Horace Gillom - Later Life and Death

Later Life and Death

Gillom attempted a return to football in 1961, trying out for a spot on the New York Titans of the American Football League, a circuit formed the previous year. He was released, however, before playing in a game. He moved to Los Angeles in the 1964 and worked at the city's recreation department as a security guard. He was a "trouble chaser" who patrolled the city's parks without a uniform or weapon. "Any playground having trouble they call on me," he said in 1970. "The last one was a gang fight two weeks ago at a pool in Highland Park."

Gillom lived in Los Angeles for the rest of his life. He died in 1985 of a heart attack suffered while working as a security guard at a hospital. He had a son and a daughter with his wife, Mamie. Gillom was named a Browns Legend in 2007, an honor given by the team to the best players in its history. He was inducted into Stark County, Ohio's high school football hall of fame in 2009. Gillom still holds the Browns record for longest punt, at 80 yards, and is second in career punting yards behind Don Cockroft.