Riley Gunnels

{{Short description|American football player (1937–2024)}}

{{Use American English|date=December 2024}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{Infobox gridiron football person

| name = Riley Gunnels

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1937|8|24}}

| birth_place = Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age |2024|12|9|1937|8|24}}

| death_place = Somers Point, New Jersey, U.S.

| team =

| number = 74, 61

| status =

| position1 = Defensive end

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 3

| weight_lb = 253

| high_school = Calhoun {{avoid wrap|(Calhoun, Georgia)}}

| college = Georgia

| NFLDraftedYear = 1959

| NFLDraftedRound = 10

| NFLDraftedPick = 115

| NFLDraftedTeam = Pittsburgh Steelers

| playing_years1 = 1960–1964

| playing_team1 = Philadelphia Eagles

| playing_years2 = 1965–1966

| playing_team2 = Pittsburgh Steelers

| career_highlights = * NFL champion (1960)

| DatabaseFootball = GUNNERIL01

}}

John Riley Gunnels Jr. (August 24, 1937 – December 9, 2024) was an American professional football player who was a defensive end for seven seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played his high school football in the late 1950s at Calhoun High School in Calhoun, Georgia, where he grew up.[http://ghsfha.org/nflplayers.php?gSchool=Calhoun Georgia High School Players in the NFL] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717004011/http://ghsfha.org/nflplayers.php?gSchool=Calhoun|date=July 17, 2011}} He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs.

Gunnels died in South Jersey on December 9, 2024, at the age of 87.[https://www.godfreyfuneralhome.com/obituaries/John-Riley-Gunnels-Jr?obId=34060713 Obituary of John Riley Gunnels, Jr.]