Football Hall of Fame

An outstanding halfback for Manual High School, Earl Gant went on to a fine career as a running back at the University of Missouri and the NFL.

Earl carried 297 times and scored 10 touchdowns in three seasons for Missouri, including a 197-yard game against Oklahoma and a four-touchdown outburst against Kansas. He also ran for 110 yards against Arizona and 101 against California. All of that led the Kansas City Chiefs to select him in the fifth round of the 1979 NFL Draft.

In his rookie season, Earl rushed for 196 yards in 56 carries, playing all 16 games. He also caught 15 passes for 101 yards and one TD. Hampered by injuries, Earl’s production fell off in 1980, when he gained 32 yards in four carries while catching 24 passes for 169 yards. He retired during the 1981 preseason.