10 best Texas football football NFL careers
Bobby Dillon. NFL: 1952-1959. . Teams: Green Bay Packers. 49. 9. player. . Bobby Dillon. Bobby Dillon
The stellar run of Texas defensive backs in the NFL started in the 1940s and 1950s. Among the truly legendary Texas defensive backs in the NFL during that time period was the Green Bay Packers Hall-of-Famer Bobby Dillon.
Dillon was an All-American defensive back for the Longhorns in the late 1940s and early 1950s. He registered 13 career interceptions as a Longhorn.
After a decorated career with All-American honors at Texas, the Packers picked Dillon 28th overall in the third round of the 1952 NFL Draft. At just 22 years old, Dillon was a major contributor for the Packers as a rookie in 1952. He started all 12 games he played in 1952, registering an impressive four interceptions and 35 interception return yards.
But those four interceptions didn't even come close to comparing to what Dillon did for the rest of the decade as a playmaker in the Packers secondary. Dillon didn't register fewer than six interceptions in a single season for the next six years of his NFL career.
He ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in interceptions all of those six seasons (from 1953 to 1958). For his skills intercepting the football, Dillon earned himself the nickname "The Hawk" with the Packers.
While Dillon probably deserved either an All-Pro, Pro Bowl nod, or both during the 1953 season, where he ranked top five in the league in interceptions and interceptions returned for touchdowns, he still had an extremely decorated run in the mid-to-late 1950s.
Dillon was either selected to the Pro Bowl, given an All-Pro nod, or both in every season from 1954 to 1958.
After contemplating retirement following the conclusion of the 1958 season, legendary Packers head coach Vince Lombardi convinced Dillon to return to Green Back for one more campaign.
Dillon unfortunately suffered a leg injury in the middle of the 1959 season, leading him to retire at 29 years old. He retired as one of the best defensive backs in NFL history at the time. Dillon would be inducted into the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame in 2020.
Dillon's career ending after just eight seasons in the NFL is one of the reasons why he isn't higher on the list. He is also one of the best defensive backs in NFL history not to have won a Super Bowl.