Larry Wilson ( American football ) Larry Frank Wilson ( born March 24 , 1938 ) is a former professional football player , an eight - time All - Pro free safety with the St . Louis Cardinals of the National Football League . Wilson played thirteen seasons and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978 , his first year of eligibility . He was named to the NFL 75th Anniversary All - Time Team in 1994 . Early years . Born and raised in Rigby , Idaho , Wilson attended Rigby High School , where a plaque now hangs noting his accomplishments . After graduation in 1956 , he played college football in Salt Lake City at the University of Utah , where he was a two - way starter for the Utes . NFL career . Player . Despite his skill and adaptability , Wilson was not selected until the 7th round of the 1960 NFL Draft by the Chicago Cardinals . The draft was held in November 1959 and the franchise moved to St . Louis before the start of the 1960 season . Originally a cornerback , Wilson switched to free safety , and it was here that he found his place on the team . Not long after Wilson made the team , defensive coordinator Chuck Drulis crafted a play that called for the free safety to take part in a blitz . The play was code - named " Wildcat , " after Wilson ' s nickname . When the Cardinals first ran the safety blitz , the pressure was severe since most teams didn ' t ( and still don ' t ) expect a defensive back to take part in a pass rush . This single play also helped to set up today ' s defenses where a blitz can come from anywhere . Wilson was named All - Pro eight times in his career and represented the Cardinals on eight Pro Bowl teams . During 1966 , he had at least one interception in seven consecutive games , en route to a 10 - pick season that led his league . Fellow Idahoan Jerry Kramer , a guard for the Green Bay Packers and author of " Instant Replay " , called Wilson " the finest football player in the NFL . " Kramer described Wilson ' s play during an October 30 , 1967 game , " . . . he fired up their whole team . . . ( h ) is enthusiasm was infectious . " Wilson is renowned for not only playing , but intercepting a pass , with casts on both hands due to broken wrists . On the September 18 , 2006 edition of " SportsCenter " , Mike Ditka challenged Terrell Owens ' toughness by not playing for 2 – 4 weeks due to a broken finger . He cited Wilson ' s interception with casts on both hands as proof of a tougher football player . He ended his career with 52 career picks for 800 yards and five touchdowns . Executive . Following his retirement as a player after the 1972 season , Wilson stayed with the Cardinals ' organization for the next thirty years . He served as interim head coach in 1979 after the dismissal of Bud Wilkinson , and was the franchise ' s general manager from 1980 through 1993 . Honors . Wilson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978 . In 1999 , he was ranked number 43 on " The Sporting News " ' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players , making him the highest - ranked player to have played a majority of his career with the Cardinal franchise . The team has also retired his uniform number 8 . He was ranked # 9 on NFL Network ' s list of the " Top 10 Draft Steals " in NFL history . Wilson was named to the NFL 75th Anniversary All - Time Team in 1994 .