Rose Bowl Hall of Fame
1946 Rose Bowl Game
1995 Inductee
Harry Gilmer is described as one of the all-time football legends at Alabama. Gilmer’s arm was expected to test USC in the 1946 Rose Bowl Game, but instead it was his running ability that sunk the Trojans.
The Player of the Game, Gilmer carried the ball 16 times for 116 yards and one touchdown as the Crimson Tide rolled over USC 34–14. The Tide amassed 351 yards to USC’s 41. Gilmer was an All-American and the SEC player of the year that season, and his 16 career interceptions remains among the highest totals in school history. In 1946, he led the team in passing, rushing, interceptions, punt returns and kickoff returns.
Gilmer went on to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft in 1948 by the Washington Redskins. He played for the Redskins from 1948 to 1954, then was traded to the Detroit Lions, for whom he played during the 1955 and 1956 seasons. He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1973 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1993.
