Gale Gillingham

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Gillingham was born in Madison, Wisconsin, and grew up in Wisconsin and Minnesota. He played college football for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The Packers drafted him in the first round with the 13th overall selection of the 1966 NFL draft. He replaced Fuzzy Thurston at left guard in 1967 and started in the Ice Bowl and Super Bowl II. He was moved to right guard in 1969 after Jerry Kramer retired. In 1972, head coach Dan Devine shifted him to defensive tackle, but a season-ending knee injury two games into the regular season ended that experiment. He had knee surgery in 1972 and again in 1974, and another knee injury ended his career in 1976.

In Their Own Story

The cold bit through Lambeau Field, but inside the huddle, Gale Gillingham radiated heat. He looked across at the defensive lineman in white, cracked his neck, and growled to the center. 'They think they can stop us.' The ball snapped. Instead of meeting him head-on, Gale pulled around the tackle, his feet churning like pistons on the frozen turf. With a roar that echoed off the stands, he drove forward, shoving the defense back into their own territory. For a split second, he was an immovable object transformed into a force of nature, clearing a path for the running back to vanish into the chaos behind him.

Reader's Guide

Gale Gillingham was a five-time Pro Bowler (1969–71, 1973–74). He was named first-team All-Pro by the NEA in 1969, 1970, 1971, and 1974, and by the AP in 1970. He also received second-team All-Pro honors in 1968 (NEA, UPI), 1969 (AP, Pro Football Hall of Fame, UPI), 1971 (Pro Football Writers), and 1973 (Pro Football Writers). He won the inaugural Forrest Gregg Award for NFL Offensive Lineman of the Year in 1970 and was the NFC choice as NFLPA/Coca-Cola Offensive Lineman of the Year in 1971.

Did You Know?

• Gillingham was a Minnesota state champion in the discus as a high school senior in 1962.
• He left the Minnesota football team before his sophomore season, saying he only played because his father wanted him to, but returned in 1964.
• He played in the 1966 College All-Star Game for the Packers against the collegians after being drafted by Green Bay.
• In 1967, at 260 pounds, he was considered the fastest man on the Packers, excluding receivers.
• He faced Hall of Fame tackle Bob Lilly in the Ice Bowl.