Joe Gilliam
Encyclopedia
Joseph Gilliam, Jr. was an American football
player.
, and was the third of four children of Ruth and Joe Gilliam, Sr.
Gilliam grew up on the campus of Tennessee A&I State University (renamed Tennessee State University in 1968)
. His father was a defensive coordinator at TSU.
The younger Gilliam displayed his own athletic abilities at a young age, beginning at Nashville’s Washington Junior high School, where he participated in tumbling
, track, and basketball. In 1966, he became the starting quarterback at Pearl High School and led the squad when they played in the city’s first season of integrated football. Gilliam kept close to the Tiger football team by serving as a ball boy.
Gilliam Jr.'s daughter Is R&B Singer Joi
. His ex son-in-law is rapper Big Gipp
of the Goodie Mob
.
in 1972 in the 11th round after a college football
career at Tennessee State University
where he was a two-time All-America
n. He became the Steelers' starting Quarterback
in 1974 but lost the job when Terry Bradshaw
was chosen to lead the team after the first six games of the season. Gilliam was out of the National Football League
at the end of 1975. He battled cocaine and alcohol addiction on and off over the next few years, and even ended up living in a cardboard box under a bridge for two years.
In 1981 Gilliam returned to football, playing quarterback for the semi-pro New Orleans Blue Knights of the Dixie Football League. In 1983, Gilliam attempted a comeback to pro football in the United States Football League
with the Washington Federals. He did not have much success and retired from the sport for good after that season. In 1986, Joe Gilliam was inducted into the American Football Association's Semi Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Gilliam ran a football camp in Nashville at times. He earned the nickname "Jefferson Street Joe" for the boulevard that runs by Tennessee State University in Nashville.http://www.blackathlete.net/artman/publish/article_0318.shtml
On December 25, 2000, Gilliam died of a heart attack shortly after watching an NFL game between the Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans. He had been sober for four years prior to his death and was able to attend the final Steelers game at Three Rivers Stadium
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player.
Biography
Joe Gilliam was born in Charleston, West VirginiaCharleston, West Virginia
Charleston is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. As of the 2010 census, it has a population of 51,400, and its metropolitan area 304,214. It is the county seat of Kanawha County.Early...
, and was the third of four children of Ruth and Joe Gilliam, Sr.
Joe Gilliam, Sr.
Joe Gilliam, Sr. is a former college football quarterback and coach. Gilliam began his collegiate playing career at Indiana University before transferring to West Virginia State University, where he was an All-American at quarterback.Gilliam was head football and basketball coach at Oliver High...
Gilliam grew up on the campus of Tennessee A&I State University (renamed Tennessee State University in 1968)
Tennessee State University
Tennessee State University is a land-grant university located in Nashville, Tennessee. TSU is the only state-funded historically black university in Tennessee.-History:...
. His father was a defensive coordinator at TSU.
The younger Gilliam displayed his own athletic abilities at a young age, beginning at Nashville’s Washington Junior high School, where he participated in tumbling
Tumbling (gymnastics)
In gymnastics, tumbling, also known as power tumbling is an acrobatic sporting discipline which combines some of the skills of artistic gymnastics on the floor with those of trampolining. It is practised on a 25 metre long spring track...
, track, and basketball. In 1966, he became the starting quarterback at Pearl High School and led the squad when they played in the city’s first season of integrated football. Gilliam kept close to the Tiger football team by serving as a ball boy.
Gilliam Jr.'s daughter Is R&B Singer Joi
Joi (singer)
Joi Elaine Gilliam , better known by her stage name Joi, is an American R&B/Rock singer, songwriter and record producer associated with the Dungeon Family collective based in Atlanta, Georgia, and as such often performs with OutKast, the Organized Noize production team, and Goodie Mob Joi Elaine...
. His ex son-in-law is rapper Big Gipp
Big Gipp
This article is about the American rapper. For the Notre Dame football player, see George Gipp. For the Iowa State Representative see Chuck Gipp.Big Gipp , is an American rapper from the South...
of the Goodie Mob
Goodie Mob
Goodie Mob is a Hip Hop act based in Atlanta, Georgia that formed in 1991 and currently consists of members Cee-Lo Green, Khujo, T-Mo and Big Gipp.-History:The group's name acts as a double backronym...
.
Career
Gilliam was drafted by the Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
in 1972 in the 11th round after a college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
career at Tennessee State University
Tennessee State University
Tennessee State University is a land-grant university located in Nashville, Tennessee. TSU is the only state-funded historically black university in Tennessee.-History:...
where he was a two-time All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n. He became the Steelers' starting Quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
in 1974 but lost the job when Terry Bradshaw
Terry Bradshaw
Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
was chosen to lead the team after the first six games of the season. Gilliam was out of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
at the end of 1975. He battled cocaine and alcohol addiction on and off over the next few years, and even ended up living in a cardboard box under a bridge for two years.
In 1981 Gilliam returned to football, playing quarterback for the semi-pro New Orleans Blue Knights of the Dixie Football League. In 1983, Gilliam attempted a comeback to pro football in the United States Football League
United States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
with the Washington Federals. He did not have much success and retired from the sport for good after that season. In 1986, Joe Gilliam was inducted into the American Football Association's Semi Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Gilliam ran a football camp in Nashville at times. He earned the nickname "Jefferson Street Joe" for the boulevard that runs by Tennessee State University in Nashville.http://www.blackathlete.net/artman/publish/article_0318.shtml
On December 25, 2000, Gilliam died of a heart attack shortly after watching an NFL game between the Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans. He had been sober for four years prior to his death and was able to attend the final Steelers game at Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's Major League Baseball franchise and National Football League franchise respectively.Built as a replacement to...
.