Joe Gilliam
Gilliam with the Steelers in 1973 | |||||||||||||
| No. 17 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Quarterback | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | December 29, 1950 Charleston, West Virginia, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Died: | December 25, 2000 (aged 49) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 187 lb (85 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Pearl (Nashville, Tennessee) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Tennessee State | ||||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1972: 11th round, 273rd pick | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Joseph Wiley Gilliam Jr. (December 29, 1950 – December 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.