Bob Pickens
refer to caption
Pickens in 2008
No. 70
Position:Offensive tackle
Personal information
Born:(1943-02-02)February 2, 1943
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died:April 12, 2018(2018-04-12) (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 NFL statistics
Games played:20
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

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

  1. ↑ "Bob Pickens, former Bear who was among first black Olympic wrestlers, dead at 75". Archived from the original on 2018-04-22. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
  2. ↑ "1966 AFL Draft". Archived from the original on October 3, 2018. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Bob Pickens". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2011-01-21.
  4. ↑ 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.
  5. ↑ Bob Pickens - Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association. Retrieved November 1, 2023.


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