The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced that former NFL linebacker and San Francisco 49ers all-time great, Dave Wilcox, passed away on Wednesday. He was 80 years old.
San Francisco made Wilcox (6-3, 241) a third-round selection (No. 29 overall) out of Oregon in 1964. The AFL's Houston Oilers also drafted Wilcox, but the defender opted to play for the 49ers.
Wilcox was a two-time first-team All-Pro, a five-time NEA first-team All-Pro, and a seven-time Pro Bowl selection.
"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," Hall of Fame President Jim Porter said upon learning the news. "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."
Wilcox played 11 seasons for the 49ers. In addition to being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2000, he was part of the initial group of players inducted into the Edward J. DeBartolo Sr. San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame.
"The flag at the Hall of Fame in Canton will be flown at half-staff in his honor," Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Dave Wilcox was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2000 along with two other #49ers greats.
Wilcox said then, ''If I had to pick a year, this would be it. This is as good as it gets, going in with Joe and Ronnie. I'm in awe of all of this.''
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) April 19, 2023
Wilcox started 144 of his 153 career games, all with San Francisco. He accumulated 36.5 sacks during his 11 seasons, per Pro Football Reference.
"I don't want to sound like I'm bragging at all, but nobody ever ran to our side," Wilcox said in an interview. "If they ran, they would never make many yards. It all kind of came back to this: This is my spot. It's kind of like you're king of the hill, and nobody's going to knock you off of it."
