Gilchrist was an absolute phenom in his first three seasons in the AFL, where he would win the Rushing Title in 1962 and 1964 and led the league in Rushing Touchdowns in all three years. Both the AP and UPI named him the MVP, and in 1964 he rushed the Bills into an AFL Championship. After '64, he would join the Denver Broncos for two seasons and he played one final year in Miami before retiring for good in 1968.
Any story on Gilchrist has to mention that he was an early civil rights leader, and he led a successful boycott of having the AFL All-Star Game in New Orleans, where segregation still occurred. He also refused induction to the Canadian Football League Hall of Fame, citing racist policies.
The only thing better than Cookie on the field was Cookie showing his character off of it.
His run with the Bills was brief, but his impact was colossal. The Bills would finally choose Gilchrist for their Wall of Fame in 2017.
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