Gil Mains (deceased)
Born in Mt. Carmel, IL
Attended Mt. Carmel HS in Illinois
College-Murray State
Professional Team: Detroit Lions 1953-1961 (9 years)
Position: Defensive end, Defensive tackle, Tackle
Gil Mains played four outstanding seasons (1948-51) with the Murray State University Thoroughbreds in Kentucky and was named to the Ohio Valley Conference Team in 1950 and as their captain in 1951. Mains is a member of the Murray State Athletic Hall of Fame. He was drafted by the Lions in 1951 out of Murray State University but he had to fulfill a two-year obligation in the U.S. Army where he served during the Korean War before joining the Lions. He was a Detroit Lion player from 1953-1961, with two World Championships in1953 and 1957 and a Division Championship in 1954. He holds the record for the largest Super bowl/Championship ring past or present-a size 22-which a quarter will drop through the center. Mains played nine seasons as a defensive tackle and special teams member with the Lions. When he joined the Lion’s in 1953, Gil would jump feet first into the wedge on kickoff off returns and is still known today as one of the greatest legends in NFL history for special teams plays. In nine seasons with the NFL Gil never missed a kickoff. Art Donovan regarded him as one of the most feared and aggressive players in the NFL on the field and one of the most respected and well-mannered off the field. John Madden was quoted as saying, “he was the greatest wedge breaker of all time”. As he jumped feet first into the wedge and took out all four players the announcers said, “that is Gil Mains a Murray State Thoroughbred” and the other announcer said, “no that’s a “Wild Hoss”. Pay in the NFL being what it was in those days and to stay in shape in the off season, Mains spent two off-seasons as a professional wrestler, winning all but three of 193 matches against the likes of Gorgeous George, Lord Layton and Whipper Billy Watson.
Gil was also known for his generosity and keeping local Detroit charities functional. The Wayne State University football program would be non-existent without Gil’s fundraising and he helped found the Tartar Gridiron Club. He was also a member of the Wayne State University Hall of Fame. Gil Mains was inducted into the Wayne State Athletic Hall of Fame in 1996 as a contributor/builder for his lifetime efforts in support of Tartar Football. Mains was a founder of the Tartar Gridiron Club in the late 1980s. The club’s sole purpose is the survival of Tartar football. Among it’s fund raising efforts each year is the Annual Golf Outing that Mains helped spearhead. The Golf Outing is still held annually, and Mains was among its top supporters. Besides the Gridiron Club, Mains also assisted WSU’s Gas House Gang, its original varsity lettermen’s club, in its charity events. Mains was also a member of The Tartar 100, an organization of community leaders who support Tartar football. In 1994, the City of Detroit and Mayor Dennis Archer recognized Mains’ outstanding contributions to Wayne State University and Tartar Athletics. Citing his tenacity to rejuvenating the Wayne State football program. Archer remarked “but not for (Gil) Wayne State would not have a football team today and hundreds of young men would be looking to the streets instead of the field.”
Mains’ charity efforts do not stop at Wayne State. A long-time supporter of Detroit, he was a member and leader in the “Hands That Care” organization that each year makes up packages that are distributed to hundreds of senior citizens at nursing homes in the city and metropolitan area. In 1994, the Michigan House of Representatives bestowed its “Big Hearted American” Award to Mains for his leadership of “Hands That Care.” Speaker of the House Rep. Curtis Hertel noted in the tribute that Mains is a “role model looked to as a successful individual who has worked hard and has earned the admirations of his peers and others” and commended him “for improving the quality of life” in Michigan.
Mains was also a driving force in creating the Detroit Lions NFL Alumni organization. He served in several leadership roles with that organization, including as its president. Mains was chairman of his own business, RMF Global, Inc., that is located in Toledo. Among its operations are industrial contracting, commercial and industrial construction management, industrial services, and site remediation. Mains and his wife, Doloris, resided in Sylvania, Ohio, and are parents of four children, Gilbert Jr., Michael, Melissa Gremm, and William Arthur.