Bobby Dillon

Bobby Dan Dillon (February 23, 1930 – August 22, 2019) was an American professional football player who spent his entire eight-year career as a safety with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He was an All-American playing college football with the Texas Longhorns. Although he was a safety, he also returned kicks and played several games at halfback. Dillon finished his college career with 13 interceptions on defense, one touchdown as a halfback, and multiple kick returns for touchdowns. He was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the third round (28th pick) of the 1952 NFL draft.

After multiple accidents during his childhood, Dillon lost one of his eyes and played his entire career with a glass eye. Despite his handicap, he became one of the most successful defensive backs of his era. Dillon's 52 career interceptions are a Packers' franchise record. He was a four-time Associated Press All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler. Dillon intended to retire at the end of the 1958 season, but the Packers' new head coach, Vince Lombardi, convinced him to return for 1959. After an injury halfway through the season, he lost his starting job and retired. The 1959 season was the only year during Dillon's tenure that the Packers had a winning record. In recognition of his football achievements, Dillon was elected to the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1974 and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 1996. After his football career, Dillon earned a bachelor's degree and worked for Wilsonart for 36 years, eventually becoming president and chief executive. He died on August 22, 2019, at the age of 89, after complications from dementia. Five months after his death, he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the NFL's centennial class and inducted in August 2020.

Early life Bobby Dan Dillon was born on February 23, 1930, in Pendleton, Texas, one of five children of Clyde and Ruby Dillon. His family moved to Temple, Texas, where he grew up and his father was employed as a police officer.

As a child, a series of eye injuries led to the removal of Dillon's left eye. At the age of five or six, Dillon got a small piece of metal in his left eye, which caused a cataract to grow; Dillon had surgery to remove the cataract. Then, when Dillon was nine years old, he was hit in the face with a board, causing damage to the white of his eye which ultimately led to the deterioration of his left eye and prevented his eye from dilating. According to one story, during a game in his professional career, Dillon's glass eye fell out onto the field. As he picked it up, a referee joked to Dillon, "What would you do if you lost your other eye?" Dillon responded, "I'd be a referee."

He attended Temple High School, where he played football from 1945 to 1947. In his senior season, Dillon led Temple to a 6-2-1 record, losing in the 10AA district title game to the eventual state champions, Waco High School. He set several records including some that still stand today.

In 1949 he played in every game as Texas went 6-4 and led the team in interceptions with 4. In his college debut, against Texas Tech, he returned a punt 55 yards for a touchdown and also scored a 20-yard rushing touchdown. That year he led the SWC in punt return average with 19.5 yards per return.

In 1950 he again led the team in interceptions (4) and helped the team win the 1950 Southwest Conference (SWC) Championship and finish the regular season ranked #2/#3 in the country before losing the 1951 Cotton Bowl to the Tennessee Volunteers. . Then, the next week against TCU, he had a 48 yard interception return for a TD that was the surpassed his pick-6 from earlier in the season as new 3rd longest in school history at the time. He needed one more selection to be a consensus All-American (he was also chosen an All-American by the Chicago Tribune but that was not one of the selections that counts towards consensus). That season he had a punt return average of 13.1 yards per return, second only to his mark of the previous year.

In the summer after his senior year, he competed in the Chicago Charities College All-Star Game when the all-stars were defeated by the L.A. Rams. In 1953, he set the team record for interceptions in a game, with 4, which he recorded in a loss against the eventual NFL-champion Detroit Lions in the 1953 Thanksgiving game. With less than two minutes left in his record-setting game, Dillon injured his knee, which caused him to miss the final two games of the 1953 season.

In 1956 he had a league-best 244 interception return yards. Between 1953 and 1958 he had 48 interceptions, for an average of eight interceptions per season.

He had 52 career interceptions becoming the all-time Packers career interceptions leader. In his career, Dillon recorded 976 interception return yards, including five he returned for touchdowns.

Over Dillon's professional career, he played under four full-time coaches: Gene Ronzani (1952–53), Lisle Blackbourn (1954–57), Scooter McLean (1958), and Vince Lombardi (1959). During the 1957 season, while still a player Dillon helped coach defensive backs under Blackbourn after defensive coach Tom Hearden had a stroke. Upon Dillon's retirement, Lombardi called Dillon the "best in the league" and referred to him as irreplaceable.

Dillon was well respected though for the personal success he attained in the NFL, especially considering he played his entire career with just one eye. However, due to the poor play of the Packers during his tenure, Dillon had to wait many years for his accolades. In 1969, he was named to the Packers 50th Anniversary team.

However, after over 50 years of eligibility, it was announced in January 2020 that Dillon would be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a member of the NFL's centennial class, a special expanded class of inductees to celebrate the 100th season of the NFL. His bust was sculpted by Scott Myers. With his induction, Dillon became the 26th Packer player in the Hall of Fame. In 2004, teammate Dave Hanner summed up Dillon's reputation: