Thom Gossom Jr

Thomas Gossom Jr (born January 21, 1952 in Birmingham) is a communications professional, writer, actor, and former football player.

Gossom grew up in Birmingham and was a standout receiver at John Carroll Christian High School. He was not recruited by colleges and decided to walk on at Auburn University. He earned a scholarship, lettered three times at split end, and became the first Black athlete to graduate from Auburn with a bachelor of arts in communication. He contributed a regular column, "First and 10 with Thomas Gossom", to the Plainsman during his senior year.

During his junior year at Auburn he and two other Black players were briefly dismissed from the team until they shaved off their mustaches. In the 1974 Iron Bowl, the final game of his senior season, Gossom faked out Alabama defender Mike Washington for a 42-yard touchdown catch that was called back because the backfield judge ruled he had stepped on the sideline before the catch.

After graduating, Gossom played briefly in the World Football League and

receiver for the Auburn Tigers football team, and a former actor.

Publications

• Gossom, Thom Jr (2010) Walk-On: My Reluctant Journey to Integration at Auburn University. State Street Press

References

• Henderson, Jeremy (November 9, 2015) "That time all of Auburn’s black athletes staged a walkout over mustaches" The War Eagle Reader