Bob Pickens

Bob Pickens (February 2, 1943 – April 12, 2018) was a player in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted in the third round of the 1966 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears and played three seasons with the team.^[2]

Bob Pickens

Pickens in 2008
No. 70, 67
Position	Offensive tackle
Personal information
Born	(1943-02-02)February 2, 1943 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	April 12, 2018(2018-04-12) (aged 75)[1] Sandy Springs, Georgia, U.S.
Height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight	258 lb (117 kg)
Career information
High school	Evanston (IL) Township
College	Wisconsin (1962-1963) Nebraska (1965-1966)
NFL draft	1966: 3rd round, 44th overall pick
AFL draft	1966: Red Shirt 2nd round, 15th overall pick
Career history
Chicago Bears (1967–1969) Edmonton Eskimos (1969–1970)
Awards and highlights
Second-team All-Big Eight (1966)
Career NFL statistics
Games played 20 Games started 5 Stats at Pro Football Reference

Pickens was also an Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler, competing in Tokyo, Japan, in the heavyweight division at the 1964 Summer Olympics, where he finished sixth. Pickens was the first African-American to compete for the United States in wrestling at the Olympics.^[3] He played collegiate football at Nebraska, transferring there after originally attending Wisconsin. Pickens did not wrestle for either university, although he still continued his wrestling at various club organizations.^[4] After his pro football career, Pickens became a referee, officiating in the Big Ten Conference and a number of postseason games, including the Rose Bowl. He also served on the Chicago Park District Board for several years.