Bob Pickens

{{Short description|American gridiron football player (1943–2018)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Bob Pickens

| image = St. William Elementary School Olympic Week- Art & Culture Day (3276397683) (cropped).jpg

| caption = Pickens in 2008

| number = 70

| position = Offensive tackle

| birth_date = {{birth date|1943|2|2}}

| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2018|4|12|1943|2|2}}{{Cite web |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/bob-pickens-chicago-bears-black-olympic-wrestler-dead/ |title=Bob Pickens, former Bear who was among first black Olympic wrestlers, dead at 75 |access-date=2018-04-20 |archive-date=2018-04-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180422212753/https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/bob-pickens-chicago-bears-black-olympic-wrestler-dead/ |url-status=dead }}

| death_place = Sandy Springs, Georgia, U.S.

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 4

| weight_lbs = 258

| high_school = Evanston (IL) Township

| college = Nebraska

| draftyear = 1966

| draftround = 3

| draftpick = 44

| afldraftyear = 1966

| afldraftround = Red Shirt 2

| afldraftpick = 15
(by the Kansas City Chiefs){{cite web|url=http://www.profootballarchives.com/1966AFLDraft.html|title=1966 AFL Draft|access-date=March 23, 2017|archive-date=October 3, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003014055/https://www.profootballarchives.com/1966AFLDraft.html|url-status=dead}}

| pastteams =

• Chicago Bears (1967–1969)
• Edmonton Eskimos ({{CFL Year|1972}})

|highlights =

• Second-team All-Big Eight (1966)

| statseason =

| statlabel1 = Games played

| statvalue1 = 20

| pfr = P/PickBo20

}}

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.{{cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PickBo20.htm|title=Bob Pickens|publisher=Pro-Football-Reference.com|accessdate=2011-01-21}}

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.Shalin, Dan. (April 23, 2018). [https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/evanston/sports/ct-evr-chicago-bears-olympic-wrestling-bob-pickens-tl-0422-story.html Breaking the U.S. Olympic wrestling color barrier was just one of Bob Pickens' many achievements]. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 1, 2023. 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.[https://iwcoa.net/hall-of-fame-2/bob-pickens/ Bob Pickens - Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association]. Retrieved November 1, 2023. 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.