April 14, 1926

Harry Vincent Gilmer Jr. was born in the East Lake section of Birmingham. Gilmer played football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, arriving when the school was rebuilding its football program that it had dropped in 1943 as part of a national initiative to de-emphasize sports during World War II. He became an All-American and Southeastern Conference player of the year in 1945, and MVP of the 1946 Rose Bowl. Gilmer played halfback and became known for his “jump passing” style. He became the first player selected in the 1947 NFL draft and was selected to the Pro Bowl twice during an eight-year career. Gilmer was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1973 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1993.

Read more at Encyclopedia of Alabama.

(Photograph courtesy of the Paul W. Bryant Museum)

(Photograph courtesy of the Paul W. Bryant Museum)

(Photograph courtesy of the Paul W. Bryant Museum)

(Photograph courtesy of the Paul W. Bryant Museum)

(Photograph courtesy of the Paul W. Bryant Museum)

(Photograph courtesy of the Paul W. Bryant Museum)

For more on Alabama’s Bicentennial, visit Alabama 200.