John Rally Gilliam was born on August 7,1945 and is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League.
17 Facts About John Gilliam
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John Gilliam has owned a number of businesses, and for two years he worked for a radio station in Atlanta.
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John Gilliam has made his home in Atlanta since 1968.
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John Gilliam's wife Fannie is an attorney, and they have four children.
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John Gilliam was drafted in the second round by the expansion New Orleans Saints.
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John Gilliam played his first two seasons in New Orleans, and then had stints with the St Louis Cardinals from 1969 to 1971, the Minnesota Vikings from 1972 to 1975, the Atlanta Falcons in 1976, and brief stints with the Chicago Bears and back in New Orleans for 1977.
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John Gilliam played in 2 Super Bowls with the Vikings, Super Bowl VIII and Super Bowl IX.
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John Gilliam was elected to the Pro Bowl all four years while he was with Minnesota.
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In 1972, John Gilliam led the NFL in yards per catch and finished 2nd in receiving yards and receiving yards per game.
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John Gilliam was named 1st Team All-NFC by The Sporting News and UPI in 1973.
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John Gilliam is famous for returning the opening kickoff 94 yards in the Saints' inaugural game in 1967 against the Los Angeles Rams for their first touchdown in franchise history.
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In Super Bowl VIII, John Gilliam returned the second half kickoff 65 yards to the Miami 34, but a clipping penalty wiped out almost all the yardage.
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One play in Super Bowl IX resulted in John Gilliam colliding with then-NFL Films cameraman Steve Sabol.
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John Gilliam played with the Chicago Winds of the WFL in 1975, catching 20 passes for 390 yards, 19.5 average and 2 touchdowns.
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The Winds folded after 5 games and John Gilliam returned to the Vikings in time for the 1975 season.
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John Gilliam signed with the Falcons as a free agent before the 1976 season.
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John Gilliam was inducted into the South Carolina Football Hall of Fame in 2023.