Black Quarterback Pioneer: Remembering Joe Gilliam

Before I go on talking about the accomplishments (or lack thereof) of one of pro football's original pioneers, quarterback, Joe Gilliam Jr., let me say that, I realize that Gilliam faced a lifetime of struggle both, on the playing field and away from it, almost until the very end of his tragic life, but that does not take away from his attempts at reaching greatness in an era when men of color were not even allowed to play the quarterback position. More important than what Gilliam did or did not accomplish on the playing field, was the legacy he helped establish - and the doors he opened for today's black quarterbacks.

Gilliam, Jr. was born on December 29, 1950 in Nashville, Tennessee and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1972 in the 11th round after a college football career at Tennessee State University where he was a two-time All-American.

Gilliam became the Steelers' starting quarterback in 1974 but lost the job when Terry Bradshaw was chosen to lead the team heading into the playoffs that year, fueling speculation years later that Gilliam was removed solely because he was black. Even Bradshaw, a player I think very highly of, admitted himself, that Gilliam was more talented and deserving of the job that year than he was.

With that setback, Gilliam unfortunately spiraled into a trap of severe alcoholism and substance abuse and was out of the NFL by the end of 1975 and back on the streets of Nashville where he battled his cocaine addiction off and on for nearly two decades.

In 1983, Gilliam attempted a comeback in the United States Football League with the Washington Federals but did not have much success and retired from the sport for good following that season.

During the remaining years of his life, Gilliam continued to battle his cocaine addiction, but did manage to run a football camp in Nashville off and on throughout the years. Gilliam was often homeless and on the streets in search of his next high, which earned the nickname "Jefferson Street Joe" due to the time he spent in that area of Nashville his entire life.
When Gilliam died of a heart attack on December 25, 2000, he had been sober for four years prior to his death and was able to attend the final Steelers game at Three Rivers Stadium.

On the field, Gilliam was an energetic player who was known to smile and raise his arms in the air in a rare showing of enthusiasm during that era for most quarterbacks following a successful play.

I realize that a lot of people may choose to view Gilliam as a player who wasted the immense God-given talents that he was inherited with. Personally, I can empathize with Gilliam - and for that matter - a more successful black quarterback of the same era, James Harris, who also was not given the full opportunity that he truly deserved to succeed.

I can only imagine what Gilliam's thought process was after being told to take a back seat to Bradshaw because of the color of his skin and not the quality of his play.

If others want to remember Gilliam in a negative light, that is certainly their perogative; personally, I choose to remember Gilliams for exactly what he was - an African-American, two-time All-American quarterback who was a legitimate pioneer of the quarterback position for men of color, and one who paved the way for an entire generation of black quarterbacks to follow in his footsteps on the field.

As we approach the sixth anniversary of his death, I'd like to say, rest in peace Joe, you've undoubtedly earned it.