Bobby Dillon facts for kids
Dillon on a 1952 Bowman trading card
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| No. 44 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Safety | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | February 23, 1930 Pendleton, Texas, U.S. |
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| Died: | August 22, 2019 (aged 89) Temple, Texas, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 180 lb (82 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Temple (Temple, Texas) | ||||||||
| College: | Texas | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1952 / Round: 3 / Pick: 28 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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Pro Football Hall of Fame
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Bobby Dan Dillon (born February 23, 1930 – died August 22, 2019) was an American football star. He played as a safety in the National Football League (NFL). Bobby spent his whole eight-year career with the Green Bay Packers.
Before joining the NFL, Bobby was an amazing player for the University of Texas Longhorns. He was so good, he was named an All-American! Even though he was a safety, he also returned kicks. Sometimes, he even played as a halfback. In college, he grabbed 13 interceptions. He also scored touchdowns and returned kicks for big gains. The Green Bay Packers chose him in the 3rd round of the 1952 NFL draft.
Bobby faced a big challenge: he played his whole career with only one eye. Despite this, he became one of the best defensive players of his time. His 52 interceptions are still a record for the Packers! He was chosen as an All-Pro four times and played in the Pro Bowl four times. Bobby planned to retire in 1958. But the Packers' new coach, Vince Lombardi, convinced him to play one more year. After an injury, he retired for good.
In 1974, Bobby was honored by being elected to the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame. Later, in 1996, he joined the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. After football, Bobby worked for a company called Wilsonart for 36 years. He even became its president! He passed away in 2019 at age 89. Five months after his death, he was chosen for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This was a huge honor for his amazing career.
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Early Life and Challenges
Bobby Dan Dillon was born on February 23, 1930. He was one of four children. His family lived in Pendleton, Texas, then moved to Temple, Texas. His dad worked as a police officer there.
When Bobby was a child, he had several eye injuries. At age five or six, a small piece of metal got into his left eye. This caused a problem that needed surgery. Later, at age nine, he was hit in the face with a board. This damaged his eye even more. When he was ten, his left eye had to be removed. He then used a glass eye.
Bobby said he didn't remember seeing out of that eye. He felt it didn't bother him much. There's a famous story about his glass eye. During a game, it supposedly fell out on the field! A referee joked about it, and Bobby had a quick, funny reply.
He went to Temple High School. He played football there from 1945 to 1947. In his last year, he led his team to a good record. He then earned a football scholarship to the University of Texas at Austin. The university asked his father to sign a paper. It said the family wouldn't blame the school if Bobby got another eye injury. His father signed it, showing his support.
College Football Success
At the University of Texas, Bobby Dillon was an amazing safety. He was named an All-American player. During his college career, he made 13 interceptions. In 1951, he was a co-captain for the Longhorns team. They won their conference and were ranked third in the country.
Bobby also played other positions in college. He sometimes played as a halfback. He was also great at returning kicks. In his very first college game, he returned a punt for a 55-yard touchdown! He also scored a 20-yard touchdown running the ball in that same game.
Throughout his college career, Bobby had 47 kick returns for 830 yards. In 1950, he returned 15 punts for 334 yards. One of these was an 84-yard punt return for a touchdown. This play helped his team win against Baylor University.
Besides football, Bobby was also a sprinter in track and field. He was part of two championship track teams at Texas.
Professional Football Career
The Green Bay Packers chose Bobby Dillon in the third round of the 1952 NFL Draft. He played for the Packers from 1952 to 1959. Bobby became the Packers' all-time leader in interceptions, with 52! He led the team in interceptions for seven of his eight seasons. Three times, he had nine interceptions in a single season.
Between 1953 and 1958, he made 48 interceptions. That's an average of eight interceptions every year! When he retired, Bobby had the second-most interceptions in NFL history. Only Emlen Tunnell, who was his teammate, had more.
His teammates called him "The Hawk" because he was so good at catching the ball. In his career, Bobby returned interceptions for a total of 976 yards. He even scored five touchdowns on these returns! His 976 interception return yards are still a Packers' record. In 1956, he led the league with 244 interception return yards.
Bobby also holds a team record for interceptions in one game. He had four interceptions in a game against the Detroit Lions in 1953. This was a Thanksgiving Day game. Sadly, he injured his knee in that game and missed the last two games of the season. But he was back and healthy for the next season.
Bobby was chosen for the Pro Bowl every year from 1955 to 1958. He was also named an Associated Press All-Pro four times. He earned other All-Pro honors in 1953 and 1956.
During his time with the Packers, Bobby played for four different head coaches. In 1959, Bobby told the team he wanted to retire. But the new coach, Vince Lombardi, convinced him to come back. Bobby played in the first eight games of the 1959 NFL season. Then he got a leg injury and lost his starting spot. He decided to retire before that season ended. Coach Lombardi called Bobby "the best in the league" and said he was irreplaceable.
Life After Football
After retiring from the NFL, Bobby Dillon went back to school. He earned a college degree in accounting. Then, he started working for a company called Wilsonart. This company makes materials used for counters and furniture.
Bobby worked at Wilsonart for 36 years. He moved up in the company and eventually became its president and chief executive. He retired from Wilsonart in 1995.
On January 27, 1951, Bobby married Ann Morgan. They had two children together. Ann passed away in 2017.
Bobby Dillon died on August 22, 2019, in Temple, Texas. He was 89 years old. He was survived by his two children, three grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
Bobby Dillon's Legacy
Even though Bobby played incredibly well, his time with the Packers was not very successful for the team. During his eight years, the Packers only had one winning season. Their overall record was 33 wins, 55 losses, and 2 ties. The 1958 season was especially tough, with the team having their worst record ever. Bobby's only winning season came in 1959. That year, he teamed up with Emlen Tunnell to create one of the best defensive backfields in football history.
Bobby was highly respected for his personal success in the NFL. This was especially true because he played his entire career with only one eye. Because the Packers struggled, it took many years for Bobby to get the recognition he deserved. In 1969, he was named to the Packers 50th Anniversary team. Five years later, he was elected to the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.
For a long time, Bobby was overlooked for the ultimate honor: induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In 2011, a group of football researchers named him to their "Hall of Very Good" list. This list honors great players who aren't yet in the main Hall of Fame.
Finally, in January 2020, it was announced that Bobby Dillon would be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This was part of a special group of inductees to celebrate the NFL's 100th season. His statue was created by Scott Myers. With his induction, Bobby became the 26th Packers player in the Hall of Fame. This big announcement came less than a year after he passed away.
Raymond Berry, a famous receiver for the Baltimore Colts, praised Bobby in 2013. He called Bobby "one of the most superior athletes you’ll ever find in the NFL."
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