Harry Gilmer and Donald Salls Named 2003 Bryant Alumni-Athlete Award Recipients

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Former Crimson Tide football stars Harry Gilmer and Donald Salls will receive The University of Alabama National Alumni Association’s (NAA) Paul W. Bryant Alumni-Athlete Award at the Alabama-Oklahoma football game in Tuscaloosa on Sept. 6.

The criteria for selection of the award given to a former Alabama athlete include character, contribution to society, professional achievement or success and service to humanity. Presenting the award at the halftime ceremony will be UA President Robert Witt, Athletic Director Mal Moore, NAA President Jim Givan, NAA President-elect Andre Taylor, UA Director of Alumni Affairs Pat Whetstone and A-Club President Lamonde Russell.

One of the Tide’s all-time greats, Gilmer was a three-time All-America and All-SEC honoree. He was named the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year in 1945. While playing for legendary Tide coach Frank Thomas, he passed for 3,108 yards and 32 touchdowns. He added 25 more scores on the ground during his career. The versatile quarterback did almost everything for Alabama, leading the team in passing, rushing, punting, punt returns, kickoff returns and passes intercepted. Under Gilmer’s leadership, Alabama finished the 1945 season with an undefeated 10-0 record and ranked 3rd in the nation.

His successful professional career rivaled that of his career here at The Capstone. He was selected first in the 1948 Pro Draft by the Washington Redskins, and was the first UA player to ever be the first pick in the draft. Following an outstanding nine-year playing career with the Redskins and Detroit Lions, he went into coaching. After two assistant coaching stops in Pittsburgh and Minnesota, he established another “first” for a former Alabama player. Hired by Detroit in 1965, he became the first Tide player to become a head coach in the NFL.

Dr. Donald Salls played football for the Tide’s 1941 National Championship squad. Despite being undersized even for those times, Salls was able to make the Alabama first team at fullback and linebacker. His 1941 team was named champions by the Houlgate Index System which was used in Illustrated Football and The Football Thesaurus, two popular football magazines of the time. Alabama capped off the season with a victory over Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl. He scored many touchdowns in his playing career, the most famous coming on a 76-yard interception return against Kentucky in 1940.

Salls graduated with a degree in physical education from UA in 1942, and earned a graduate degree in the same field in 1946. After leaving the University he was offered the opportunity to become the head football coach at Jacksonville State University with the ranking of an associate professor. He accepted the position and over a 22-year career he led the Gamecocks to 7 conference titles. He was the winningest coach in JSU football history. Salls, who was awarded the title of professor emeritus at JSU, is a member of the JSU Athletic Hall of Fame, The Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and The Westchester County (New York) Hall of Fame.

In 1962, Salls pioneered a national program of isometric exercises which has been featured in The Reader’s Digest, national newspapers and on national television programs. He has served as president of three corporations in conjunction with this business, and authored “Live and Love To Be 100,” in 1995.

Past recipients of the Bryant Award have included John Croyle, Jerry Duncan, Charlie Boswell, Fred Sington, Lee Roy Jordan, Hoyt “Wu” Winslett, Bart Starr, Wendell Hudson and Ozzie Newsome.