height_ft finalyear death_date debutyear article_title finalteam draftround birth_date pfr draftyear weight_lbs death_place collegehof number college debutteam name nflnew birth_place dbf position highschool height_in draftpick
6 1963 27 july 1964 1957 willie galimore
 chicago bears 5 30 march 1935 galiwi00 1956 187 rensselaer , indiana 50106 28 florida a & m chicago bears willie galimore williegalimore/2514564 st. augustine , florida galimwil01 running back st. augustine -lrb- fl -rrb- excelsior 1 58
willie galimore

willie `` the wisp '' galimore -lrb- march 30 , 1935 -- july 27 , 1964 -rrb- was an american football running back for the chicago bears from 1957 -- 1963 .
he attended florida a&m university , working with the legendary coach jake gaither .
galimore is a member of the college football hall of fame .
galimore possessed incredible speed and lateral movement ; many of the opposing players of the time stated that they believed galimore could run side-to-side down the field just as fast as most men could in a straight line .
his running style could be said to most resemble the style of billy sims or perhaps terrell davis , but faster .
in a documentary short by nfl films on galimore , it was said that he was probably the last great find before nfl scouting became sophisticated .
bears assistant coach phil handler , while scouting for talent in florida , received a tip about galimore 's prowess as a halfback , and the bears subsequently drafted him in the 5th round of the 1956 nfl draft .
galimore 's peers -lrb- including chuck bednarik and doug atkins -rrb- referred to galimore as one of the best runners they ever faced .
galimore was killed in an automobile accident on july 27 , 1964 in rensselaer , indiana at the age of 29 with teammate bo farrington .
his number 28 has been retired by the bears .
his son , ron galimore , was the first black u.s. olympic gymnast .
willie galimore 's last visit to his hometown of st. augustine , florida came just weeks before his death , and he participated in civil rights demonstrations there , becoming the first black person who was able to register as a guest at the previously all-white ponce de leon motor lodge -lrb- where the arrest of the 72 year old mother of the governor of massachusetts for trying to be served in a racially integrated group had made national headlines a few months before -rrb- .
galimore 's civil rights activism is honored with a freedom trail marker at his home at 57 chapin street in st. augustine .
his widow , mrs. audrey galimore , took part in the dedication of the marker on july 2 , 2007 .
a community center in the historic lincolnville neighborhood of the city also bears galimore 's name , and he is depicted on a historical mural painted by schoolchildren on washington street .
