Dave Wilcox, Pro Football Hall of Famer and Father of Cal's Justin Wilcox, Dies at 80
Dave Wilcox, who died on Wednesday at the age of 80, was known to legions of 49ers fans as a Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker.
Cal coach Justin Wilcox did not think of his father in those terms.
“I never knew him as a football player because I was not even born,” Wilcox told me in a 2018 interview. “He was a farmer.”
But that was a compliment, a reference to a work ethic Dave Wilcox passed on to his son. After hanging up his cleats, Dave raised cabbage, corn, bush beans, sugar beets, strawberries and grass seed on the family farm.
“I’m 42 years old and every time I shake his hands I feel like a little kid,” Justin said.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced the news; no cause of death was immediately reported.
Dave Wilcox (64) pressures Eagles quarterback.
Photo by Manny Rubio, USA Today
Dave Wilcox attended Oregon, just as sons Josh and Justin did, then was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection during his 11-season career.
“While Dave Wilcox was nicknamed ‘The Intimidator’ for his aggressive style of play, he was a kind, humble and gracious man in all other aspects of life,” Hall of Fame President Jim Porter said in a statement. “He transformed the outside linebacker position — one of the many feats that earned him a forever home in Canton.”
Justin Wilcox said his father rarely brought up his football career.
“We didn’t talk about it a lot, nor did we come down to go to 49ers games,” Justin said. “We would go to games (locally), but it was never about him.”
When Justin blossomed as a high school star quarterback and defensive back in Junction City, Oregon, a half-hour north of Eugene, Dave Wilcox offered minimal advice.
“He never missed a game, but he never said a word,” Justin said. “Never once, `Why’d you throw that ball? Why’d you miss that tackle?’ Never, ever, ever, ever.”
Justin Wilcox understands that as the son of an NFL player he had a head start on life that his father never enjoyed.
Dave Wilcox’s parents moved the family from the Midwest to eastern Oregon and built a life off the land. “They were as poor as Grapes of Wrath,” Justin said. “Dust Bowl. Moved out and had nothing.”
Dave Wilcox, wife Merle and sons Justin and Josh at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Photo courtesy of Merle Wilcox
But in 2000, Dave Wilcox joined a Pro Football Hall of Fame class that included Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott, Howie Long and owner Dan Rooney. For Justin, it was a chance to view dad his dad through the lens of football.
“He was a very fundamental player. He played really physical,” Justin said. “He was pretty impressive.”
But earning a Hall of Fame blazer didn’t change his dad.
“It’s not like, `Everybody get out of my way now.’ Same guy,” Justin said. “He was one of the best players at his position that’s ever played. But the way he treats other people, he doesn’t act like he’s better than anybody. So, who am I to not be humble?”
Justin’s mother, Merle, said her husband and son shared a lot.
“Dave is very calm and quiet. Very even-tempered,” she said. “Justin’s a lot like Dave.”
Cover photo of Justin Wilcox with a bust of his father, Hall of Famer Dave Wilcox
Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo
