American gridiron football player (1935?2011)
American football player
Cookie Gilchrist
|
Position:
| Fullback
|
---|
|
Born:
| (
1935-05-25
)
May 25, 1935
Brackenridge, Pennsylvania
, U.S.
|
---|
Died:
| January 10, 2011
(2011-01-10)
(aged 75)
Pittsburgh
, Pennsylvania, U.S.
|
---|
Height:
| 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
|
---|
Weight:
| 251 lb (114 kg)
|
---|
|
High school:
| Har-Brack
(
Natrona Heights, Pennsylvania
)
|
---|
College:
| None
|
---|
Undrafted:
| 1954
|
---|
|
|
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only
|
|
---|
|
|
|
---|
|
Rushing yards:
| 4,293
|
---|
Rushing average:
| 4.3
|
---|
Rushing
touchdowns
:
| 37
|
---|
Receptions
:
| 110
|
---|
Receiving yards:
| 1,135
|
---|
Receiving touchdowns:
| 6
|
---|
|
|
Rushing yards:
| 4,914
|
---|
Rushing average:
| 5.8
|
---|
Rushing touchdowns:
| 28
|
---|
Receiving yards:
| 1,068
|
---|
Receiving touchdowns:
| 5
|
---|
|
|
Player stats at
PFR
|
|
Carlton Chester "Cookie" Gilchrist
(May 25, 1935 ? January 10, 2011) was an American
football
fullback
who played in the
American Football League
(AFL) and the
Canadian Football League
(CFL).
[1]
[2]
He was named the
AFL Most Valuable Player
(MVP) with the
Buffalo Bills
in 1962. He was named to the
AFL All-Time Second-team
.
Career
[
edit
]
A star player at
Har-Brack High School
in
Natrona Heights, Pennsylvania
, in 1953 he led the team to the W.P.I.A.L. co-championship with Donora. As a junior, he was talked into signing a
professional football
contract with the NFL's
Cleveland Browns
by
Paul Brown
. The signing was against NFL rules and likely illegal, and when Brown reneged on his promise that Gilchrist would make the team, Gilchrist left training camp at
Hiram College
, in
Hiram, Ohio
, and went to
Canada
to play. There, in the
Ontario Rugby Football Union
(ORFU), he received the Jim Shanks (Team MVP) Trophy for the
Sarnia Imperials
in 1954, and the
Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen
's Team MVP Award in 1955.
In 1956, he joined the
Canadian Football League
(CFL) with the
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
, helping lead them to a 1957
Grey Cup
victory. He spent one season with the
Saskatchewan Roughriders
, rushing for 1,254 yards. He then was traded to the
Toronto Argonauts
for
Tex Schwierer
, and played three years in Toronto.
[3]
In his six years in the CFL, Gilchrist was a divisional All-Star at running back five consecutive years from 1956 to 1960 (there were no All-Canadians selected in those years) and was also an Eastern All-Star at linebacker in 1960. Additionally, in 1960 he was runner up for the
CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award
. In his CFL career, Gilchrist recorded 4,911 rushing yards, 1,068 receiving yards and 12 interceptions.
Gilchrist then joined the roster of the
Buffalo Bills
of the fledgling
American Football League
. Incidentally, Gilchrist was Buffalo's backup plan: they had actually drafted
Ernie Davis
to be the team's franchise running back in 1962. Davis instead chose the NFL, but died of leukemia before ever playing a down of professional football. The Bills instead signed Gilchrist as a free agent. While with Buffalo, Gilchrist played fullback and kicked, though he insisted he could have
played both ways
. He was the first 1,000-yard
American Football League
rusher, with 1,096 yards in a 14-game schedule in 1962. That year, he set the all-time AFL record for touchdowns with 13, and he earned
AFL MVP
honors. Gilchrist rushed for a professional football record 263 yards and five touchdowns in a single game against the
New York Jets
in 1963. Though he was with the Bills for only three years (1962?1964), he remains the team's ninth-leading rusher all-time,
[4]
and led the league in scoring in each of his three years as a Bill. Gilchrist ran for 122 yards in the Bills' 1964 American Football League championship defeat of the
San Diego Chargers
, 20?7. His 4.5 yard/rush average is second as a Bill only to O.J. Simpson. One of Gilchrist's strengths was blocking. Gilchrist's blocking was mentioned by broadcaster and ex-coach
John Madden
during a CBS TV broadcast in the 1987 season, saying "Cookie Gilchrist may have been the best blocking running back that ever played the game."
