gold star for USAHOF

16. Cookie Gilchrist

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16. Cookie Gilchrist

Gilchrist was signed to (what had to be an illegal) contract by the Cleveland Browns to a contract when he was still in high school.  The Browns reneged, and he would forego college to play in an amateur league in Canada before he was old enough to play in the Canadian Football League.  He played there for five years, winning a Grey Cup with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and in 1961 he would finally play pro in the United States when he traveled around Lake Ontario to play for the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League.

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.

The Bullet Points

  • Position: Fullback
  • Acquired: Signed before the 1962 Season.
  • Departed: Signed with the Denver Broncos after the 1964 Season.
  • Games Played: 42
  • Notable Statistics:

    676 Rushing Attempts
    3,056 Rushing Yards
    31 Rushing Touchdowns
    78 Receptions
    875 Receiving Yards
    4 Receiving Touchdowns
    20 Field Goal Attempts
    8 Field Goals Made
    40.0 Field Goal Percentage
    17 Extra Points Attempted
    14 Extra Points Made
    82.4 Extra Point Percentage
    7 Kick Returns
    150 Kick Return Yards
    1 Pass Completion
    1 Pass Attempt
    35 Passing Yards
    34 Approximate Value

    2 Playoff Games
    24 Rushing Attempts
    129 Rushing Yards
    3 Receptions
    33 Receiving Yards
    1 Field Goal Attempt
    0 Field Goals Made

  • Major Accolades and Awards:

    AFL Champion (1962)
    AP AFL Player of the Year (1962)
    UPI AFL Player of the Year (1962)
    First Team All-Pro (1962 & 1964)
    Second Team All-Pro (1963)
    AFL All-Star (1962, 1963 & 1964)
    Most Rushing Attempts (1963 & 1964)
    Most Rushing Yards (1962 & 1964)
    Most Rushing Touchdowns (1962, 1963 & 1964)
    Most Rushing Yards per Game (1962 & 1964)

Last modified on Monday, 13 June 2022 00:28

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