For more than 40 years, Larry Wilson played a remarkable role in the history of the Cardinals and National Football League as a Hall of Fame player and team executive.
While he will be recognized for his toughness and excellence on the field and his many contributions to the Cardinals organization, we will also remember Larry as loyal, humble and kind to everyone he met. Larry enriched the lives of many players and colleagues around the league.
Larry helped revolutionize the safety position in his 13 years as the versatile anchor of the Cardinals’ defense. He popularized the safety blitz in the 1960’s and also recorded 52 interceptions. His toughness and football instincts earned him recognition as one of the greatest to ever play the game. Larry was named to both the NFL’s 75th and 100th season all-time teams. Following his retirement on the field in 1972, Larry remained with the team for 30 years in a variety of roles through his retirement as the Cardinals’ Vice President in 2003.
We extend our deepest condolences to his wife Nancy, daughter Christie, and son Larry, Jr., his friends and the Cardinals organization.
