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Joseph Wiley Gilliam Jr. (December 29, 1950December 25, 2000) was an American professional football player, a quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons. Primarily a backup, he started the first six games of the 1974 season.
He became the Steelers' starting quarterback in 1974, making history as the first African American quarterback to start a season opener. Despite a strong start, he was benched midseason, leading to Terry Bradshaw reclaiming the starting role. Gilliam remained on the roster through the Steelers' Super Bowl X victory but was waived before the 1976 season. His post-NFL career was marred by struggles with substance abuse and legal issues, including arrests and homelessness. He played in various semi-pro leagues and briefly returned to professional football with the USFL's Washington Federals in 1983. Gilliam retired in 1984 and was later inducted into the American Football Association's Semi-Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986.
Gilliam displayed his own athletic abilities at a young age, beginning at Washington Junior High School, where he participated in tumbling, track, and basketball. In 1966, he became the starting quarterback at Pearl High School and led the squad when they played in the city's first season of integrated football. While in high school, Gilliam kept close to the Tigers program as a ball boy for home games.
While at Tennessee State, he played under legendary coach John Merritt. He was an All-American his junior and senior seasons. In 1970, the Tigers went 10-0 and played in the now defunct Grantland Rice Bowl played in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Gilliam passed for two touchdowns, and ran for a third, as Tennessee State defeated Southwestern Louisiana 26–25. They were named Black College National Champions. Gilliam's senior season saw a repeat of accolades. He was named All-American, and the Tigers returned to Baton Rouge. With an 8–1 record, the Tigers faced McNeese State. Trailing 16–6, Gilliam threw two touchdown passes to John Holland to take a 19–16 lead. A third touchdown pass to Ollie Smith clinched a 26–23 victory. Gilliam's teammate at Tennessee State was Ed "Too Tall" Jones.
Gilliam felt that his demotion was based on racial reasons. In an interview with The Tennessean a year before his death, he said "I thought if you played well, you got to play. I guess I didn't understand the significance of being a black quarterback at the time." Wide receiver John Stallworth recalled that Gilliam's demotion was due to his poor on-field performance, disobeying Chuck Noll's game plan, and substance abuse issues and there was no racial motivation whatsoever on the team's part. He noted that Noll was "completely color-blind" as a coach and not racist in any way. Linebacker Andy Russell said that Gilliam was "immensely talented" as a quarterback, but unable to stay off of drugs.
The Steelers waived Gilliam prior to the 1976 preseason after he missed a team meeting. He battled heroin, cocaine, and alcohol addiction on and off over the next several years and even ended up living in a cardboard box under a bridge for two years.
He was arrested in New Orleans in 1976 for possession of a gun and cocaine. The New Orleans Saints then signed Gilliam, but he was cut in both 1976 and 1977, then played with the semipro Pittsburgh Wolf Pak, but quit in August 1978, after playing in just six games. He returned to semipro in 1979 with the Baltimore Eagles in the Atlantic Football Conference, but his season would take a couple of bizarre turns: first, an abortive attempt to jump to the Alabama Vulcans of the American Football Association ended when he borrowed the Vulcans' owner's Cadillac and failed to return it; then, after Gilliam went back to Baltimore, he was attacked by four men, who dragged him out of his parked car and repeatedly hit him on the head. Gilliam returned to football in 1981, playing quarterback for the semipro New Orleans Blue Knights of the Dixie Football League. He played with the Blue Knights for six seasons while working the docks of New Orleans, loading and unloading barges.
In 1983, Gilliam attempted a comeback to pro football in the new United States Football League, but was cut by the Denver Gold, then picked up by the Washington Federals. Gilliam played in four games, starting two of them, throwing five touchdowns and ten interceptions. Gilliam was cut early in training camp in January 1984, and retired from the sport for good. In 1986, Joe Gilliam was inducted into the American Football Association's Semi Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Gilliam died of a cocaine overdose on Christmas Day, 2000 shortly after watching an NFL game between the Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans. He was four days away from his 50th birthday. Gilliam was sober for three years prior to his death and able to attend the final Steelers game at Three Rivers Stadium.
Gilliam's daughter is R&B singer Joi. His ex son-in-law is rapper Big Gipp of the Goodie Mob.
Personal life and death
Gilliam ran a football camp for teens at Tennessee State in Nashville in mid-2000. He earned the nickname "Jefferson Street Joe" for the boulevard that runs by Tennessee State University in Nashville.
External links
Categories: 1950 Births, 2000 Deaths, American Football Quarterbacks, Pittsburgh Steelers Players, Tennessee State Tigers Football Players, Orlando Renegades Players, Players Of American Football From Charleston, West Virginia, Players Of American Football From Nashville, Tennessee, Cocaine-related Deaths In Tennessee, 20th-century African-american Sportsmen, 20th-century American Sportsmen, New Orleans Saints Players, Denver Gold Players
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