Gil Skeate

Gilbert T. Skeate (May19, 1901January30, 1952) was an American professional football fullback. He played college football for the Gonzaga Bulldogs and later one season in the National Football League (NFL) for the Green Bay Packers. He also played semi-professionally for a team in Tacoma, Washington, and for an American Legion team in Aberdeen, Washington.

Early life Skeate was born on May19, 1901, in Staples, Minnesota. He attended Aberdeen High School in Washington where he began playing football by 1917 and was team captain in 1920. He was starting fullback for Aberdeen and helped them become one of the best teams in the state in his senior year, 1920. In between his years at Aberdeen, he served in World War I for the United States Marine Corps. After high school, Skeate began attending Gonzaga University and played for their football team in 1921. The Spokane Chronicle described him as "fast ... [with] a fine eye for the line openings," and he saw some action as a starter for Gonzaga that year. He was also used as their punter, although he missed some time due to injury.

Skeate continued playing fullback for Gonzaga in 1922. He acquired a skin disease in the summer of 1923 that prevented him from playing in the start of the 1923 football season. Soon after, he made had his "big moment" and was a key part of Gonzaga's win over Washington State. He continued playing for Gonzaga in 1924 and helped them defeat Washington State again.

At Gonzaga, Skeate was nicknamed "Gib". Outside of football, he worked in the lumber business. He said that "Playing on a college team is like fooling around compared to the pro game. When you play pro ball you play: if you don't you won't be there long." He was still with the American Legion team by 1930, with the Associated Press noting that "Fourteen years of football have only made Gilbert Skeate ... play better than ever." He was a member of the Elks Lodge. He was married to Esther Skeate and had two daughters with her. He lived his last years in Republic, Washington, and died in Spokane on January30, 1952, at the age of 50.