Is Horace Gillom Living or Dead?

About Horace Gillom

Horace Gillom: The Forgotten Pioneer of American Football

Horace Gillom was a trailblazer in American football, but his contributions to the sport have largely been forgotten. Born on March 3, 1921, in Brinkley, Arkansas, Gillom grew up playing football and basketball. He attended Arkansas AM&N College (now the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff) and was a standout athlete, earning All-American honors in both sports.

After college, Gillom played for the Cleveland Browns of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) from 1947 to 1949. He was a versatile player, serving as a punter, kicker, and wide receiver. In 1948, he led the AAFC in punting with an average of 44.7 yards per kick.

When the AAFC merged with the National Football League (NFL) in 1950, Gillom joined the Browns in the NFL. He continued to excel as a punter and kicker, but his contributions as a wide receiver were often overlooked. In 1953, he led the NFL in receiving yards with 1,251, but he was not selected to the Pro Bowl.

Gillom's career was cut short by a knee injury in 1956, but he remained involved in football as a coach and scout. He was the first African American coach in the Canadian Football League, and he scouted for the Browns and the San Francisco 49ers.

Despite his accomplishments, Gillom is not well-known outside of football circles. He was not inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and his name is not often mentioned in discussions of the great players of his era. But his legacy lives on in the players he coached and scouted, and in the barriers he broke down as a black athlete in a segregated sport.

References:

- "Horace Gillom." Pro Football Reference. https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/G/GillHo20.htm

- "Horace Gillom." Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. https://www.arksportshalloffame.com/inductees/horace-gillom/