Douglas Wilkerson (March 27, 1947 – February 21, 2021) was an American professionalfootball player who was aguard in theNational Football League (NFL) for theHouston Oilers andSan Diego Chargers. Named to thePro Bowl three times, he was also a three-timeAll-Pro, including a first-team selection in 1982. He was inducted into theChargers Hall of Fame. He also played one season in theAustrian Football League for theGraz Giants in 1987.

Doug Wilkerson

Wilkerson with the Chargersc. 1976
No. 63
Position:	Guard
Personal information
Born:	(1947-03-27)March 27, 1947 Fayetteville, North Carolina, U.S.
Died:	February 21, 2021(2021-02-21) (aged 73) Encinitas, California, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:	253 lb (115 kg)
Career information
High school:	E. E. Smith (Fayetteville)
College:	North Carolina College (1966–1969)
NFL draft:	1970: 1st round, 14th pick
Career history
Houston Oilers (1970) San Diego Chargers (1971–1984) Graz Giants (1987)
Career highlights and awards
First-teamAll-Pro (1982) 2× Second-team All-Pro (1979,1980) 3×Pro Bowl (1980–1982) Los Angeles Chargers Hall of Fame San Diego Chargers 50th Anniversary Team San Diego Chargers 40th Anniversary Team Austrian Football League champion (1987) First-teamLittle All-American (1969)
Career NFL statistics
Games played: 204 Games started: 195 Fumble recoveries: 9 Stats atPro Football Reference

Wilkerson was born on March 27, 1947, inFayetteville, North Carolina.^[1] He grew up in a military family in Fayetteville, where he attendedE. E. Smith High School.^[2] He wasrecruited by many of the college football powerhouses,^[2] includingMichigan,Michigan State,Minnesota,Duke andWake Forest.^[3] Initially, Wilkerson accepted ascholarship to play at Michigan State under coachDuffy Daugherty. However, E.E. Smith's principal, E.E. Miller, stripped him of the scholarship as punishment for a school incident. A student egged Wilkerson into a foot race; Wilkerson capitulated and won the race. The challenger refused to settle the wager, prompting Wilkerson to knock him to the ground. Miller's punishment could have been ignored, as noNCAA rules were broken, but Miller was both respected and feared. Daugherty did not try to get involved, nor did Wilkerson ask him to.^[4]

Wilkerson decided to attend the historically black collegeNorth Carolina Central University (NCCU), known then as North Carolina College,^[2] where some of his former classmates were also enrolled.^[2][3] At NCCU, Wilkerson earned national honors as alineman on both offense and defense.^[5] As a junior in 1968, he was named to the small collegeLittle All-American team on defense as amiddle guard by theAmerican Football Coaches Association (AFCA).^[6] The following year, the AFCA selected him to the team as adefensive tackle,^[7][8] while theAssociated Press named him as anoffensive tackle.^[9]

North Carolina Centralretired Wilkerson's No. 63 in 1970. He was inducted into the North Carolina Central University Hall of Fame and theBlack College Football Hall of Fame.^[10]

Wilkerson was selected by theHouston Oilers in the first round of the1970 NFL draft with the 14th overall pick.^[5] The first offensive lineman drafted that year,^[11] he is North Carolina Central's highest overall NFL draft selection.^[5] As a rookie in1970, Wilkerson also played as adefensive end.^[12][13] After the season, he was traded to theSan Diego Chargers for tight endWillie Frazier.^[11]

Playing 14 seasons with San Diego, Wilkerson was named the team's Lineman of the Year seven times, including four straight from1974 through1977.^[14] The Chargers struggled in his first seven seasons beforeDon Coryell became their head coach mid-season in1978.^[15] They reached the playoffs from1979 through1982, finishing in the top-4 in the NFL in points each season, twice leading the league.^[16] San Diego won three straightAFC West division titles and played in back-to-backAFC Championship Games.^[15] TheirHall of Fame quarterback,Dan Fouts, in appreciation of the offensive line's critical role in the success of theirAir Coryell offense, treated his blockers to dinner before each game.^[16] Playing on one of the NFL's most prolific offenses, Wilkerson was named to three straightPro Bowls starting in1980.^[17] He earned second-teamAll-Pro honors in 1979 and 1980 before being named to the first-team in 1982.^[15] In1984, Wilkerson was named the co-winner of the Chargers' Lineman of the Year.^[14] Two and a half weeks into training camp in1985,^[14] he announced his retirement.^[18]

In 15 NFL seasons, Wilkerson played in 204 regular-season games, starting 195.^[17] He ended his Chargers career with 195 games played, the second most in franchise history behind former teammate and fellow linemanRuss Washington.^[14] Wilkerson did not miss a game with San Diego until his ninth season there and missed just eight games total in 14 years.^[19] He was named to theChargers Hall of Fame, as well astheir 40th and50th anniversary teams.^[16] He was also inducted into San Diego'sBreitbard Hall of Fame.^[2]

In 1987, Wilkerson came out of retirement, signing and playing for theGraz Giants of theAustrian Football League. He was the Giants' first NFL player and helped them win theAustrian Bowl for the league championship.^[20]

In his later years, Wilkerson was the strength and conditioning coach for theLos Angeles Raiders (1990–1994) and player relations executive for theSt. Louis Rams (1995–1996).^[21][22][23]

Wilkerson died on February 21, 2021, at the age of 73.^[24]