Harry Gilmer, the only Alabama player who has been selected with the first pick in an NFL Draft, has died.
On Saturday, the Paul W. Bryant Museum posted a photograph on Facebook of Gilmer with former Alabama coach Frank Thomas and teammate Vaughn "Cisco" Mancha with the caption "RIP Harry Gilmer 1926-2016." The Tuscaloosa News also reported on Saturday that Gilmer had died.
A Birmingham native, Gilmer was 90 years old.
Gilmer entered the College Football Hall of Fame as a member of its Class of 1993. He joined the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1973.
After starring at Woodlawn High School as an All-State back on the Colonels' unbeaten 1943 football team, Gilmer joined Alabama as a halfback in 1944. He went on to become celebrated for his "jump pass" and is the only Alabama player to finish in the top five of Heisman Trophy balloting twice.
Alabama lost to Duke 29-26 in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, 1945, to cap Gilmer's freshman season. But Gilmer played so well, completing all eight of his passes, that Grantland Rice, the pre-eminent sportswriter of the day, wrote that Gilmer "was the most amazing back that football can show today."
In 1945, Gilmer led the nation with 13 TD passes, then ran for 116 yards and a TD and threw a scoring pass as the Crimson Tide capped an undefeated season with a 34-14 victory over Southern Cal in the Rose Bowl. Gilmer finished fifth in the Heisman voting, won the SEC Player of the Year Award and earned the Rose Bowl MVP honor.
In 1946, Gilmer led the nation in interceptions and punt-return yards, but didn't crack the top 10 of the Heisman vote as Alabama finished 7-4, sixth in the SEC and out of the bowl picture.
In 1947, Gilmer led Alabama to seven straight wins after the Tide started the regular season at 1-2, leading to a Sugar Bowl berth, and he again finished fifth in the Heisman voting.
Gilmer's name remains prominent in the Alabama record book. He still holds the mark for the highest average for any player with at least five rushing attempts in a game at 36.0 yards as he ran for 216 yards and two touchdowns on six carries against Kentucky in 1945. Gilmer had a 95-yard touchdown run in that game, the longest in Alabama history until Chris Anderson went 96 yards for a score against Temple in 1991. Gilmer's 216-yard effort is considered the most rushing yards in a game by a Crimson Tide quarterback.
Gilmer held numerous Alabama career records when he left the Crimson Tide. Several of them went unbroken for decades.
His record of 3,631 all-purpose yards stood until broken by Bobby Humphrey in 1987, 52 touchdowns-responsible-for stood until broken by John Parker Wilson in 2008, 29 touchdown passes stood until broken by Jeff Rutledge in 1978, 1,119 punt-return yards stood until broken by Javier Arenas in 2008 and 16 interceptions stood until broken by Antonio Langham in 1993.
Gilmer is the only player to lead Alabama in passing for four seasons. He also was the Tide's leading punt and kickoff returner every year of his collegiate career.
The Washington Redskins selected Gilmer with the first pick in the 1948 NFL Draft. But Gilmer was injured early in training camp and limited to one game as a rookie. He spent much of his remaining seven seasons backing up future Hall of Fame quarterbacks - Sammy Baugh with Washington and, in his final two seasons, Bobby Layne with the Detroit Lions - although he went to the Pro Bowl in 1950 and 1952.
After his playing days, Gilmer became an NFL assistant coach and served as the head coach of the Lions in 1965 and 1966, compiling a 10-16-2 record.