{{Short description|American football player (1940–2004)}} {{Use American English|date=June 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox gridiron football biography | name = Gary Ballman | image = Ballman-Gary-1972.jpg | upright = .85 | caption = Ballman in 1972 | number = 48, 82, 85 | position = Wide receiver | birth_date = {{birth date|1940|7|6|mf=y}} | birth_place = Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2004|05|20|1940|07|06}} | death_place = Aurora, Colorado, U.S. | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 1 | weight_lb = 215 | high_school = East Detroit {{avoid wrap|(Eastpointe, Michigan)}} | college = Michigan State | draftyear = 1962 | draftround = 8 | draftpick = 104 | afldraftyear = 1962 | afldraftround = 16 | afldraftpick = 122 | pastteams = * Pittsburgh Steelers ({{NFL Year|1962|1966}}) * Philadelphia Eagles ({{NFL Year|1967|1972}}) * New York Giants ({{NFL Year|1973}}) * Minnesota Vikings (1973) | highlights = * 2× Pro Bowl (1964, 1965) | statlabel1 = Receptions | statvalue1 = 323 | statlabel2 = Receiving yards | statvalue2 = 5,366 | statlabel3 = Receiving touchdowns | statvalue3 = 37 | pfr = BallGa00 }}
'''Gary John Ballman''' (July 6, 1940 – May 20, 2004) was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). Ballman played college football for the Michigan State Spartans before playing halfback and wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1962 to 1966, making the Pro Bowl the final two seasons.
==Biography==
Gary Ballman was born July 6, 1940, in Detroit, Michigan.
He played football collegiately at Michigan State University, joining the Spartans' varsity squad as starting right halfback in 1959 as a sophomore.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-spartan-grid-squad/151142428/ "'S' Grid Squad Showing Results of Hard Work,"] ''Lansing State Journal,'' April 24, 1960, p. S1.</ref>
Ballaman remains among the Pittsburgh Steelers' career leaders in kickoffs (64 returns for 1,711 yards), with the second-best average of 26.7. His 93-yard return against Washington on November 17, 1963, is tied for seventh-longest in team history. He played for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1967 to 1972, then split his final season between the New York Giants and the Minnesota Vikings.
He later worked for the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) until 1979 before moving to Colorado, where he worked as a building products salesman until his retirement in 2003.<ref name=Obit>[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-gary-ballman-63/151130557/ "Gary Ballman, 63; Twice Played in Pro Bowl While With Steelers,"] ''Los Angeles Times,'' May 31, 2004, p. B7.</ref>
On May 20, 2004, Ballman was stricken while mowing his lawn at home in Aurora, Colorado, and died at the age of 63.<ref name=Obit />
==NFL career statistics== {| class="wikitable mw-collapsible" ! colspan="2"| Legend |- | style="background:#cfecec; width:3em;"| | Led the league |- | '''Bold''' | Career high |}
===Regular season=== {|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2"| Year ! rowspan="2"| Team ! colspan="2"| Games ! colspan="5"| Receiving |- ! GP !! GS !! Rec !! Yds !! Avg !! Lng !! TD |- ! 1962 !! PIT | 3 || 2 || 0 || 0 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 |- ! 1963 !! PIT | '''14''' || 4 || 26 || 492 || 18.9 || 67 || 5 |- ! 1964 !! PIT | 13 || '''13''' || '''47''' || '''935''' || 19.9 || 47 || '''7''' |- ! 1965 !! PIT | '''14''' || 12 || 40 || 859 || '''21.5''' || '''87''' || 5 |- ! 1966 !! PIT | 13 || '''13''' || 41 || 663 || 16.2 || 79 || 5 |- ! 1967 !! PHI | 12 || 12 || 36 || 524 || 14.6 || 67 || 6 |- ! 1968 !! PHI | 12 || 12 || 30 || 341 || 11.4 || 55 || 4 |- ! 1969 !! PHI | '''14''' || '''13''' || 31 || 492 || 15.9 || 80 || 2 |- ! 1970 !! PHI | '''14''' || '''13''' || 47 || 601 || 12.8 || 26 || 3 |- ! 1971 !! PHI | 6 || 6 || 13 || 238 || 18.3 || 57 || 0 |- ! 1972 !! PHI | 8 || 4 || 9 || 183 || 20.3 || 43 || 0 |- ! rowspan="2"|1973 !! NYG | 3 || 0 || 1 || 16 || 16.0 || 16 || 0 |- ! MIN | 5 || 0 || 2 || 22 || 11.0 || 12 || 0 |- ! colspan="2"| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BallGa00.htm Career] !! 131 !! 104 !! 323 !! 5,366 !! 16.6 !! 87 !! 37 |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070928125029/http://www.rmnfla.com/gary_ballman.htm Gary Ballman article]
{{Steelers1962DraftPicks}} {{Broncos1962DraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ballman, Gary}} Category:1940 births Category:2004 deaths Category:American football wide receivers Category:Pittsburgh Steelers players Category:Philadelphia Eagles players Category:Minnesota Vikings players Category:New York Giants players Category:Eastern Conference Pro Bowl players Category:Michigan State Spartans football players Category:Players of American football from Detroit