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 Glick in 1958 | |||||||||||||
| No. 26, 21, 47, 43 | |||||||||||||
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| Positions | Safety Halfback | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born | (1930-05-14)May 14, 1930 Grant, Nebraska, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Died | February 11, 2015(2015-02-11) (aged 84) Fort Collins, Colorado, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight | 195 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school | La Porte (CO) | ||||||||||||
| College | Colorado St. | ||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1956: 1st round,1st overall pick | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||
| Career NFL/AFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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Gary Galen Glick (May 14, 1930 – February 11, 2015) was an American professionalfootballsafety who played six seasons in theNational Football League (NFL) before he concluded his career in theAmerican Football League (AFL) for one season. He was the number one overall selection in the1956 NFL draft. To date, Glick is still the onlydefensive back ever to be picked first overall in any NFL draft.
Glick was born inGrant, Nebraska. The family moved to Colorado not long after, and Glick grew up in a dairy farm inLaporte, Colorado, nearFort Collins, Colorado.[1] He graduated from Cache la Poudre High School before entering the Navy in 1948, seeing service in theKorean War along with playing service football, basketball and softball; he cited his service as one that honed his skills as a player, as he went from roughly 160 pounds as a high school graduate to over 190 when he left the Navy[2][3] He elected to play near home withColorado State University (then known as Colorado A&M). In addition to defensive back, he also starred atquarterback and linebacker and served as a place-kicker for theRams. He was one of four Glick brothers that would play football for A&M (Ivan, Leon, andFred), with each receiving letters in football. Gary graduated with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physical education.[4] He recorded eight interceptions in 1954 and fourteen for a career at Colorado A&M, with the former still being a team record. In his senior season, he ledA&M (as coached byBob Davis in his final season) to theSkyline Conference title, clinching it with a 10-0 victory over Colorado in which he scored a touchdown and kicked the extra point and field goal; the title was the last one for the team for 39 years.
He was among the inaugural inductees of the Colorado State University Sports Hall of Fame in 1988. He also was inducted into theColorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1992.[2] His brother Fred, who also played in pro football, joined him in the University Sports Hall in 1991.
In 1956, Pittsburgh had won the first overall pick by way of bonus pick determined by lottery, and they also had the fifth pick in the first round. They used the bonus pick on Glick. Glick's selection was viewed as a surprise in some corners, in part because the Steelers were swayed not by footage seen of Glick but by letters sent to them (among other teams) by Davis. Steelers coachWalt Kiesling (in what turned out to be his final season as coach) was spurred to use the pick on Glick;Dan M. Rooney related that Glick was a "sleeper", but Kiesling reasoned "Everybody is going to know about him. Everybody will want him!" Among the players drafted later that year were future legends such asLenny Moore,Forrest Gregg andSam Huff. The Steelers utilized Glick as a kicker in his first two seasons. He went 4-of-7 in his rookie season and 5-of-18 in his second and final year kicking field goals. He also played some snaps as a reserve defensive back, and he recorded two interceptions that season. He repeated the same number in 1958 while also recovering three fumbles, with one being for a touchdown. Glick was cut during the 1959 season by the Steelers and picked up by the Washington Redskins, where he recorded two interceptions. He played one more season with Washington, recording three interceptions. He signed with the Baltimore Colts for the 1961 season, recording a career-high four interceptions in his one season with the club, with three occurring in a game against Washington on November 26.[5] In 1962, Glick took a job with theDenver Broncos to coach the defensive backfield while recovering from an injury.[6] He returned to pro football as a player in 1963 with the San Diego Chargers. In what became his last season, he recorded his final interception against the Houston Oilers on December 1. Over a month later, the Chargers won theAFL Championship Game, with Glick retiring a winner in his final game.[7][8]
In 1965, he was hired as head coach of theNorfolk Neptunes of theContinental Football League. He coached the team from 1965 to 1967 and the 1969 seasons, twice winning coach of the year honors and going 38-18; in 1968, he served as the offensive coordinator of theMontreal Alouettes of theCanadian Football League. He served as an offensive coordinator at theUniversity of Arizona before becoming a scout in the 1970s. He would scout for the Baltimore Colts, the New England Patriots and the Canadian Football League before retiring in 1985.[9]
After his playing and coaching years ended, Glick was involved with the Easter Seals of Colorado and the NFL Alumni Chapter of Denver. Glick died on February 11, 2015, at the age of 84, at his home inFort Collins, Colorado, following a stroke. He was survived by his wife of 63 years and their three children.[9]