Dick Wilkins

Richard Maurice Wilkins (August 28, 1925 – October 21, 1997) was an American football end who played in the National Football League. He played college football at Oregon.

Dick Wilkins
Position:End
Personal information
Born:(1925-08-28)August 28, 1925
Portland, Oregon
Died:October 21, 1997(1997-10-21) (aged 72)
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:194 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High school:Lincoln
College:Oregon
NFL Draft:1948 / Round: 25 / Pick: 226
Career history
Career highlights and awards
  • First team All-Pacific Coast (1948)
Career NFL statistics
Receptions:68
Receiving yards:1,050
Receiving touchdowns:7
Player stats at PFR

College career

Wilkins served in the Marine Corps during WWII before receiving a discharge after his vision was impaired when he was hit in the eye with a shell casing during training.[1] He enrolled at the University of Oregon and joined the Webfoots basketball as a forward and baseball team as a pitcher. As a freshman, Wilkins was the leading scorer in the 1945 NCAA tournament with 22 points per game.[2] He became the first Oregon player to score 1,000 career points and finished with 1,186.[3]

Wilkins was talked into joining the football team as a senior.[4] In his lone season playing college football he led the Webfoots with 27 receptions (a Pacific Coast Conference record) for 520 yards and five touchdowns and was named first team All-Pacific Coast.[5][6]

Professional career

Wilkins was drafted by the New York Giants in the 25th round of the 1948 NFL Draft, but instead signed with the Los Angeles Dons of the All-America Football Conference. After the AAFC folded Wilkins was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the third round of the 1950 AAFC dispersal draft. He was recalled by the Marine Corps before the draft and missed the next two seasons. Wilkins' rights were traded to the Dallas Texans in 1952 as part of an eleven player trade for Les Richter.[7] Wilkins led the Texans with 32 receptions, 416 receiving yards and three touchdown catches in 1952. He did not play in 1953 in order to focus on his lumber business in Oregon. He was acquired by the Giants in a trade in 1954 and played in four games before suffering a shoulder injury.[8][9]

Personal life

Wilkins was the father of Olympic gold medalist Mac Wilkins.[10]

References
  1. "Servicemen in Sports". Brief. 1944.
  2. "The Alumni News" (PDF). LincolnAlum.org. 2005.
  3. "Ducks Hammer Utah to Win Pac-12 Tournament Championship". 247Sports.com. March 13, 2016.
  4. Eggars, Kerry (2014). "Van Brocklin and the Cotton Bowl Kids". The Civil War Rivalry: Oregon vs. Oregon State. Arcadia.
  5. "Oregon Football Team and Individual Records" (PDF). 2018.
  6. "Two Coast Records Set". The New York Times. United Press International. November 17, 1949. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  7. Crippen, Kenneth R.; Reaser, Matt (2018). "Allocation Draft". The All-America Football Conference: Players, Coaches, Records, Games and Awards, 1946-1949. p. 167.
  8. "WILKINS, BROWN INJURED". The New York Times. November 2, 1954. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  9. "GIANTS GET WILKINS, END". The New York Times. June 20, 1954. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  10. Robinson, Bob (2013). "Big Mac in a Big Way". Oregon Sports Stories: History, Highlights & Reflections. Arcadia.
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