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 November 26, 1990) is a former American professional football player. He played as an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). Garry played for the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers. He joined the Seahawks in 2014 after not being chosen in the NFL draft. Before that, he played college football at Penn State.
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Early Life and High School Football
Garry Gilliam grew up in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He played high school football at Milton Hershey School in Hershey, Pennsylvania. He was a very talented player. He was named an All-American, which means he was one of the best high school players in the country.
Garry played two positions in high school: 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 Career at Penn State
Garry played for the Penn State Nittany Lions football team from 2009 to 2013. For most of his college career, he played as a tight end.
Before his final year, Garry decided to make a big change. He asked his coach, Bill O'Brien, if he could switch to playing offensive tackle. He believed this change would give him a better chance to play in the NFL. The switch was successful, and Garry became a starter at offensive tackle for his senior season.
Professional Football Career
Before the NFL Draft
Garry had only played offensive tackle for one year in college. Because of this, many experts did not expect him to be picked in the NFL draft. He was not invited to the NFL Combine, which is where top college players show off their skills to NFL teams.
However, the Seattle Seahawks were interested in him. They worked out with him at Penn State's Pro Day. The Seahawks told Garry they would sign him even if he wasn't drafted.
| Height | Weight | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 5+5⁄8 in (1.97 m) |
306 lb (139 kg) |
5.03 s | 1.68 s | 2.91 s | 4.56 s | 7.59 s | 35 in (0.89 m) |
9 ft 5 in (2.87 m) |
19 reps | |||
| All values from Penn State's pro day. | ||||||||||||
Seattle Seahawks
Garry signed with the Seattle Seahawks on May 10, 2014. He joined the team as an undrafted free agent. This means he was not chosen in the draft but was still offered a contract.
2014 Season with Seahawks
Garry made his first NFL appearance on September 4, 2014. He played offensive tackle against the Green Bay Packers. Later that season, he also played left guard in a game against the Oakland Raiders.
One of his most memorable moments came 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 called a fake field goal. It was his first catch and touchdown in the NFL. The Seahawks won that game in overtime.
2015 Season with Seahawks
In his second season, Garry started as a backup player. However, he soon became the starting right tackle for the Seahawks. He played in almost all of the team's offensive plays that season.
Because he played so much on a smaller contract, Garry received extra money from the NFL. This program helps players who perform well but are not paid as much as other starters. Garry received the fourth-largest amount that year, which was over $300,000.
2016 Season with Seahawks
Garry was expected to be the starting left tackle for the 2016 season. 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 lost his starting position for one game. But he returned to start the last two games of the season. He played in 14 games that year, starting 13 of them. This was his last season with the Seahawks.
San Francisco 49ers
On April 17, 2017, the San Francisco 49ers offered Garry a contract. The Seahawks decided not to match the offer, so Garry joined the 49ers.
He played in eight games for the 49ers in 2017. However, he suffered a knee injury and was placed on injured reserve. This meant he could not play for the rest of the season.
In February 2018, the 49ers signed Garry to a new two-year contract. This contract was worth $8 million. However, he was released by the 49ers in February 2019.
Personal Life
Garry Gilliam was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He has a brother, Victor, and a sister, Angel. He is married to Jocelyn Bramlett and they have one child.
Besides football, Garry enjoys working on graphic designs. He earned three college degrees from Penn State in December 2014: Business, Advertisement, and Psychology.
Garry also played javelin in high school and won a conference championship. In late 2019, he started a program called 'The Bridge'. This program takes old, unused buildings in Harrisburg and turns them into 'Eco-Villages'. These are communities designed to be friendly to the environment.
