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| Position | Punter | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born | (1941-10-04)October 4, 1941 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Died | April 9, 2005(2005-04-09) (aged 63) Bronson, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight | 222 lb (101 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school | Murphy (Mobile, Alabama) | ||||||||||
| College | Southern Miss | ||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1963: 17th round, 225th overall pick | ||||||||||
| AFL draft | 1963: 11th round, 88th overall pick | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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Jerrel Douglas Wilson (October 4, 1941 – April 9, 2005), nicknamed "Thunderfoot",[1] was an American professionalfootballpunter who played for 16 seasons, 15 of them with theKansas City Chiefs, in theAmerican Football League (AFL) and theNational Football League (NFL). Wilson playedcollege football for theSouthern Miss Golden Eagles. He was selected to threePro Bowls. Wilson was elected to the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 1988.[2] He was selected in the 17th round of the1963 NFL draft by theLos Angeles Rams[3] and in the 11th round of the1963 AFL draft by the Chiefs. He is the only punter to be a leader in punting yards for a season in multiple leagues.
His punts were high, booming shots that arched far down the field, potent weapons in the war for field position. Wilson seemed to have the explosiveness of dynamite in his foot, hence the more-than-appropriate nickname of "Thunderfoot". The Southern Mississippi alum was the Chiefs' punter for a team record 15 seasons and is considered one of the best ever to play in the game.
Selected in the 11th round of Kansas City's much heralded 1963 AFL Draft that brought inHall of Fame membersBuck Buchanan andBobby Bell and fellow Chiefs Hall of FamerEd Budde. Wilson is tied with fellow punterDustin Colquitt for longest tenured players in franchise history. He retired with multiple team records including a franchise-record 1,014 punts during his career, highest average yardage in a career with 43.6, in a season with 46.1, in a game with 56.5. Wilson owns the NFL record for most seasons leading the league in punting average with five, leading in 1965, 1968, 1971, 1972 and 1973.
Hall of Fame head coachHank Stram said that Wilson "made other people aware of how important the kicking game was at a time when special teams were not given special consideration. I'm prejudiced, but he's the best punter I ever saw. He'll go down in history as the best kicker in the NFL."
Wilson had four career punts of over 70 yards, which included a league leading 72-yard boot in his rookie year. He was named to threePro Bowls in three consecutive years from 1970 to 1972. Wilson was also a reserverunning back for the Chiefs and early in his career, accumulating 53 yards on 22 carries spread out over seven seasons. To close his career, Wilson played the 1978 season for theNew England Patriots. He was the first player in football history with 1,000 punts, and he still ranks 19th all-time in punts.[4]
Wilson said, regarding his punting style, "The way I attack the football, every time I hit it, I try to bust it, unless I'm around the 50. Then I hit it high. Basically, my power comes from everything. I try to snap everything I have in my body, my hips, knees, everything."
In December 2019, Wilson was named as a finalist in the special teams category of the NFL 100th Anniversary Team celebrating the best players of the first 100 years of the league.[5]
Wilson died of cancer on April 9, 2005, in Bronson, Texas.[6]