Dick Wildung

Early years

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

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

Minnesota

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.

The 1941 Minnesota team repeated as national champion, and Wildung was one of the returning players who played for back-to-back national champions. Minnesota coach Bernie Bierman called Wildung "as good a tackle as I ever have coached." 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.

Wildung was a consensus pick at tackle on the 1941 All-America college football team. He received first-team honors from ten All-America selectors, including the All-America Board, Associated Press, United Press, International News Service, Collier's Weekly Life magazine, and The Sporting News. 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.

At the end of the 1941 season, Wildung was also chosen by his teammates as captain of the 1942 Minnesota football team. 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. He also repeated as a consensus pick for the 1942 All-America team.

Military service

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. As of February 1944, Wildung was assigned as an ordnance teacher at a Chicago naval school. He also served aboard a ship in the southwest Pacific. He also served in a PT boat squadron and won a battle star in the Philippines. He was discharged from the Navy in May 1946.

Green Bay

Wildung was selected 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.

Wildung signed a contract with the Packers in May 1946. 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. He was selected as an All-NFL player in 1947 and 1949 and played in the Pro Bowl following the 1951 season. 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."

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."

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.

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

Later years

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

References

References

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