Antonio Maurice Gibson (born July 5, 1962) is an American former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

safety Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...

who played for the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...

and the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL). He also was a member of the Philadelphia Stars of the

United States Football League The United States Football League (USFL) was a professional American football league that played for three seasons, 1983 through 1985. The league played a spring/summer schedule in each of its active seasons. The 1986 season was scheduled to be ...

(USFL). He played

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at the

University of Cincinnati The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati, informally Cincy) is a public university, public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1819 and had an enrollment of over 53,000 students in 2024, making it the ...

Early life

Gibson attended Murrah High School, where he practiced football and track. He enrolled at Hinds Junior College in Jackson, Mississippi. After his sophomore season, he transferred to the

. He led the team in tackles during the 1981 and 1982 seasons. He was named a team captain as a senior. He finished his career with 270 tackles and 7 interceptions. He also was a two-time AP Honorable-Mention All-American, All-Metro conference selection, and UC Bearcat Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year.

Professional career

Philadelphia Stars (USFL)

Gibson was selected by the Philadelphia Stars in the fourth round (41st overall) of the 1983 USFL Draft. He played 3 years until the league folded after the 1985 season and participated in all three USFL Championship games, winning one championship with the Philadelphia Stars and one with the Baltimore Stars.

New Orleans Saints (first stint)

1986 season

During the 1986 season, he signed as a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

with the

. He was named the starting strong safety in the fourth week of the season. He posted 75 tackles, 2 interceptions, and was named to Football Digest's All-Rookie team.

1987 season

During the 1987 season, he posted 44 tackles and one interception in 10 starts. He suffered a broken arm in the tenth game against the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

, and was placed on the

injured reserve list The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in t ...

1988 season

During the 1988 season, he registered 31 tackles, as well as a blocked field goal, during the 10 games that he played after dealing with a foot injury.

1989 season

During the 1989 season, he mostly served as a backup to Gene Atkins. He started 3 games during this season. He was a part of a defense that set eight franchise records, including fewest yards allowed and most fumbles recovered in a single-season.

Dallas Cowboys

In 1990, the

signed Gibson as a Plan B free agent. He was released before the start of the season on August 16.

Birmingham Fire (WLAF)

Gibson played for the Birmingham Fire of the

World League of American Football NFL Europe League (simply called NFL Europe and known in its final season as NFL Europa) was a professional American football league that functioned as the List of developmental and minor sports leagues, developmental minor league of the Nati ...

during the 1992 WLAF season.

New Orleans Saints (second stint)

On July 27, 1992, he signed with the

as a

. He was released before the start of the season. On November 19, he was re-signed to replace the injured Brett Maxie. He served as a backup at safety and appeared in 6 games. At the end of the season, the Saints didn't re-sign him to a contract, which made him a free agent.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gibson, Antonio 1962 births Living people Players of American football from Jackson, Mississippi American football safeties Hinds Eagles football players Cincinnati Bearcats football players New Orleans Saints players Birmingham Fire players NFL replacement players