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Dick Wildung

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Dick Wildung
refer to caption
Wildung on a 1950 Bowman football card
No. 45, 70
Position:Tackle
Personal information
Born:(1921-08-16)August 16, 1921
Scotland, South Dakota, U.S.
Died:March 15, 2006(2006-03-15) (aged 84)
Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:221 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school:Luverne (MN)
College:Minnesota
NFL draft:1943 / round: 1 / pick: 8
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Stats at Pro Football Reference
College Football Hall of Fame

Richard Kay Wildung (August 16, 1921 – March 15, 2006) was an American football tackle who played college football for Minnesota (1940–1942) and professional football in the National Football League (NFL) for the Green Bay Packers. He played for back-to-back national championship teams at Minnesota and was a consensus All-American in 1941 and 1942. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1957.

Early years

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Wildung was born in Scotland, South Dakota, in 1921. He grew up and graduated from high school in Luverne, Minnesota.[1] Wildung's father died when Wildung was a boy, and his mother ran a dress shop in Luverne.[2]

Wildung starred in both football and basketball and was also second academically in his class in high school.[3][4]

Minnesota

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Wildung enrolled at the University of Minnesota in 1939 and played that fall for the freshman football team. As a sophomore in 1940, he became a starter from the first game.[5] He was a starter at tackle position, both on offense and defense, for the undefeated 1940 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team that was ranked No. 1 in the final AP poll.[6][7] While at Minnesota Wildung was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity.[8][9]

The 1941 Minnesota team repeated as national champion, and Wildung was one of the returning players who played for back-to-back national champions.[10] Minnesota coach Bernie Bierman called Wildung "as good a tackle as I ever have coached."[6] The Associated Press wrote that he had "a solid frame and a terrific charge" and "an ability to sense the opponents' plays almost before they are executed."[5] George A. Barton of The Minneapolis Tribune described him as "remarkably fast and active" who was able not only to open "gaping holes" in the line but also to lead plays down the field, clearing the way with "brutal downfield blocking".[11] He was also an "iron man" player who played on defense as well, including all 60 minutes of Minnesota's 1941 victories over Washington, Michigan, Northwestern, Nebraska, and Iowa.[11]

Wildung was a consensus pick at tackle on the 1941 All-America college football team.[12] He received first-team honors from ten All-America selectors,[5] including the All-America Board,[13] Associated Press,[14] United Press,[15] International News Service,[16] Collier's Weekly[17] Life magazine,[18] and The Sporting News.[19] In announcing Wildung's selection as an All-American, Associated Press sports editor Dillon Graham wrote:

It was Minnesota's powerful line, plus [Bruce] Smith, that carried the Gophers to a perfect record and the No. 1 man on that forewall was Wildung. . . . Wildung often blocked two rivals on the same play. He was so tough that some teams finally stopped trying to get yardage through his slot. Iowa, for instance, didn't run a single play at him.[20]

At the end of the 1941 season, Wildung was also chosen by his teammates as captain of the 1942 Minnesota football team.[6] The 1942 compiled a 5–4 record and was ranked No. 19 in the final AP poll. Wildung was selected as the team's most valuable player.[21][7] He also repeated as a consensus pick for the 1942 All-America team.[12][22]

Military service

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Wildung served in the United States Navy during World War II. He was commissioned at the midshipman's school in Chicago in December 1943. He was also married on New Year's Day 1944 to Margaret Jane Jaehning.[23][24] As of February 1944, Wildung was assigned as an ordnance teacher at a Chicago naval school.[25] He also served aboard a ship in the southwest Pacific.[26] He also served in a PT boat squadron and won a battle star in the Philippines.[27] He was discharged from the Navy in May 1946.[26]

Green Bay

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Wildung was drafted in the first round of the 1943 NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers, but his pro football debut was delayed until his discharge from the Navy.[26] He was one of several players, along with Bruce Smith, Ray Frankowski, Urban Odson, and Merv Pregulman, who served in the military before resuming their football careers with the Packers.[28]

Wildung signed a contract with the Packers in May 1946.[26] He was the Packers' starting left guard in 1946 and 1947 and the starting left tackle from 1948 to 1951 and in 1953. He appeared in a total of 81 NFL games, 73 of them as a starter.[1][27][29] He was selected as an All-NFL player in 1947 and 1949 and played in the Pro Bowl following the 1951 season.[1][30] He was described as a "tough-as-nails tackle" who missed only two games in seven seasons" and played on both offense and defense at a time when "two-way linemen ... were becoming a dying breed."[31]

Wildung played for the Packers during a period of decline, compiling records of 2–10 in 1949 and 3–9 in 1948, 1950, and 1951. He later recalled that coach Curly Lambeau was out of touch with the direction of pro football: "The game kind of passed Curly by."[32]

