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Chat Reel: Dave Wilcox
Pro Football Hall of Famer chats prior to induction
Dave Wilcox chatted with CNNSI.com users on Tuesday, July 25, 2000. Wilcox was a standout linebacker with the San Francisco 49ers from 1964-1974. After attending Boise State and the University of Oregon, he was selected in the third round of the 1964 NFL Draft. He joined the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the class of 2000. A transcript of his chat with CNNSI.com users follows:
CNNSI Host: Thanks for joining our chat with NFL Hall of Fame inductee Dave Wilcox. Good to talk to you, Dave!
Dave Wilcox: Thank you very much. It's fun being on here with you guys.
From A.P. Marsten in Bainbridge Island, Wash.: Who would be your choice to be "Linebacker of the Century?"
Dave Wilcox: All of them. That's kind of hard to choose because of all the great players. I think Chuck Bednarick, Dick Butkus, Ray Nitschke, Bobby Bell, Willie Lanier. I don't know that I could name one, you'd have to have a whole handful.
From Mike Jordan in Jackson, Miss.: Mr. Wilcox, did you ever have any doubt that you would be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame?
Dave Wilcox: I never thought about that. I played, and if it was meant to be, it would happen, and it has happened.
From NVPACK: Is there one moment that sticks out in your mind as the most memorable in your NFL career?
Dave Wilcox: I'll give you a couple. One is when I made the team in San Francisco as a rookie, and the other was the Pro Bowl when the AFL and NFL played in the same game. I think that was 1970.
From A.P. Marsten in Bainbridge Island, Wash.: Has the game changed much since you retired?
Dave Wilcox: Oh, it's a speed game now and specialists play the game. When I played, you played the whole game.
From Chuck Turley in Lewiston, Idaho: Dave, Who were the two or three blockers who gave you the most trouble during your career?
Dave Wilcox: There again, all of them! There was Ron Yary, and he was a tackle that used to block real close there, there was a tight end, John Mackey, Mike Ditka, that's just to name a few. But my answer to the question was there were a lot of great blockers.
From Walquist: Which stadium did you love to play in? Is there any place you wished you would have had the chance to play in?
Dave Wilcox: Keizer Stadium was a favorite. Yankee Stadium was another favorite, and the Wrigley Field in Chicago. We played in every stadium, I think, over the years. I got to play in all those.
From Jeff in Jacksonville: Hey, Dave -- great talking to you today. What's the biggest difference between today's players and the guys of your era -- besides the money?
Dave Wilcox: I think the difference would be when I played, and I speak from a defense side, that you played all the plays. Today's players, and this is a general statement, they substitute for special situations. I think that would be the biggest difference.
From NVPACK: Do you feel the game of football is getting a bad name with all the off-field problems they have had as of late?
Dave Wilcox: It hasn't helped. I think the way the game is today, with money and the people that are having the problems, maybe the League or the players should do a better job helping each other. The fans will probably determine how much of this that they will stand.
From Mike_Jordan: Mr. Wilcox, do you have any head coaching aspirations in the NFL?
Dave Wilcox: Absolutely not!!!
From A.P. Marsten in Bainbridge Island, Wash.: What rules would add or take away to "improve" the game?
Dave Wilcox: I guess keep the offensive guys from holding the defensive players, especially the offensive linemen. :)
From Walquist: What is your take on the XFL?
Dave Wilcox: I hope it works. My oldest son played with the Saints for two years and was fired. He's out of a job, and he likes the WWF. He just got a letter from the XFL; I hope they give him a job. If there's room for more football as entertainment, they will probably move ahead. I hope it works, so my son can get a job.
From Mike_Jordan: How do you think you will feel when you are at the Hall of Fame, with almost all of the living members of the Hall being there?
Dave Wilcox: I don't know that I'll be able to put the feelings in words, but it's got to be very, very special. I was talking to people this morning -- you don't get a chance to be around this many great players at one time. I'm probably going to be in awe of all of this.
From Mitch: Dave -- big Niners fan. Are there any players today who remind you of yourself?
Dave Wilcox: No, because I'm so much older. I'm 57 years old, and there's not many players that age still playing.
From LAMBEAU: Dave, who was the player you respected the most during your career?
Dave Wilcox: I think Bart Starr would be my first choice, a gentleman and a great competitor.
From Mike Jordan: Do you think that Pete Rozell's dream of parity in the NFL has come true?
Dave Wilcox: More teams are able to win championships now, and so I guess if that's parity, if that's what he wanted, it's probably happening.
From ChrisGB: What's the memorable road trip story you can tell?
Dave Wilcox: The first few years in San Francisco that I played, we flew regularly scheduled airlines, and in 1965 or '66, we played the Colts in Baltimore, and after the game, we went out and checked in at the airport, got in the plane, and we always sat in the coach section, the whole back of the plane. Sitting in first class was Cassius Clay at the time, he was still Cassius Clay, and was on our plane. From Baltimore to San Francisco, it took us about 14 hours to get home. That was fun in one sense, meeting Cassius Clay, but not fun taking forever to get home.
From NINERS FAN: Dave, do you think the players of your era are overlooked because of the 24-hour highlights today's players receive?
Dave Wilcox: If it hadn't been for the players when I played, or the players in the 30s and 40s, there wouldn't be today's players. So, I don't think we need to forget those people.
From NavinTheDream: What was the toughest challenge of your NFL career?
Dave Wilcox: I would say deciding to not play anymore.
CNNSI Host: That's all the time we have today with Dave Wilcox. Thanks for joining us, and congratulations on your induction into the Hall of Fame.
Dave Wilcox: Thank you guys, it was fun, and we plan on having some this weekend.
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