SEC Football history: 50 best players of all time
By Brad Weiss
Bob Gain. 40. player. 833. . DL and OL. Wildcats
40. Best SEC football players of all time: Bob Gain, Kentucky football
Back in the late 1940s and early 1950s, the University of Kentucky had a do-everything player along their offensive and defensive lines. Bob Gain was a standout player for the Wildcats, playing both sides of the ball, and even served as the team’s placekicker.
The first SEC player to ever win the Outland Trophy, given to the best interior lineman in college football, Gain was an All-American in both 1949 and 1950, being named a consensus All-American his final season. The captain of an SEC-winning Wildcats squad, he is considered one of the best players in Kentucky football history.
Playing for head coach Bear Bryant, Gain helped the Wildcats to their first three bowl games, while being named All-SEC three times. A legend for the Wildcats, Gain has his jersey retired by the program, and in 1980, he was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.
Gain was a first-round selection of the Green Bay Packers, deciding instead to play in the CFL for a season. Once in the NFL with the Chicago Bears, he was a five-time Pro Bowler, and won three NFL Championships, capping an unbelievable playing career.