Stephon Gilmore has received acclaim in the world of sports for two things; one of which is he belongs to the group of highest-earning cornerbacks in the game of American football and secondly, for his devotion to the game, which is not just admirable but also enviable.
The hunger with which Gilmore plays the sport is evident in the records of his gameplay, and how much of his life he has dedicated to it, and all this hard work has not been in vain. The cornerback has at least one Super Bowl as well as multiple Pro-Bowl honors to his credit. His name is also being touted as a potential Hall of Famer.
Juggling Babysitting Duties with Football
On the 19th of September in 1990, Stephon Stiles Gilmore was born to Linda and Steve Gilmore in Rock Hill, South Carolina, where he also spent his childhood. He was the first child of his parents, who had five more kids after they had him, and because of his status as the first child, the mantle of caring for his siblings was passed to him as his parents had very busy lives trying to provide for their brood of two boys and four girls.
As most of Stephon’s time was spent caring for his siblings, his desire to visit the gym frequently was thwarted, until he enrolled at South Pointe High school and channeled his hunger for physical activity into the football, basketball and track events. His career in football began in South Pointe where he played the positions of the quarterback on the offense and the defensive back.
While he was on the team in his senior year, Stephon helped his school secure a perfect record of 15-0 with his 23 touchdowns and 1,331 rushing yards. He was given numerous awards for his prowess on the field as well as his excellent performances on the track. All of this contributed to him getting the 2nd position on the list of prospective football players who graduated from high school in South Carolina in the year 2009.
Moving from South Carolina University to the Buffalo Bills
Of the four universities who had their eyes on him, Stephon Gilmore chose to attend South Carolina University, most likely to stay closer to home for as long as he possibly could. It was during his time at SCU that he was assigned the position of cornerback, which was rarely assigned to a freshman. The young lad succeeded at playing that position with a total of 52 tackles and 9 passes in one year. This feat gave him recognition in the football community.
In 2012 Stephon Gilmore joined the NFL draft and was picked up in the first round by the Buffalo Bills who signed him to a four-year contract. He was the 10th pick of the draft that year and went on to impress with a total of 61 tackles (52 solo), 16 pass deflections, and one interception in his rookie season.
The South Carolina native continued in this stead for the next four years with the Bills and showed consistent improvement each year. By the time he arrived in his last season with the franchise i.e. 2016, Stephon gave an impressive 48 tackles (42 solo), 12 pass deflections, and five interceptions. This fetched him his first Pro Bowl honors.
Super Bowl Triumph with the New England Patriots
After five fruitful years with the Buffalo Bills, Stephon Gilmore bade farewell to his teammates and fans and joined the New England Patriots in March 2017. The cornerback has remained there till date and has continued to dish out impeccable performances for his new employers.
In his second season with the Patriots (2018), Gilmore contributed 45 tackles (40 solo), 20 pass deflections and 2 interceptions as the team made it all the way to the Super Bowl. In the Super Bowl game itself, he intercepted a pass from L.A. Rams star QB, Jared Goff, as the Patriots went on to clinch the trophy. This feat fetched his second Pro Blow honors as well as his maiden First-Team All-Pro selection.
Gilmore received his third Pro Bowl honors as well as his second First-Team All-Pro selection in 2019 and this was for his outstanding 53 tackles (44 solo), 20 pass deflections, and 6 Interceptions. These impressive numbers also fetched him the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award (he is just the 6th cornerback to achieve such) as well as the PFWA Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Career Earnings and Contracts Thus Far
Stephon Gilmore is one of the highest-paid football players, and this began with his time with the Buffalo Bills where his contract was for $12.8 million with a bonus of $7.22 million. This deal paid him about $3 million per annum and in 2016, the Bills handed him a one-off fifth-year payment of $11.08 million.
The next contract that Stephon signed in his career was with the New England Patriots in March 2017. The five-year contract was priced at $65 million, with a bonus of $18 million and a guaranteed sum of $40 million guarantee fee. This deal pays him an average salary of about $13 million and enabled him to appear on Forbes list of the highest-paid athletes in the world in 2017 with total combined earnings of $29.3 million ($200,000 of which came from his endorsement deal with Nike).
Gilmore’s deal with the Patriots remains in place and going by Spotrac estimates, he has made about $65.072 million in career earnings. His net worth is estimated at $29 million.
The Cornerback Is Married To An Athletically-Gifted Wife
There is a very good chance that Gilmore’s children will turn out to be superior athletes and this is because both of their parents are accomplished in sports. The NFL star is happily married to a college track star named Gabrielle Glenn. Gabrielle Elisa Glenn is a native of Charlotte, North, and was born on the 28th of January 1989. Her parents’ names are Gregory and Jacqueline Glenn.
Gabrielle attended South Carolina University and studied psychology. She was also a standout athlete during her four years, 2008-2011, at the instruction. She ran track, 60m, 100m, and 200m, and received several accolades. As a freshman, Gabrielle placed fifth in the USA Junior Nationals 100m and was part of the national team that won gold in 4x100m at the World Junior Championships.
During her sophomore year, the young lady won a bronze medal at the NCAA Outdoor Championships 4x100m relay. She also won a silver medal during the SEC outdoor and NCAA region east 4x100m relay team. As a junior, Gabrielle won silver medals in the SEC 4x400m relay indoors and 4x100m relay outdoors races.
Stephon and his wife first met while they were in college and tied the knot on the 12th of July 2014. The couple now has two children together, a son; Sebastian, and a daughter; Gisele, and are committed to doing right by their kids. They also embark on regular charity drives, either by themselves or with the Patriots family.
Gilmore also maintains close relations with his parents and five siblings, namely sisters, Sabrina, Sierra, Scarlet, and Savannah as well as brother, Steven. The cornerback even got a tattoo of their family tree on his left arm and has revealed that his parents raised him right while his siblings always had his back. All these love and support have contributed to making him the man he is today.
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