Tony Gilbert attended Santa Barbara High School from 1975-78 and excelled in track, basketball and football.
In his senior year, Gilbert won the Eddie Mathews award for the best all-around athlete, was named the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table Athlete of the Year and qualified for CIF in the triple-jump and hurdles.
Gilbert attended Santa Barbara City College from 1978-79, then went on to Michigan State University from 1980-81 where he majored in physical education. At SBCC he won the Western State Conference championship in hurdles, long and triple-jump in 1978-79. A two-sport athlete at MSU, Gilbert was the high hurdles and triple-jump Big- 10 Champion in 1981 and doubled as a flanker on the football team playing in all 11 games in 1980, his only season on the squad.
The proudest moment in Gilbert’s career was when he was recruited by Michigan State, and his toughest moment when he could not return. Gilbert passed away at the age of 21 in 1982 after a battle with cancer. The Michigan State football team honored him posthumously with the Munn Award given to the team’s most motivational player.
Gilbert’s parents are Floyd and Ruby Gilbert. According to family and friends, Gilbert got along with everybody and made everybody feel loved.
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