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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | (1945-08-07)August 7, 1945 (age 79) Greenwood, South Carolina, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 195 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Brewer(Greenwood, SC) | ||||||||||
| College: | South Carolina State | ||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1967: 2nd round, 52nd pick | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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John Rally Gilliam (born August 7, 1945) is an American former professionalfootball player who was awide receiver in theNational Football League (NFL). He has owned a number of businesses, and for two years he worked for a radio station in Atlanta. He has made his home in Atlanta since 1968. His wife Fannie is an attorney, and they have four children.[1][2]
Gilliam attended Brewer High School inGreenwood, South Carolina, then played college football atSouth Carolina State University,[3] from which he graduated with a degree in biology. While in college he also lettered in track and was clocked in the 100 yard dash in 9.5 seconds, four tenths of a second off the world record at the time.[4] He was drafted in the second round by the expansionNew Orleans Saints. He played his first two seasons in New Orleans, and then had stints with theSt. Louis Cardinals from 1969 to 1971, theMinnesota Vikings from 1972 to 1975, theAtlanta Falcons in 1976, and brief stints with theChicago Bears and back in New Orleans for 1977. Gilliam played in 2 Super Bowls with the Vikings,Super Bowl VIII andSuper Bowl IX. He was elected to thePro Bowl all four years while he was with Minnesota.[1]
In1972, Gilliam led the NFL in yards per catch (22) and finished 2nd in receiving yards (1,035) and receiving yards per game (73.9). In1973, he again finished 2nd in receiving yards (907) and receiving yards per game (64.8) and was named 1st TeamAll-Pro by theNewspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) and 2nd Team All-Pro by theAssociated Press (AP) and thePro Football Writers Association (PFWA). He was also named 1st Team All-NFC byThe Sporting News andUPI in 1973.
He is famous for returning the opening kickoff 94 yards in the Saints' inaugural game in1967 against theLos Angeles Rams for their first touchdown in franchise history. In Super Bowl VIII, Gilliam returned the second half kickoff 65 yards to the Miami 34, but a clipping penalty wiped out almost all the yardage. One play in Super Bowl IX also resulted in Gilliam colliding with then-NFL Films cameraman (later president)Steve Sabol.
Gilliam played with theChicago Winds of theWFL in 1975, catching 20 passes for 390 yards, 19.5 average and 2 touchdowns. The Winds folded after 5 games and Gilliam returned to the Vikings in time for the 1975 season. He signed with the Falcons as a free agent before the 1976 season.[5] The Falcons waived him after one season and he signed with the Bears for the 1977 season.[6] The Bears waived him after 2 games and he signed with the Saints for the remainder of the 1977 season.[7]
John was inducted into the South Carolina Football Hall of Fame in 2023.[8]