list. Here’s what they had to say about the Oregon legend:

Wilcox played two years at Boise JC (now Boise State) and was a junior college All-American before transferring to Oregon. As with Tippett, he was a college defensive end who was moved to outside linebacker in the NFL. He played 11 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers and was known both for his physical play and high football IQ. Wilcox was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000. His son, Justin, also starred at Oregon and is the head coach at California.

With the 49ers, Wilcox made it to 7 Pro Bowls and was named a First-Team All-Pro three times. If you’re making a list of some of the best Oregon players of all time, it’s a foregone conclusion that you’ll find Wilcox on there.

Contact/Follow us @Ducks_Wire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinion.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

[mm-video type=video id=01g40pw6ge712p07njz9 playlist_id=01f27mq9z7hjgk6vc6 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g40pw6ge712p07njz9/01g40pw6ge712p07njz9-6453d9eaa4e78cd3f761dacec273268a.jpg]

[listicle id=24556]