Daily Dose of Crimson Tide: Harry Gilmer

Need your fix of Alabama sports? BamaCentral has you covered with Harry Gilmer

Special to BamaCentral

He must be too small to play football, at least that’s what most people said when they first saw Harry Gilmer’s trademark leaping passes, which gave the appearance that he couldn’t see over his linemen. 

But he was 6-foot, and at times played like a giant.

After not having a team in 1943 due to World War II, Frank Thomas pieced together 20 ragtag players to form a roster that would comprise the Crimson Tide in 1944, with the team centered around a local player from Woodlawn High School in Birmingham, who might not have gone to college if not for his high school coach Malcolm Laney being hired as an Alabama assistant coach. That and the Southeastern Conference waived its rule against freshmen playing with the varsity.

Led by Gilmer, the “The War Babies” opened the season against LSU, and he returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown as the teams tied, 27-27. Alabama followed with a 63-0 victory against Howard, and 55-0 win over Millsaps. At 5-1-2, the War Baby Tiders secured the school’s first invitation to the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, where Gilmer put on a dazzling performance in front of 72,000 fans. Although a much-older Duke team pulled out a 29-26 victory in the final moments, Gilmer completed all eight of his pass attempts and was named the game’s most valuable player.

Legendary sportswriter Grantland Rice wrote Gilmer was “the greatest college passer I’ve ever seen.”

Arguably his best year was his sophomore season, when after Alabama had a full roster and finished a perfect 10-0, outscored opponents 430-80, and won the SEC championship. Gilmer, who was named an All-American and the SEC Player of the Year, led the nation in touchdown passes with 13, ran for nine more, averaged 7.0 yards per carry on 79 attempts, completed roughly 65 percent of his passes on 88 attempts, was second in the nation with 1,457 yards, and also returned punts and kicks.

Against Kentucky, Gilmer became the first player in Alabama history to accumulate 200 rushing yards in game, on just six carries, and had more than 100 passing yards as well. Alabama won 41-0, and also defeated LSU 26-7, Tennessee 25-7, and Vanderbilt 71-0.

It resulted in the sixth and final invitation to the Rose Bowl, where the Crimson Tide was considered the underdog, but crushed Southern California, 34-14. Gilmer ran for 116 yards and passed for 59, as Thomas made sure every Alabama player got into the game.

Alabama finished 7-4 and 8-3 his last two years, with the senior campaign closing with a 27-7 loss to Texas in the Sugar Bowl. His collective record over the four years was 30-9-2.

Gilmer ended his career as Alabama’s all-time leader in rushing (1,673), passing (2,894), punt returns (13.5 average), kickoff returns (28.7), and interceptions. He also passed for 26 touchdowns and ran for 24 more. His junior year, Gilmer led the nation in punt returns with a 14.5 average on 37 returns.

After leaving the Capstone, Gilmer was the first-overall pick in the 1948 NFL Draft. He played for both Washington and Detroit from 1948-56. He was also the Lions’ head coach in 1965-66.

Some of this post originated from "100 Things Crimson tide Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die," published by Triumph Books