In an early civil rights victory for black athletes, Gilchrist led a successful
boycott of New Orleans
as the site of the 1965
American Football League
All-Star game. He is the only athlete to turn down being enshrined into the
Canadian Football Hall of Fame and Museum
, because of what he described as racism and exploitation by management. However, Gilchrist had stated before his death that he never turned down the Hall, instead stating that it was "not that simple". When he was informed about being nominated by the Hall by John Agro (counsel for the
Canadian Football League Players Association
), he was told to be "nice" to
Jake Gaudaur
, the CFL commissioner, and Gilchrist stated that he would "take it under advisement" due to his strained relations with Gaudaur while also expressing the belief that Canada had treated him as a "persona non grata" from 1956 to 2010.
[5]
Gilchrist frequently was at odds with team management. He told a reporter from the
London Free Press
that most of the problems he encountered were a result of his standing up for principles at a time when black athletes were expected to remain silent.
[6]
[7]
Gilchrist was traded to the
Denver Broncos
before the 1965 season in exchange for fullback
Billy Joe
and cash.
[8]
He played for the Broncos in 1965 and 1967, and for the
Miami Dolphins
in 1966. He was sent to the man who started his career, Paul Brown in the Cincinnati Bengals expansion draft in 1968, but retired because of knee problems. He was an
American Football League All-Star
in 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1965, making him one of only a few professional football players who made their league's All-Star team for 10 consecutive years (six in the
CFL
, and four in the
AFL
). Gilchrist was selected as the fullback of the
All-Time American Football League Team
.
[9]
The
Professional Football Researchers Association
named Gilchrist to the PRFA Hall of Very Good Class of 2013.
[10]
Gilchrist was named to the Bills' Wall of Fame during the team's home game on October 29, 2017, against the
Oakland Raiders
.
Career regular season statistics
[
edit
]
General
|
Rushing
|
Receiving
|
Field Goals & Converts
|
Interceptions
|
Year
|
Team
|
GP
|
Att
|
Yds
|
Avg
|
Lng
|
TD
|
Rec
|
Yds
|
Avg
|
Lng
|
TD
|
FGA
|
FGM
|
Avg
|
S
|
XPA
|
XPM
|
Int
|
Yds
|
Avg
|
Lng
|
TD
|
1954
|
Sarnia Imperials
|
11
|
118
|
845
|
7.1
|
--
|
5
|
9
|
185
|
20.5
|
--
|
3
|
--
|
--
|
--
|
--
|
--
|
--
|
--
|
--
|
--
|
-
|
--
|
1955
|
Kitchener Dutchmen
|
12
|
129
|
806
|
6.2
|
--
|
10
|
11
|
179
|
16.2
|
--
|
0
|
16
|
5
|
31.2
|
--
|
--
|
--
|
--
|
--
|
--
|
--
|
--
|
1956
|
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
|
?
|
130
|
832
|
6.4
|
70
|
2
|
18
|
297
|
15.5
|
40
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
7
|
3.5
|
6
|
0
|
1957
|
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
|
?
|
204
|
958
|
4.7
|
57
|
7
|
8
|
82
|
10.3
|
19
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
65
|
21.7
|
55
|
2
|
1958
|
Saskatchewan Roughriders
|
?
|
235
|
1,254
|
5.3
|
73
|
5
|
15
|
144
|
9.6
|
41
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1959
|
Toronto Argonauts
|
?
|
87
|
496
|
5.7
|
69
|
4
|
5
|
70
|
14.0
|
38
|
1
|
14
|
9
|
64.3
|
0
|
24
|
16
|
4
|
66
|
16.5
|
32
|
0
|
1960
|
Toronto Argonauts
|
14
|
88
|
662
|
7.5
|
74
|
6
|
25
|
346
|
13.8
|
42
|
2
|
18
|
5
|
27.8
|
0
|
48
|
43
|
1
|
16
|
16.0
|
16
|
0
|
1961
|
Toronto Argonauts
|
12
|
105
|
709
|
6.8
|
67
|
3
|
15
|
147
|
9.8
|
24
|
0
|
9
|
5
|
55.6
|
3
|
11
|
5
|
2
|
41
|
20.5
|
35
|
0
|
1962
|
Buffalo Bills
|
14
|
214
|
1,096
|
5.1
|
44
|
13
|
24
|
319
|
13.3
|
76
|
2
|
20
|
8
|
40
|
0
|
17
|
14
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1963
|
Buffalo Bills
|
14
|
232
|
979
|
4.2
|
32
|
12
|
24
|
211
|
8.8
|
42
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1964
|
Buffalo Bills
|
14
|
230
|
981
|
4.3
|
67
|
6
|
30
|
345
|
11.5
|
37
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1965
|
Denver Broncos
|
14
|
252
|
954
|
3.8
|
44
|
6
|
18
|
154
|
8.6
|
29
|
10
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1966
|
Miami Dolphins
|
8
|
72
|
262
|
3.6
|
22
|
0
|
13
|
110
|
8.5
|
22
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1967
|
Denver Broncos
|
1
|
10
|
21
|
2.1
|
6
|
0
|
1
|
-4
|
-4.0
|
-4
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
CFL Totals
|
?
