Rick passed away in February 2007 at the age of 29. Aside from a loving family and hundreds of friends, he left behind a wife (Kendra) and a young daughter (Mya).

This former hometown hero was a legend at Big Spring H.S. (Newville), and later went on to play college football at West Virginia University as an offensive lineman. “I knew Rick very well. We were together for five years at WVU, and we played together for four of those years,” states Dave Carter, a defensive end for the Piranha. Carter adds, “I attended a recruiting meeting in 2007 to find out about Piranha football, and when I saw that the first game was the Rick Gilliam Memorial Bowl, that’s all I needed to see. I said sign me up! It’s almost like it was calling for me to be here with the Piranha to honor Rick. I loved him like a brother.”

A true testament to the character and kind of person that Rick Gilliam was, could be described by the amount of people that showed up to honor him at his viewing. Thousands of people were in attendance, and the display of respect lasted for well over four hours. That pretty much sums up Rick Gilliam in a nutshell.

“Rick was always smiling, and he made everyone around him smile,” states former high school teammate, Matt Eisenberg. Piranha head coach / owner, Ron Kerr, was a co-worker with Gilliam at the Cumberland County Sheriff’s office. Kerr comments, “He was like a ‘Gentle Giant,’ and he had plenty of time for everyone. He only had to meet you once, and you were his friend. The next time he saw you, he would remember your name, and treat you like he’d known you forever.”

The Rick Gilliam Memorial Bowl was created by Ron Kerr to honor a man who loved life and lived it the right way. It was also created to benefit Rick's immediate family. A majority of the proceeds from this game will be donated to the Rick Gilliam Family.