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| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born | (1937-02-26)February 26, 1937 Waco, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Died | June 7, 2011(2011-06-07) (aged 74) Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight | 252 lb (114 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school | Waco (Waco, Texas) | ||||||||||
| College | Baylor | ||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1959: 1st round, 9th overall pick | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||
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Paul Serafin Dickson (February 26, 1937 – June 7, 2011) was an American professionalfootballdefensive tackle in theNational Football League (NFL) for theLos Angeles Rams,Dallas Cowboys,Minnesota Vikings, andSt. Louis Cardinals. He playedcollege football forBaylor University.
Dickson attendedWaco High School before moving on toBaylor University, where he became a two-way right tackle and a two-year starter. As a sophomore, he was a part of the upset win (13–7) against theUniversity of Tennessee in the1957 Sugar Bowl.[1][2]
Dickson was selected by theLos Angeles Rams in the first round (9th overall) of the1959 NFL draft.[3] The Rams used him as a backupoffensive tackle.[4] He was waived on September 13,1960.
On September 14,1960, Dickson was claimed off waivers by theDallas Cowboys and played as anoffensive right tackle (8 starts).
The Cowboys traded its first round draft choice in the1961 NFL draft, as part of the deal to getEddie LeBaron from theWashington Redskins, so on December 27,1960, he was traded along with a first round pick (#4-Gary Collins) in the1962 NFL draft, in exchange for theCleveland Browns first round draft choice (13th overall) in1961, in order to select futurehall of famerBob Lilly, the first draft choice in Cowboys franchise history.[5]
On September 12,1961, theCleveland Browns traded him along withJim Marshall,Jim Prestel,Dick Grecni,Jamie Caleb andBilly Gault, to theMinnesota Vikings in exchange for a second-round choice (#17-Chuck Hinton) and an eleventh-round pick (#142-Ronnie Meyers).
In1961, Dickson was one of the original players in theMinnesota Vikings inaugural season. Following the trade, he was switched from right offensive tackle to defensive tackle - a position he would play for the rest of his career. In practice, he was known for playing at full-speed, much to the irritation of his teammates on the offensive side of the ball. He was the regular starter atright defensive tackle and a key player from1962 to1967.
In1968, he was passed on the depth chart by futurehall of famerAlan Page. The next year, although he was a backup, he was still considered a part of the Vikings' famous "Purple People Eaters" or "The Four Norsemen"defensive line, which consisted mainly of Marshall (DE), Page (DT),Gary Larsen (DT), andCarl Eller (DE).[6] He played inSuper Bowl IV atTulane Stadium inNew Orleans, Louisiana, losing to theKansas City Chiefs.
In1971, he spent time on the team'staxi squad before being released.
On November 10,1971, he was claimed off waivers by theSt. Louis Cardinals, where he was reunited with his former defensive line coach with the Vikings,Bob Hollway, then in his first season as Cardinals head coach.[7] He Joined the team on November 20, after reconsidering his retirement decision. He was cut during the1972 training camp.
On May 3,1972, he was claimed off waivers by theChicago Bears,[8] but was released before the start of the season.
Dickson returned to Minneapolis, after his one season in St. Louis, to live and work in sales, marketing and customer relations for computer companies. He was also a member and president of the Minnesota chapter of theNFL Alumni Association. He was nicknamed "Suitcase" because of his large hands and feet.
In January 1971, he joined Viking teammate Marshall in a snowmobile excursion that ended in tragedy. Planning to travel across the Great Divide of theRocky Mountains, a party of 16 became fragmented, and then got caught in a blizzard, having to spend a frigid night in the snow with few provisions. Dickson, Marshall and three others huddled together in a grove of trees, and lit all the cash they had on them -- "Hundreds, twenties, ones, they were all the same denomination: burnable," Marshall said—in order to start a small fire to avoid freezing. Although everyone was rescued the next day, Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Hugh Galusha died of hypothermia.[9]
On June 7, 2011, he died of a blood infection. He was survived by his second wife Maureen and his two sons from his first marriage.[10]