|
849
|
4,911
|
5.8
|
74
|
28
|
86
|
1,068
|
12.4
|
42
|
5
|
41
|
19
|
46.3
|
4
|
83
|
64
|
12
|
195
|
16.3
|
55
|
2
|
AFL Totals
|
65
|
1,010
|
4,293
|
4.3
|
67
|
37
|
110
|
1,135
|
10.3
|
76
|
6
|
20
|
8
|
40.0
|
0
|
17
|
14
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
Career totals
|
?
|
1,859
|
9,204
|
5.0
|
74
|
65
|
196
|
2,203
|
11.2
|
76
|
11
|
61
|
27
|
44.3
|
4
|
100
|
78
|
12
|
195
|
16.3
|
55
|
2
|
In 1974, Gilchrist founded the United Athletes Coalition of America to help former football players adjust to life after retirement. In 1975, he booked
Marvin Gaye
,
Ike & Tina Turner
, and
Taveres
for a benefit concert at
Maple Leaf Gardens
in Toronto.
[11]
Gilchrist had numerous feuds with the people he worked with during his football career. It has been stated that he refused entry into the
Canadian Football Hall of Fame
because he did not believe he was paid well enough for his service, while other sources contend it Gilchrist rejected the honor due to how he was treated in the past.
[12]
[13]
[14]
However, Gilchrist stated that he did not turn down the Hall, stating the following in 2010:
- "My throat cancer is in remission, my weight is the same. Tell Kaye Vaughan and the crew those days were the greatest in my life. I have great respect for every Canadian Football Player who played with and against me.
- I loved Canada and the Canadian people. However Canada does not love Cookie Gilchrist. And I never turned down the Hall Of Fame. When John Agro told me to be nice to
Jake Gaudaur
, when he told me I was nominated to be inducted, I told Jake I would take that under advisement, and he or they made a lie out of it.
Adolf Hitler
said the truth when he said the bigger the lie, the more people believe it.
- "What is my crime? I never robbed, raped, stolen, lied, cheated, sold drugs, beat my wife or children. So. Why did the country treat me as a persona non grata from 1956 to 2010? But it's okay, I know how to deal with all the players now. It will all come out in the production of my life story once all the T's are crossed and the I's dotted."
[15]
He also refused to accept enshrinement on the Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame because he wanted payment for appearing;
Van Miller
eventually convinced Gilchrist to change his mind, but Gilchrist was not inducted prior to his death.
[16]
Gilchrist was posthumously inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.
[17]
Gilchrist did accept induction onto the Bills' Wall of Honor, the predecessor to the Wall of Fame that had been set up at
War Memorial Stadium
in 1970, but none of the honorees on that wall were carried over to
Rich Stadium
when it was built in 1973.
[18]
On August 30, 2017, the Bills announced that he would be inducted into the Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame.
[19]
In an article in
The Buffalo News
on March 18, 2007, Gilchrist, then 71, announced that he was being treated for
throat cancer
. At the time, he lived in
Natrona Heights, Pennsylvania
.
On January 10, 2011, Gilchrist died at an assisted living facility in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
[13]
[20]
Gilchrist was posthumously diagnosed with stage four
chronic traumatic encephalopathy
, which may explain, in part, some of his behavioural difficulties.
[14]
Gilchrist was aware of the possibility that he had the disease when writing his autobiography,
The Cookie That Did Not Crumble
, along with Chris Garbarino
[
citation needed
]
. Consequently, he donated his brain to the Canadian Sports Concussion Project for use in their study of CTE. Gilchrist was one of at least 345
NFL players to be diagnosed after death
with this disease, which is caused by repeated hits to the head.
[21]
[22]
Honors
[
edit
]
- First American Football League player to gain over 1,000 yards in a season (14 games, 1,096 yards in 1962).
- Previously held the American professional football record for most yards rushing in a game, 243 yards vs. the
New York Jets
, on December 8, 1963.
- His number 34 has been officially retired by the Buffalo Bills, to honor both him and
Thurman Thomas
, who also wore the number.
