NFF National Scholar-Athletes
A four-year letterman at free safety under College Football Hall of Fame quarterback turned head coach Steve Spurrier at Florida, Michael Gilmore helped the Gators to a 40-10-1 record, three SEC Eastern Division titles, two SEC titles and victories in the 1992 Gator Bowl and 1994 Sugar Bowl. The recipient of the 1994 Fergie Ferguson Award as the senior football player who displays outstanding leadership, character and courage, he recorded two interceptions in the 28-13 win over Alabama in the 1993 SEC Championship. The team leader in interceptions that season (4), Gilmore accumulated nine in his career. A two-time First Team Academic All-American, he compiled a 3.68 GPA in zoology and made the President’s Honor Roll. A four-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll, Gilmore was also a part of Golden Key, Blue Key and Mortar Board.
After graduating magna cum laude, Gilmore was accepted to the University of Florida School of Medicine. He completed his internship and residency at the University of Florida Orthopedic Institute, where he became chief resident. During his residency, Gilmore combined his passion for sports and medicine as one of the researchers for the air-cooled Temperature Management System shoulder pads used by high school, college and pro football teams across the country. He is now a board certified orthopedic surgeon at Panhandle Orthopedics in Crestview, Fla.
