Alabama Football: 30 Tide Greats who exceeded their 3-Star high school rankings

Alabama football players who exceeded 3 star ranking: 7. Wallace Gilberry

• Bay Minette, AL
• Defensive Line (2003-2007)
• 2003 Player Ranking: No. 342 Rated Player in the Nation
• 2007 All-SEC First Team
• No. 2 Alabama football Career Tackles for a Loss

If a writer searched for a main character to include in a story about the magic of Alabama football, Wallace Gilberry would be perfect. There are many words to describe Gilberry. Generous and resilient would be two. Two more are determined and lucky.

Coming out of Baldwin County High School in South Alabama, no division one school had any interest in Gilberry. In the transition between Mike Price and Mike Shula, all Alabama football scholarships were already awarded.

Then two very fortunate events occurred for Wallace Gilberry. He was offered a slot in the Alabama vs. Mississippi All-Star Game. Gilberry played well in the game. Another fortunate event occurred for Wallace. An incoming Tide player chose professional baseball rather than Alabama football. Mike Shula used that scholarship to make Wallace Gilberry his first signee.

Gilberry redshirted in 2003. In his four-year playing career for Alabama football, Gilberry played in 50 games, with 38 starts.

Gilberry was not drafted in 2008, but he signed a free-agent contract with the New York Giants. He failed to make the team. Later in the 2008 season, he made his NFL debut with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Through a ten-season NFL career, Gilberry played in 124 games, including 23 starts.