[23]
- One of three players to lead the league in rushing touchdowns in four or more seasons
- First and so far only player to lead the league in
rushing touchdowns for four consecutive seasons
- Honored by the
Professional Football Researchers Association
's "Hall of Very Good", a collection of outstanding professional football players not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as part of its 2013 class.
[24]
- Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame.
[25]
See also
[
edit
]
Notes and references
[
edit
]
- ^
Co-leader in the 1962, 1964 and 1965 seasons.
- ^
"Cookie Gilchrist"
. Legacy.com. obituary. January 2011
. Retrieved
February 19,
2016
.
- ^
Goldstein, Richard (January 10, 2011).
"Cookie Gilchrist, early star of the A.F.L., dies at 75"
.
New York Times
. obituary
. Retrieved
February 19,
2016
.
- ^
Toronto Star, Thursday July 28, 1960, page 15.
- ^
"Buffalo Bills Career Rushing Leaders"
.
Pro-Football-Reference.com
.
- ^
"Did Cookie Gilchrist really turn down the Hall of Fame?"
. March 13, 2011.
- ^
"Flamboyant football player Cookie Gilchrist became a fan favourite in high school and continued to be a big draw in Canadian and American leagues".
- ^
"Cookie Gilchrist, An Athlete with Principles"
. Archived from
the original
on May 27, 2017
. Retrieved
June 27,
2017
.
- ^
"Cookie's in trouble - Broncs threaten $400,000 action"
.
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
. July 27, 1965. p. 2D
. Retrieved
September 29,
2022
– via newspapers.com.
- ^
Graham, Tim (January 11, 2011).
"Cookie Gilchrist rumbled right until the end"
.
espn.com
. ESPN, Inc
. Retrieved
December 21,
2019
.
- ^
"Professional Researchers Association Hall of Very Good Class of 2013"
. Archived from
the original
on January 4, 2017
. Retrieved
November 10,
2016
.
- ^
"Gilchrist Launches Drive To Assist Athletes Group"
.
Jet
: 50. February 6, 1975.
- ^
Goldstein, Richard (January 11, 2011).
"Cookie Gilchrist, Early Star of the A.F.L., Dies at 75"
.
The New York Times
.
- ^
a
b
Graham, Tim (January 11, 2011).
Cookie Gilchrist rumbled right until the end
.
ESPN.com
. Retrieved 2011-01-11.
- ^
a
b
Gaughan, Mark (November 6, 2011).
Gilchrist had severe damage to brain
.
The Buffalo News
. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
- ^
"Did Cookie Gilchrist really turn down the Hall of Fame?"
. March 13, 2011.
- ^
Van Miller on the passing of Bills RB Cookie Gilchrist
Archived
January 14, 2011, at the
Wayback Machine
.
WIVB-TV
. Retrieved January 11, 2011.
- ^
Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame 2011
Archived
July 2, 2011, at the
Wayback Machine
.
WIVB-TV
. Retrieved June 15, 2011.
- ^
Sullivan, Jerry (June 29, 2015).
"Door may be ajar to honor Bills greats Saban, Gilchrist"
.
The Buffalo News
. Retrieved
June 29,
2015
.
[
permanent dead link
]
- ^
"Those who saw Cookie Gilchrist play must wonder why so long to get on Bills Wall of Fame"
.
- ^
Although the obituary published on January 10, 2011 in the
New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/11/sports/11gilchrist.html
and on January 10, 2011 in the
Buffalo News
http://www.legacy.com/ns/obituary.aspx?n=cookie-gilchrist&pid=147733753/
both say he died in Pittsburgh.
- ^
"The driving force behind Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)"
.
Concussion Legacy Foundation
. Archived from
the original
on July 2, 2023
. Retrieved
July 2,
2023
.
- ^
Ken Belson and Benjamin Mueller (June 20, 2023).
"Collective Force of Head Hits, Not Just the Number of Them, Increases Odds of C.T.E. The largest study of chronic traumatic encephalopathy to date found that the cumulative force of head hits absorbed by players in their careers is the best predictor of future brain disease"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
July 2,
2023
.
- ^
Brown, Chris (June 17, 2011).
The untouchable numbers
Archived
May 16, 2018, at the
Wayback Machine
.
BuffaloBills.com
. Retrieved 2011-06-17.
- ^
"Professional Football Researchers Association"
. Archived from
the original
on July 13, 2014
. Retrieved
November 25,
2013
.
- ^
Ceravolo, Jadon (October 29, 2017).
"Bills Today: Cookie Gilchrist joining the Bills Wall of Fame"
. BuffaloBills.com. Archived from
the original
on January 16, 2018
. Retrieved
January 15,
2018
.
External links
[
edit
]