Bob Pickens
_(cropped).jpg) Pickens in 2008 | |||||
| No. 70 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Offensive tackle | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born: | February 2, 1943 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | ||||
| Died: | April 12, 2018 (aged 75)[1] Sandy Springs, Georgia, U.S. | ||||
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 258 lb (117 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | Evanston (IL) Township | ||||
| College: | Nebraska | ||||
| NFL draft: | 1966 / round: 3 / pick: 44 | ||||
| AFL draft: | 1966 / round: Red Shirt 2 / pick: 15 (by the Kansas City Chiefs)[2] | ||||
| Career history | |||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||
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Bob Pickens (February 2, 1943 – April 12, 2018) was a player in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted in the third round of the 1966 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears and played three seasons with the team.[3]
Pickens was also an Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler, competing in Tokyo, Japan, in the heavyweight division at the 1964 Summer Olympics, where he finished sixth. Pickens was the first African-American to compete for the United States in wrestling at the Olympics.[4] He played collegiate football at Nebraska, transferring there after originally attending Wisconsin. Pickens did not wrestle for either university, although he still continued his wrestling at various club organizations.[5] After his pro football career, Pickens became a referee, officiating in the Big Ten Conference and a number of postseason games, including the Rose Bowl. He also served on the Chicago Park District Board for several years.
References
[edit]- ^ "Bob Pickens, former Bear who was among first black Olympic wrestlers, dead at 75". Archived from the original on April 22, 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
- ^ "1966 AFL Draft". Archived from the original on October 3, 2018. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
- ^ "Bob Pickens". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 21, 2011.
- ^ Shalin, Dan. (April 23, 2018). Breaking the U.S. Olympic wrestling color barrier was just one of Bob Pickens' many achievements. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
- ^ Bob Pickens - Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
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- 1943 births
- 2018 deaths
- 20th-century American sportsmen
- 20th-century African-American sportspeople
- American football offensive tackles
- Canadian football offensive linemen
- American male sport wrestlers
- Olympic wrestlers for the United States
- Wrestlers at the 1964 Summer Olympics
- Chicago Bears players
- Edmonton Elks players
- Nebraska Cornhuskers wrestlers
- Nebraska Cornhuskers football players
- Players of American football from Chicago
- Players of Canadian football from Chicago
- Wisconsin Badgers football players
- American football offensive lineman, 1940s birth stubs