Douglas Wilkerson (March 27, 1947 – February 21, 2021) was an was an American professional football player who was a guard in the National Football League (NFL) for the Houston Oilers and San Diego Chargers. Named to the Pro Bowl three times, he was also a three-time All-Pro, including a first-team selection in 1982. He was inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame. He also played one season in the Austrian Football League for the Graz Giants in 1987. Early life and college Wilkerson was born on March 27, 1947, in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He grew up in a military family in Fayetteville, where he attended E. E. Smith High School. He was recruited by many of the college football powerhouses, including Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Duke and Wake Forest. Initially, Wilkerson accepted a scholarship to play at Michigan State under coach Duffy Daugherty. However, E.E. Smith's principal, E.E. Miller, stripped him of the scholarship as punishment for a school incident. A student egged Wilkerson into a foot race; Wilkerson capitulated and won the race. The challenger refused to settle the wager, prompting Wilkerson to knock him to the ground. Miller's punishment could have been ignored, as no NCAA rules were broken, but Miller was both respected and feared. Daugherty did not try to get involved, nor did Wilkerson ask him to. Wilkerson decided to attend the historically black college North Carolina Central University (NCCU), known then as North Carolina College, where some of his former classmates were also enrolled. At NCCU, Wilkerson earned national honors as a lineman on both offense and defense. As a junior in 1968, he was named to the small college All-America team on defense as a middle guard by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). The following year, the AFCA selected him to the team as a defensive tackle, while the Associated Press named him as an offensive tackle. North Carolina Central retired Wilkerson's No. 63 in 1970. He was inducted into the North Carolina Central University Hall of Fame and the Black College Football Hall of Fame. Professional career Wilkerson was selected by the Houston Oilers in the first round of the 1970 NFL Draft with the 14th overall pick. The first offensive lineman drafted that year, he is North Carolina Central's highest overall NFL draft selection. As a rookie in 1970, Wilkerson also played as a defensive end. After the season, he