Garry Gilliam facts for kids
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Gilliam in 2022
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| No. 79, 76 | |||||
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| Position: | Offensive tackle | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born: | November 26, 1990 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 306 lb (139 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | Milton Hershey School (Hershey, Pennsylvania) |
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| College: | Penn State | ||||
| Undrafted: | 2014 | ||||
| Career history | |||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||
Garry Montzell Gilliam Jr., born on November 26, 1990, is a former American football player. He played as an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). Garry played for the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers. He joined the Seahawks in 2014 after the NFL draft, even though he wasn't officially picked. Before that, he played college football at Penn State.
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Early Life and High School Football
Garry grew up in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He played high school football at Milton Hershey School in Hershey, Pennsylvania. He was a great player, earning many awards like All-American. In high school, Garry played two positions: tight end and defensive end. As a tight end, he caught 20 passes for 350 yards and scored four touchdowns. As a defensive end, he made 153 tackles and had 12 sacks. He also caught five interceptions.
College Football Career
Garry played for the Penn State Nittany Lions from 2009 to 2013. For most of his college career, he played as a tight end. Before his final year, he talked to his coach, Bill O'Brien. Garry asked if he could switch to playing offensive tackle. He believed this change would help him have a better chance of playing in the NFL. He successfully made the switch and became a starter at offensive tackle for his senior season.
Professional Football Journey
Joining the NFL
After college, Garry was not expected to be chosen in the NFL draft. This was because he had only played offensive tackle for one year. However, the Seattle Seahawks were interested in him. They gave him a special tryout. The Seahawks told Garry they would sign him as an undrafted free agent. This means they would offer him a contract even if he wasn't picked in the draft.
Playing for the Seattle Seahawks
Starting His NFL Career (2014)
The Seattle Seahawks signed Garry on May 10, 2014. His first NFL game was on September 4, 2014, against the Green Bay Packers. He played as an offensive tackle. Later that season, he also played as a left guard in a game against the Oakland Raiders.
A memorable moment happened on January 18, 2015. During a playoff game against the Green Bay Packers, Garry caught a 19-yard touchdown pass. This was on a trick play, a fake field goal! It was his first catch and touchdown in the NFL. The Seahawks won that game in overtime.
Second Season (2015)
In his second year, Garry started as a backup player. But soon, he became the starting right tackle for the Seahawks. He played almost every offensive snap for the team that season. Because he played so much and was still on his first contract, he received extra pay from the NFL's "performance-based pay" program. This program helps players who play a lot but are not yet paid a lot.
Third Season (2016)
Garry was expected to be the starting left tackle in 2016. However, after some changes, he moved back to right tackle. Later in the season, there was a competition for the starting right tackle spot. Garry eventually regained his starting position. He finished the season playing in 14 games, starting 13 of them.
Time with the San Francisco 49ers
On April 17, 2017, the San Francisco 49ers signed Garry. He played in eight games for them in 2017. However, he got a knee injury and had to stop playing for the rest of the season. In February 2018, the 49ers signed Garry to a new contract. He was released by the 49ers in February 2019.
Personal Life and Interests
Garry was born to Thelma Shifflet and Garry Gilliam Sr. He has a brother named Victor and a sister named Angel. He is married to Jocelyn Bramlett and they have one child. Garry enjoys working on graphic designs in his free time. He graduated from Penn State in December 2014 with three majors: Business, Advertisement, and Psychology.
Garry played tight end from age 7 until his senior year at Penn State. In high school, he was also good at track and field. He even qualified for state championships in javelin. In late 2019, Garry started a program called 'The Bridge'. This program takes old, empty buildings in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and turns them into 'Eco-Villages'. These are special communities designed to be good for the environment.
