Jerrel Wilson was a teammate with Bobby Weaver in 1959. He played on the 1960 PRC team that finished 10-1, winning another state championship and Hospitality Bowl. Wilson was named a Junior College All-American at PRC, while performing as a punter, center and linebacker. He ultimately earned a scholarship to play for Southern Miss.
After USM, where he is also a member of the Hall of Fame, the New Orleans native spent the next 16 years kicking in the National Football League.
Wilson, who is also in the Kansas City Chiefs' Hall of Fame, led the NFL in punting in 1965, '68, '71, '72, and '73. His Kansas City Chiefs totals were 1,014 punts for 44,185 yards and a 43.6 average. After retiring from the Chiefs, he spent one year with the New England Patriots.
The former PRC star — appropriately nicknamed "Thunderfoot" — owns a career average of 43.2 in the NFL and he wears a Super Bowl ring. He is also credited, along with Stram, for opening many doors for punters in the NFL today. Wilson is tied for the Chiefs' franchise record in seasons (15) and ranks fourth in games played (203). An 11th-round selection in the 1963 AFL Draft by the Chiefs, Wilson was a Pro Bowl selection 1970-72.
He is also a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's All-Time All-AFL team.