Wildung missed the 1952 season. During the off-season, he ran a hardware, appliance, and plumbing business in Redwood Falls, Minnesota, in partnership with his brother-in-law. His brother-in-law died in July 1952. Wildung was unable to find a manager and remained in Redwood Falls to manage the business.[31][33]

Wildung announced his retirement from football in July 1954, indicating his intention to work full time at his hardware store in Redwood Falls, Minnesota.[34]

Later years

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After retiring from football, Wildung led a "humble" life operating a hardware store.[35] In 1957, Wildung was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.[36] In 1973 he was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.[31]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Dick Wildung". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  2. ^ "Dick Wildung Nears Gopher Goal Set as Nine-Year-Old". The Minneapolis Star Journal. August 11, 1940. p. Sports 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Joe Hendrickson (September 18, 1940). "A Star Now . . . Just Wait Until Wildung Grows Up!". Minneapolis Star Journal. p. 26 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Bob Beebe (September 8, 1940). "Introducing New Gophers: No. 1 -- Dick Wildung". The Minneapolis Tribune. p. Sports 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b c "Wistert vs. Wildung To Be Feature Of Minnesota Tilt". Adrian Daily Telegram. Associate Press. October 21, 1942. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ a b c Bob Beebe (November 26, 1941). "Wildung Captain; Sweiger Most Valuable". Minneapolis Morning Tribune. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ a b "Minnesota and Purdue Pick Most Valuable: Gophers Elect Dick Wildung, Star Tackle". The Chicago Tribune. November 25, 1942. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Dick Wildung". Phi Delta Theta Museum. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  9. ^ The Scroll. Phi Delta Theta. September 1952. p. 13. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  10. ^ "Dick Wildung - M Club Hall of Fame". GopherSports.com. University of Minnesota. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  11. ^ a b "Wildung Deserved Being Honored on Rice's All-America". The Minneapolis Tribune. December 5, 1941. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ a b "Football Award Winners" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2016. p. 8. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  13. ^ Christy Walsh (December 14, 1941). "Darold Jenkins of Missouri Voted Nation's Best Center On All-Star Team Selected By 48 Coaches". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. pp. IV-1, IV-2 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Dillon Graham (December 12, 1941). "Smith, Wildung Are Gophers Named on AP All-America". The St. Cloud Daily Times. p. 12.
  15. ^ Harry Ferguson (December 3, 1941). "United Press Names Dove All-America End: Gophers Only Club To Gain Two Positions". The South Bend Tribune. pp. III-1, III-2 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ Lawton Carver (December 1, 1941). "Albert Tops INS All-America Grid Selections". Reading Eagle.
  17. ^ "Collier's Put Dudley On Its 'All-American'". The Staunton News-Leader. December 5, 1941. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Life's 1941 All-Amerida". Life. December 1, 1941. p. 38.
  19. ^ ESPN College Football Encyclopedia. ESPN Books. 2005. p. 1184. ISBN 1401337031.
  20. ^ "Gopher Line Ace Son of Ex-Warrior". The Daily Argus-Leader. December 12, 1941. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "Gophers Elect Anderson; Wildung 'Most Valuable'". Minneapolis Morning Tribune. November 25, 1942. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ "Wildung Placed on Rice, AP All American Teams". Minneapolis Star Journal. December 11, 1942. p. 26 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ "Navy Officer, Former U. Alumni, to Be Married on New Year's Day". Star Tribune. December 31, 1943. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ "Margaret Jaehning". Minneapolis Star Journal. January 11, 1944. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ^ Halsey Hall (February 2, 1944). "It's a Fact". The Minneapolis Star Journal. p. 23.
  26. ^ a b c d Dave Yuenger (May 23, 1946). "Wildung, Gopher Tackle, Joins Packers". Green Bay Press-Gazette. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ^ a b "Dick Wildung To Get Big Chance At Tackle in 3rd Year: Minnesota Star 29th To Sign; In Familiar Spot". Green Bay Press-Gazette. June 17, 1948. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ^ John Maxymuk (2003). Packers By The Numbers. Prairie Oak Press. p. 284. ISBN 1879483904.
  29. ^ "Dick Wildung Returns for Fourth Packer Year; 26 Under Contract; Ace Tackle 11th Veteran To Sign For 1949 Action". Green Bay Press-Gazette. June 28, 1949. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ^ "Dick Wildung". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
  31. ^ a b c "Dick Wildung". Packers.com. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  32. ^ William Povletich (2012). "Green Bay Packers: Trials, Triumphs, and Tradition". Wisconsin Historical Society Press. p. 70.
  33. ^ "Wildung Wants to Join Pack, But ...!". Green Bay Press-Gazette. September 10, 1952. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. ^ "Wildung 2nd Pack Captain To Retire". Green Bay Press-Gazette. July 15, 1944. p. 37 – via Newspapers.com.
  35. ^ Robert J. Scott, Myles A. Pocta (2012). Honnor on the Line. p. 61.
  36. ^ "Put Wildung In Fame Hall". Green Bay Press-Gazette. February 20, 1957. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
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