Gary Glick, one of the true legends of CSU football, died Wednesday at age 84.
Glick was the star player on the last truly great Colorado A&M team. The 1955 Aggies won the Mountain States Conference championship, beating rival Colorado 10-0 in the season finale to clinch the title.
Do-everything player
“Gary was an unbelievable football player,” said Bill Woods (BA Physical Education ’58), who played on the freshman football team in 1954. “I mean, he could do anything – pass, kick, run, play defense. I’m sure if they had needed someone to play guard, he could have played guard, too. He was on the field all the time, and he was always in the middle of everything.”
Glick, who grew up on a dairy farm outside Fort Collins in tiny LaPorte, graduated from Cache la Poudre High School before entering the Navy and serving in the Korean War. Glick played service football, basketball and softball and, in 1950, was named Navy athlete of the year.
Standout senior season
Glick, who graduated from A&M with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physical education, played halfback, kicker, linebacker, end and quarterback for legendary coach Bob Davis. He starred for three years but really came into his own in 1955. He was a second-team All-American, led the nation with eight interceptions and was invited to play in three postseason all-star games.
His capped his brilliant collegiate career by scoring all of the points – on a touchdown run, extra point and field goal – in A&M’s 10-0 win over CU. That win secured the school’s last conference title before Sonny Lubick’s 1994 CSU Rams won the Western Athletic Conference championship – a span of 39 years.
Historic pick
Following his senior season, Glick was selected as a defensive back by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the first pick in the 1956 NFL draft. He remains the only CSU player – and the only defensive back – to be taken with the No. 1 pick.
Following a seven-year NFL career. Glick began a long tenure in coaching that included stops in the NFL, Canadian Football League and college. He was part of the inaugural class of the CSU Sports Hall of Fame in 1988 and was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1992.
Community leader
After retiring from coaching, Glick was heavily involved with Easter Seals of Colorado and was a member of the NFL Alumni Chapter of Denver and past vice-president of that organization’s charity golf tournament. He was a successful businessman and familiar face at CSU sporting events for many years.
He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Colleen; daughter Carol (Barry) Wells of Greeley; sons Ron (Lela) of Fort Collins, and Denny (Tammi), of LaPorte; eight grandchildren: Angie (Jed) Stugart, Jared (Dana) Glick, Jami (Matt) Bailey, Brian (Amanda) Wells, Josh (Megan) Glick, Zachary (Jennifer) Glick, Garett and Brandt Glick; and 13 great-grandkids: Gunner, Gracie, Dawson, Addilyn, Kaedence, Alexis, Huston, Shyan, Kodi, Presley, Reyah, Johnny and Zander.
Open house
The public is invited to a celebration of life from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday in the Legends Room at the Fort Collins Hilton, 425 W. Prospect Road.
