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Jenks Gillem

1890 – 1951

American football player and coach

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About Jenks Gillem

Lived 1890 – 1951 (aged 61). Jenks Gillem was an American american football coach.

Jennings Frederick Gillem (October 6, 1890 – November 11, 1951), nicknamed "Jenks" and "Sam", was an American college football player and coach. Gillem played for the Sewanee Tigers of Sewanee: The University of the South, and was selected All-Southern in 1910, 1911, and 1912. His ability punting the football netted him a spot on an Associated Press All-Time Southeast 1869-1919 era team. In 1915 he was selected by John Heisman one of the 30 greatest Southern football players.

He served as the head football coach at Howard College—now known as Samford University (1924–1926), Birmingham–Southern College (1928–1939), and Sewanee (1940–1941), compiling a career college football record of 73–65–10. Gillem died on November 11, 1951, at a hospital in Gadsden, Alabama, after a long illness. He was 5'9" and 150 pounds.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
Sewanee: The University of the South
Employers
Birmingham–Southern College, Samford University, Sewanee: The University of the South

People in Jenks Gillem's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Jenks Gillem's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Jenks Gillem?

American football player and coach (1890–1951)

When was Jenks Gillem born?

Jenks Gillem was born on 6 October 1890 in Nashville.

When did Jenks Gillem die?

Jenks Gillem died on 11 November 1951 in Gadsden.

What was Jenks Gillem's occupation?

Jenks Gillem was an american football coach.

What nationality was Jenks Gillem?

Jenks Gillem was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Jenks Gillem

· Wikidata: Q6177660

· DBpedia: Jenks Gillem

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Jenks Gillem. https://biography.guide/jenks-gillem/

MLA: "Jenks Gillem." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/jenks-gillem/.

Chicago: "Jenks Gillem." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/jenks-gillem/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

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