Bob Pickens

Games played	20
Games started	5
	Stats at Pro Football Reference

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); 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
Games played	20
Games started	5
	Stats at Pro Football Reference

American gridiron football player (1943–2018)

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]

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.

References

^ "Bob Pickens, former Bear who was among first black Olympic wrestlers, dead at 75". Archived from the original on April 22, 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
^ "Bob Pickens". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 21, 2011.
^ Shalin, Dan. (April 23, 2018). Breaking the U.S. Olympic wrestling color barrier was just one of Bob Pickens' many achievements. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
^ Bob Pickens - Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association. Retrieved November 1, 2023.

This biographical article relating to an American football offensive lineman born in the 1940s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information.

[Obituary-1] "Bob Pickens, former Bear who was among first black Olympic wrestlers, dead at 75". Archived from the original on April 22, 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2018.

[2] "Bob Pickens". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 21, 2011.

[3] Shalin, Dan. (April 23, 2018). Breaking the U.S. Olympic wrestling color barrier was just one of Bob Pickens' many achievements. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 1, 2023.

[4] Bob Pickens - Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association. Retrieved November 1, 2023.