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Willie Wood Jr., the son of NFL Hall Of Famer Willie Wood, discussed his father’s legacy on “In And Out Of Sports’, hosted by D.C. talk show legend Butch McAdams.
Wood Sr. grew up in Washington, D.C., where he was a standout football and basketball player. He turned down a basketball scholarship to play football at Southern California (1957-’60), where he was the first black quarterback to play in what is today the Pac 12 Conference. Woods played both ways at USC . When he wasn’t running the offense he was shutting down opponents as a hard hitting, ball hawking safety.
He was not selected in the 1960 NFL draft, but signed as a free agent with Green Bay. Packers Coach Vince Lombardi moved Wood full time to safety, and it was a genius move.
Wood would go on to become a five-time All-Pro and lead the NFL in punt returns and interceptions in addition to winning two Super Bowls. Wood retired in 1971 and inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989.
‘In And Out Of Sports’ is sponsored by Horton Funeral Service, Takoma Station, Elite Dental, and Germ Sweep. Click to hear the interview.
