View source for Gerald Tinker

{{Short description|American football player and track athlete (born 1951)}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{MedalTableTop}}
{{MedalSport | Men's [[Sport of athletics|athletics]]}}
{{MedalCountry|{{flagu|United States}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Athletics at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[1972 Summer Olympics|1972 Munich]] | [[Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100 m relay]]}}
{{MedalBottom}}
'''Gerald Alexander Tinker''' (born January 19, 1951) is an American former [[Track and field athletics|track athlete]] and [[American football|football]] player. He won a gold medal in the [[4 × 100 metres relay]] at the [[1972 Summer Olympics]].

==Early years==
Gerald Tinker attended [[Coral Gables Senior High School]] in [[Coral Gables, Florida]], where he excelled as a [[High school football|football]] and track athlete. In 1967, Tinker, along with quarterback [[Craig Curry (quarterback)|Craig Curry]] and Bertram Taylor, was part of an all-black backfield at the previously all-white school. The team was rated the team of the century by the [[FHSAA]].<ref name="Ghosts of Orange Bowl">{{cite news |title=Ghosts of the Orange Bowl: Nick Kotys |url=http://miamisouthpaw.blogspot.com/2009/08/ghosts-of-orange-bowl-nick-kotys.html |access-date=November 15, 2018 |date=August 8, 2009}}</ref>

==Sprinting career==
Running for the [[Kent State Golden Flashes track and field]] team, Tinker won the 1973 [[60 yards at the NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships]].<ref>{{Cite news | author = Neil Amdur |date=1973-03-10 |title=KEOGH CAPTURES 2-MILE RUN TITLE |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/03/10/archives/keogh-captures-2mile-run-title-jasper-beats-herold-by-7-yards-as.html |access-date=2024-05-31 |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

At the [[1972 Summer Olympics]], Gerald Tinker ran the third leg in the American 4 × 100 metres relay team, which won a gold medal and equalled the United States' own [[world record]] of 38.19.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gerald Tinker Bio and Stats |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ti/gerald-tinker-1.html |work=Online Database |publisher=Sports Reference |access-date=October 28, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110909192647/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ti/gerald-tinker-1.html |archive-date=September 9, 2011 }}</ref>  His cousin, [[Larry Black (sprinter)|Larry Black]], also ran a leg in that same relay. Larry Black attended [[Miami Killian High School]] where he also was a track star. His school was a football rival of Coral Gables Senior High School that Gerald attended. Despite that, both teamed up to help win Olympic Gold.

==NFL career==
{{Infobox NFL biography
| image       =
| number      = 81, 82
| position    = [[Wide receiver]]
| birth_date  = {{birth date and age|1951|01|19}}
| birth_place = [[Miami, Florida]], U.S.
| death_date  = 
| height_ft   = 5
| weight_lb   = 173
| height_in   = 9
| high_school = [[Coral Gables Senior High School|Coral Gables Senior]]<br>([[Coral Gables, Florida]])
| college     = [[Kent State Golden Flashes football|Kent State]]/[[Memphis Tigers football|Memphis]]
| draftyear   = 1974
| draftround  = 2
| draftpick   = 44
| teams       =
* [[Atlanta Falcons]] ({{NFL Year|1974|1975}})
* [[Green Bay Packers]] (1975)
| statlabel1  = [[Reception (American football)|Receptions]]
| statvalue1  = 8
| statlabel2  = [[Reception (American football)|Receiving yards]]
| statvalue2  = 133
| statlabel3  = [[Touchdown|Total TDs]]
| statvalue3  = 3
| pfr         = TinkGe00 
}}

After the Olympics, Tinker was selected by the [[Atlanta Falcons]] in the 2nd round (44th overall) of the [[1974 NFL draft]] as [[wide receiver]]. He played for the Falcons (1974–1975) and the [[Green Bay Packers]] (1975).<ref>{{cite web|title=Gerald Tinker NFL & AFL Statistics|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/T/TinkGe00.htm|work=Online Database|publisher=Pro Football Reference|access-date=October 28, 2011}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
 
{{Footer Olympic Champions 4x100 m Men|1972}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 1972 Summer Olympics}}
{{Atlanta Falcons 1974 draft navbox}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tinker, Gerald}}
[[Category:1951 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Coral Gables, Florida]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Miami]]
[[Category:Track and field athletes from Miami]]
[[Category:American male sprinters]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1972 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in track and field]]
[[Category:American football return specialists]]
[[Category:American football wide receivers]]
[[Category:Atlanta Falcons players]]
[[Category:Green Bay Packers players]]
[[Category:Kent State Golden Flashes football players]]
[[Category:Memphis Tigers football players]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1972 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:Kent State Golden Flashes men's track and field athletes]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]
[[Category:Memphis Tigers men's track and field athletes]]
[[Category:Coral Gables Senior High School alumni]]

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