Hall of Fame safety Larry Wilson passed away Thursday night at the age of 82. Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images

Hall of Fame safety Larry Wilson dies at 82

By Zac Wassink | Last updated Sep 18, 2020 2:11 PM ET

The Arizona Cardinals confirmed on Friday that Hall of Fame safety Larry Wilson passed away Thursday night at the age of 82.

Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill offered an official statement, and the club honored Wilson via a video shared on social media.

Cardinals Owner Michael Bidwill on the passing of Larry Wilson: pic.twitter.com/iYhnAaNxrk
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) September 18, 2020

One of the greatest players on the field, and one of the greatest people off of it.

Thank you for everything, Larry. You will be greatly missed. pic.twitter.com/uIDtXTmAYF
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) September 18, 2020

Wilson spent every season with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1960 through 1972, and he earned eight Pro Bowl nods over that time. He was later named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame team All-1960s Team and Pro Football Hall of Fame 2nd team All-1970s Team.

Wilson joined the Cardinals front office following the '72 campaign and remained with the organization through 2003. He enjoyed stints as Cardinals director of pro personnel from 1977-1988 and as general manager from 1988-1993. Wilson then served as a team vice president until his retirement in '03.

Wilson was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978. His No. 8 jersey is one of only five numbers retired by the Cardinals as of the fall of 2020.

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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