'83 Chronology-Second Chances

Event Date: January 26th, 1983

Event Description: Gold Sign Gilliam

Source: New York Times

He had one of the most promising starts of any quarterback in professional football, but an admitted drug addiction and other problems cut short the career of Joe Gilliam with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In recent years, the man who set single-game club records in 1974 by completing 31 of 50 passes for 348 yards has been working as a longshoreman in New Orleans. 

But the 31-year-old Gilliam says his troubles are behind him, and now he's going to have an opportunity to prove it. He has been signed by the Denver Gold of the United States Football League. ''He's straightened out his life,'' said the Gold's head coach, Red Miller, ''and I'm going to give him another chance.''

In other USFL news;

Andy Johnson, the New England Patriot running back, may become the second National Football League player to jump to the United States Football League. Officials of the Boston Breakers said yesterday that they were ''close'' to signing Johnson, who was one of the dissidents in a seasonlong dispute with Ron Meyer, the Patriots' rookie head coach. Stan White, the Detroit Lion linebacker, became the first active N.F.L. player to jump to the new league, by signing with the Chicago Blitz.

Story-(New York Times)