Dick Wildung

[5] He was a starter at tackle position, both on offense and defense, for the undefeated 1940 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team that was ranked No."[5] George A. Barton of The Minneapolis Tribune described him as "remarkably fast and active" who was able not only to open "gaping holes" in the line but also to lead plays down the field, clearing the way with "brutal downfield blocking".[11] He was also an "iron man" player who played on defense as well, including all 60 minutes of Minnesota's 1941 victories over Washington, Michigan, Northwestern, Nebraska, and Iowa.[19] In announcing Wildung's selection as an All-American, Associated Press sports editor Dillon Graham wrote: It was Minnesota's powerful line, plus [Bruce] Smith, that carried the Gophers to a perfect record and the No.[26] He was one of several players, along with Bruce Smith, Ray Frankowski, Urban Odson, and Merv Pregulman, who served in the military before resuming their football careers with the Packers.[1][30] He was described as a "tough-as-nails tackle" who missed only two games in seven seasons" and played on both offense and defense at a time when "two-way linemen ... were becoming a dying breed.During the off-season, he ran a hardware, appliance, and plumbing business in Redwood Falls, Minnesota, in partnership with his brother-in-law.[31][33] Wildung announced his retirement from football in July 1954, indicating his intention to work full time at his hardware store in Redwood Falls, Minnesota.
TackleScotland, South DakotaMinneapolisLuverne (MN)MinnesotaGreen Bay PackersGreen Bay Packers Hall of FameNational championAll-AmericanAll-Big TenPro Football ReferenceAmerican footballNational Football LeagueCollege Football Hall of FameLuverne, MinnesotaUniversity of Minnesota1940 Minnesota Golden Gophers football teamAP pollPhi Delta Theta1941 Minnesota teamBernie BiermanAssociated Press1941 All-America college football teamUnited PressInternational News ServiceCollier's Weekly1942 Minnesota football team1942 All-America teamUnited States NavyWorld War IIPT boat1943 NFL draftBruce SmithRay FrankowskiUrban OdsonMerv PregulmanPro BowlCurly LambeauRedwood Falls, MinnesotaNewspapers.com1940 Minnesota Golden Gophers football—AP national championsBill BaumgartnerJohn BillmanBob BjorklundBill DaleyBob FitchGeorge FranckBill GarnaasFred Vant HullBill JohnsonBill KuusistoButch LevyRalph LundeenPaul MitchellDon NolanderBob PaffrathGordon PaschkaWarren PlunkettHelge PukemaBob SweigerBert BastonSheldon BeiseSigmund HarrisGeorge HauserDallas Ward1941 Minnesota Golden Gophers football—AP national championsVic KulbitskiRudy Sikich1943 NFL draft first-round selectionsFrank SinkwichJoe MuhaGlenn DobbsPaul GovernaliMike HolovakSteve FilipowiczBob SteuberJack JenkinsGreen Bay PackersIrv CompRoy McKayNick SusoeffKen SnellingLester GatewoodNorm VerrySolon BarnettBob ForteVan DavisHal PrescottEddie ForrestLloyd WasserbachJug BennettGeorge MakrisKen RoskieGreen Bay Packers first-round draft picksLetlowJankowskiIsbellBuhlerVan EveryPaskvanPregulmanSchlinkmanStrzykalskiGirardTonnemakerParilliCarmichaelHunterSwitzerBettisHornungKramerCurrieDuncanAdderleyRobinsonAndersonElkinsGrabowskiGillinghamHylandMcGeorgeBrockingtonBuchanonBarry SmithBarty SmithKoncarButlerE. JohnsonLoftonJ. AndersonB. ClarkCampbellHallstromCarrekerRuettgersFullwoodSharpeMandarichBennettThompsonV. ClarkBuckleySimmonsTeagueTaylorNewsomeMichelsHollidayEdwardsFranksReynoldsJ. WalkerBarnettCarrollRodgersHarrellMatthewsBulagaSherrodClinton-DixRandallK. ClarkAlexanderSavageStokesQ. WalkerVan NessMorganHerb AdderleyLionel AldridgeDonny AndersonJohn AndersonJerry AtkinsonNate BarragarPhil BengtsonEdgar BennettVernon BieverKen BowmanZeke BratkowskiWilliam BraultCharley BrockLou BrockJohn BrockingtonRobert BrooksGilbert BrownHank BruderE. S. BruskyWillie BuchanonCub BuckWilner BurkeLeRoy ButlerLee Roy CaffeyGeorge Whitney CalhounTony CanadeoAl CarmichaelFred CarrDon ChandlerMark ChmuraGerald Francis CliffordChad CliftonRed CochranPaul CoffmanNick CollinsFred ConeLarry CraigDan CurrieCarroll DaleArt DaleyBoob DarlingWillie DavisLynn DickeyBobby DillonLaVern DilwegMike DouglassBoyd DowlerDonald DriverRed DunnJug EarpGerry EllisKen EllisPaul EngebretsenLon EvansBrett FavreHowie FergusonEmil FischerMarv FlemingBill ForesterAntonio FreemanTed FritschMilt GantenbeinKabeer Gbaja-BiamilaGale GillinghamCharles GoldenbergJohnnie GrayAhman GreenForrest GreggHank GremmingerDave HannerBob HarlanAl HarrisTim HarrisWilliam HendersonArnie HerberClarke HinkleJohnny HollandPaul HornungBilly HowtonCal HubbardDon HutsonJim IrwinCecil IsbellChris JackeHarry JacunskiEd JankowskiGreg JenningsBob JeterLee JoannesEzra JohnsonSwede JohnstonFrank JonetHenry JordanBud JorgensenAaron KampmanW. Webber KellyGary KnafelcGreg KochRon KostelnikJerry KramerRon KramerJoe LawsMark LeeFred LeichtRuss LetlowDorsey LevensVerne LewellenJames LoftonVince LombardiRyan LongwellDon MajkowskiBob MannChester MarcolJohn MartinkovicCharlie MathysClay MatthewsLarry McCarrenMax McGeeJohnny BloodMike MichalskeTom MillerBob MonnettCarl MulleneauxMark MurphyJordy NelsonRay NitschkeDominic OlejniczakRobert J. ParinsElijah PittsBaby RayLee RemmelJim RingoMarco RiveraDave RobinsonTobin RoteKen RuettgersAl SchneiderRay ScottSterling SharpeJosh SittonBob SkoronskiBart StarrJan StenerudBud SvendsenGeorge SvendsenMark TauscherJim TaylorDeral TeteakTed ThompsonFred ThurstonPete TinsleyAl TremlFrederick N. TrowbridgeAndrew B. TurnbullAndy UramJack VainisiReggie WhiteJesse WhittentonTravis WilliamsRuss WinnieFrank WintersRon WolfWillie WoodWhitey WoodinCharles Woodson1941 College Football All-America TeamFrankie AlbertBill DudleyBob WestfallBob DoveHolt RastErnie BlandinEndicott PeabodyDarold Jenkins1942 College Football All-America TeamBilly HillenbrandDave SchreinerAl WistertJulius FranksHarvey HardyChuck TaylorJoe Domnanovich