 Gage on a 1950 Bowman football card | |||||||||||||||
| No. 77 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Halfback/QB/DB | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born: | (1927-01-15)January 15, 1927 Chester, South Carolina, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Died: | April 19, 2005(2005-04-19) (aged 78) Greenville, South Carolina, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 175 lb (79 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school: | Boys High School(Anderson, South Carolina) | ||||||||||||||
| College: | Clemson | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1949: 1st round, 6th pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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Robert Gage II (January 15, 1927 – April 19, 2005) was an American professionalfootball player who played two seasons in theNational Football League (NFL) with thePittsburgh Steelers.
Gage was born inChester, South Carolina. He attended Boys High School inAnderson, South Carolina.[5]
He matriculated atClemson University.[5]
Gage was selected sixth overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the1949 NFL draft.[5] He was also selected by theBaltimore Colts of theAll-America Football Conference.[6]
He played two seasons for the Steelers attailback,quarterback anddefensive back. In the penultimate game of the1949 season, Gage set a franchise record which still stands with a 97-yard run on a fake punt.[7] This run also tied theleague record at the time which was held by theGreen Bay Packers'Andy Uram. The record stood until1982, whenTony Dorsett scored from 99 yards out.[8]
Gage retired from football after two seasons to devote more time to his family and his off-season job as an executive at a South Carolina textile firm.[9]
Gage married Patricia "Patsy" McGarahan in 1947.[10] The couple had six children, four girls and two boys.[11]
After finishing his football career, Gage had a forty-year career at Chemurgy Products inGreenville, South Carolina.[11]
Gage died of an apparent heart attack at his home in Greenville on April 19, 2005.[12]