Gil Skeate
{{Short description|American football player (1901–1952)}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Gil Skeate
| image = Gil Skeate, 1922.png
| caption = Skeate, {{circa|1922}}
| position = Fullback
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1901|5|19}}
| birth_place = Staples, Minnesota, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1952|01|30|1901|05|19}}
| death_place = Spokane, Washington, U.S.
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 10
| weight_lbs = 190
| high_school = Aberdeen (WA)
| college = Gonzaga (1921–1924)
| pastteams =
- Tacoma Athletic Club (1925–1926)
- Green Bay Packers ({{NFL Year|1927}})
- Aberdeen American Legion (1927–{{circa}} 1930)
| statlabel1 = Games played
| statvalue1 = 2
| pfr = SkeaGi20
}}
Gilbert T. Skeate (May{{nbsp}}19, 1901{{snd}}January{{nbsp}}30, 1952) was an American professional football fullback. He played college football for the Gonzaga Bulldogs and later one season in the National Football League (NFL) for the Green Bay Packers. He also played semi-professionally for a team in Tacoma, Washington, and for an American Legion team in Aberdeen, Washington.
Early life
Skeate was born on May{{nbsp}}19, 1901, in Staples, Minnesota.{{Cite web |title=Gil Skeate |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/SkeaGi20.htm |access-date=February 20, 2025 |publisher=Pro-Football-Reference.com}} He attended Aberdeen High School in Washington where he began playing football by 1917 and was team captain in 1920.{{Cite news |date=December 26, 1917 |title=Aberdeen High Awards Sixteen Football Letters |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-tribune/166207424/ |work=The News Tribune |page=9 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}{{Cite news |date=October 16, 1920 |title=Harbor Players Feast |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tacoma-daily-ledger/166207537/ |work=The Tacoma Daily Ledger |page=6 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} He was starting fullback for Aberdeen and helped them become one of the best teams in the state in his senior year, 1920.{{Cite news |date=September 24, 1921 |title=Skeate Showing Real Grid Stuff |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/spokane-chronicle/166207651/ |work=Spokane Chronicle |page=24 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} In between his years at Aberdeen, he served in World War I for the United States Marine Corps.{{Cite news |date=November 9, 1930 |title=Gets Better With Age |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-spokesman-review/166215714/ |work=The Spokesman-Review |page=26 |via=Newspapers.com |agency=Associated Press}} {{Open access}} After high school, Skeate began attending Gonzaga University and played for their football team in 1921.{{Cite news |date=September 23, 1921 |title=Skeate Shows As Punter |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-spokesman-review/166207998/ |work=The Spokesman-Review |page=13 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} The Spokane Chronicle described him as "fast ... [with] a fine eye for the line openings," and he saw some action as a starter for Gonzaga that year.{{Cite news |date=October 14, 1921 |title="Gib" Skeate |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-spokesman-review/166208090/ |work=The Spokesman-Review |page=14 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} He was also used as their punter, although he missed some time due to injury.{{Cite news |date=November 8, 1921 |title=Skeate Injured In Saturday Game |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/spokane-chronicle/166208314/ |work=Spokane Chronicle |page=24 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}
Skeate continued playing fullback for Gonzaga in 1922.{{Cite news |date=October 9, 1923 |title=Return of "Gib" Skeate Regarded as Good Omen |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-spokane-press/166208494/ |work=The Spokane Press |page=8 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} He acquired a skin disease in the summer of 1923 that prevented him from playing in the start of the 1923 football season. He recovered in October and returned to the football team.{{Cite news |date=October 8, 1923 |title=Skeate Recovers From Illness |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/spokane-chronicle/166213939/ |work=Spokane Chronicle |page=20 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} Soon after, he made had his "big moment" and was a key part of Gonzaga's win over Washington State.{{Cite news |date=January 31, 1952 |title=Ex-Gonzaga Grid Star Dies Here |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-spokesman-review-obituary-for-gilber/166214079/ |work=The Spokesman-Review |page=16 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} He continued playing for Gonzaga in 1924 and helped them defeat Washington State again. According to the Green Bay Press-Gazette, he was named all-northwest in his last two years at Gonzaga.{{Cite news |date=September 21, 1927 |title=Gonzaga Fullback Expected To Join Packers Saturday |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/166214743/ |work=Green Bay Press-Gazette |page=13 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}
At Gonzaga, Skeate was nicknamed "Gib". He weighed between {{convert|195|lb|kg}} and {{convert|200|lb|kg}} there and was considered "a big man for a back in those days." One of his teammates, Ray Flaherty, later said that Skeate "played fullback and quarterback and was extremely active for such a big man."
Professional career
After Skeate graduated from Gonzaga, he played semi-professional football for the Tacoma Athletic Club in Tacoma, Washington, from 1925 to 1926.{{Cite web |last=Christl, Cliff |author-link=Cliff Christl |date=June 22, 2017 |title=Why no championship trophies from 1929-31 in Packers Hall of Fame? |url=https://www.packers.com/news/why-no-championship-trophies-from-1929-31-in-packers-hall-of-fame-18988690 |access-date=February 19, 2025 |website=Packers.com}} Outside of football, he worked in the lumber business. In 1927, former Gonzaga teammate Tiny Cahoon suggested signing Skeate to Green Bay Packers head coach Curly Lambeau, with Cahoon praising Skeate's ability as a "line plunger". The Packers had difficultly contacting Skeate, who was then working at a lumber camp outside of Aberdeen, but he eventually wired on September{{nbsp}}20, "Leaving for Green Bay tonight." He arrived at Green Bay eight days later, and made his NFL debut on October{{nbsp}}2, 1927, against the Chicago Bears, appearing as a substitute for Rex Enright. He then was the team's starter one week later against the Duluth Eskimos, but afterwards was released for unknown reasons and never played in the NFL again.
After his stint with the Packers, Skeate returned to the Northwest, describing his experiences in pro football in The Oregonian.{{Cite news |date=December 9, 1927 |title=Pro Football Real Stuff |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-oregonian/166215447/ |work=The Oregonian |page=19 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} He said that "Playing on a college team is like fooling around compared to the pro game. When you play pro ball you play: if you don't you won't be there long." In December 1927, he joined the Aberdeen American Legion football team.{{Cite news |date=December 3, 1927 |title=Gib Skeate To Play In Tilt |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-tribune/166215835/ |work=The News Tribune |page=10 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} He was still with the American Legion team by 1930, with the Associated Press noting that "Fourteen years of football have only made Gilbert Skeate ... play better than ever." He was also the only member of the American Legion team that served in a war.
Later life and death
After his football career, Skeate worked as a deputy fish inspector in Washington.{{Cite news |date=March 30, 1938 |title=Fish Inspector Gets His Initial Catch |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald/166216304/ |work=The Everett Herald |page=19 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} He was a member of the Elks Lodge.{{Cite news |date=January 31, 1952 |title=Skeate |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-spokesman-review-obituary-for-gilber/166216341/ |work=The Spokesman-Review |page=39 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} He was married to Esther Skeate and had two daughters with her. He lived his last years in Republic, Washington, and died in Spokane on January{{nbsp}}30, 1952, at the age of 50.