Willie Wood

Willie Wood
No. 24
PositionSafety
Personal information
Born(1936-12-23)December 23, 1936
Washington, D.C., U.S.
DiedFebruary 3, 2020(2020-02-03) (aged 83)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Listed height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Listed weight190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High schoolArmstrong (Washington, D.C.)
CollegeUSC
NFL draft1960: undrafted
Career history
Playing
Coaching
Awards and highlights
Career NFL statistics
Interceptions48
Interception yards699
Defensive touchdowns2
Stats at Pro Football Reference

William Vernell Wood Sr. (December 23, 1936 – February 3, 2020) was an American professional football player and coach. He played as a safety with the Green Bay Packers in the National Football League (NFL). Wood was an eight-time Pro Bowler and a nine-time All-Pro. In 1989, Wood was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Wood played college football for the USC Trojans, becoming the first black quarterback to play in what is now the Pac-12 Conference. Undrafted out of USC, he was granted a try-out with Green Bay. Wood changed his position to safety in his rookie year and played for the Packers from 1960 to 1971, winning five NFL championships. He later coached in the NFL, World Football League (WFL), and Canadian Football League (CFL).