No. 36 | |||||||
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Position: | Tackle | ||||||
Personal information | |||||||
Born: | Bingham Canyon, Utah, U.S. | April 20, 1916||||||
Died: | May 16, 1973 Palo Alto, California, U.S. | (aged 57)||||||
Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||
Weight: | 261 lb (118 kg) | ||||||
Career information | |||||||
High school: | Springville (UT) | ||||||
College: | St. Mary's (CA) | ||||||
Undrafted: | 1938 | ||||||
Career history | |||||||
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Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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Player stats at NFL.com · PFR |
Wilbur Byrne "Wee Willie" Wilkin (April 20, 1916 – May 16, 1973) was an American football tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins. Wilkin also played in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) for the Chicago Rockets. He attended St. Mary's College of California. [1]
Born in Bingham Canyon, Utah, Wilkin attended Springville High School, where he played football, basketball, and track and field. [2]
Wilkin played college football at Saint Mary's College in Moraga, California, graduating in 1938. He was inducted into the Gaels' Athletic Hall of Fame in 1973. [3] After college, Wilkin briefly worked in a silver mine in Mexico. [4]
Wilkin signed with the Washington Redskins of the National Football League in 1938, and played through 1943. [5] During that span, he played in three NFL Championship games, winning the 1942 NFL Championship Game. [6] He also scored the only touchdown of his career in 1942, off of a blocked punt in a win over the Cleveland Rams. [7]
After the 1943 season, Wilkin entered the United States Marine Corps during World War II. [2] While in service, he was stationed at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro in southern California and played for their football team. [8]
After his service with the Marines ended, Wilkin signed with the Chicago Rockets of the All-America Football Conference in 1946. [4] [8]
After retiring from football, Wilkin became a math and social studies high school teacher for special needs children in Monterey County, California, and was an offensive line coach for Monterey High School. [4] [9] He later taught in Deer Lodge, Montana. [4]
Wilkin was married and had twin sons, John Sharpe Wilkin and Christopher Wilkin; both died at age 22 in the same 1965 automobile accident near Truckee, California. [1] [4] [9] [10] In 1970, Wilkin had a brain tumor successfully removed. However, two years later, he developed stomach cancer, and died at age 57 in 1973 in Palo Alto, California. [4]
No. 36 | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Position: | Tackle | ||||||
Personal information | |||||||
Born: | Bingham Canyon, Utah, U.S. | April 20, 1916||||||
Died: | May 16, 1973 Palo Alto, California, U.S. | (aged 57)||||||
Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||
Weight: | 261 lb (118 kg) | ||||||
Career information | |||||||
High school: | Springville (UT) | ||||||
College: | St. Mary's (CA) | ||||||
Undrafted: | 1938 | ||||||
Career history | |||||||
| |||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||
| |||||||
Career NFL statistics | |||||||
| |||||||
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR |
Wilbur Byrne "Wee Willie" Wilkin (April 20, 1916 – May 16, 1973) was an American football tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins. Wilkin also played in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) for the Chicago Rockets. He attended St. Mary's College of California. [1]
Born in Bingham Canyon, Utah, Wilkin attended Springville High School, where he played football, basketball, and track and field. [2]
Wilkin played college football at Saint Mary's College in Moraga, California, graduating in 1938. He was inducted into the Gaels' Athletic Hall of Fame in 1973. [3] After college, Wilkin briefly worked in a silver mine in Mexico. [4]
Wilkin signed with the Washington Redskins of the National Football League in 1938, and played through 1943. [5] During that span, he played in three NFL Championship games, winning the 1942 NFL Championship Game. [6] He also scored the only touchdown of his career in 1942, off of a blocked punt in a win over the Cleveland Rams. [7]
After the 1943 season, Wilkin entered the United States Marine Corps during World War II. [2] While in service, he was stationed at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro in southern California and played for their football team. [8]
After his service with the Marines ended, Wilkin signed with the Chicago Rockets of the All-America Football Conference in 1946. [4] [8]
After retiring from football, Wilkin became a math and social studies high school teacher for special needs children in Monterey County, California, and was an offensive line coach for Monterey High School. [4] [9] He later taught in Deer Lodge, Montana. [4]
Wilkin was married and had twin sons, John Sharpe Wilkin and Christopher Wilkin; both died at age 22 in the same 1965 automobile accident near Truckee, California. [1] [4] [9] [10] In 1970, Wilkin had a brain tumor successfully removed. However, two years later, he developed stomach cancer, and died at age 57 in 1973 in Palo Alto, California. [4]