Sure, the Hawaii native enjoyed a sensational freshman season with the Navy football team, earning Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year honors. However, many observers questioned whether the 5-foot-10, 202-pound safety was capable of playing for the Fighting Irish.
Gilman proved the skeptics way wrong, starting 26 games over two seasons at Notre Dame and recording 169 tackles. He also had six forced fumbles, eight pass breakups and three interceptions.
On Saturday, Gilman was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers in the sixth round (186th overall) of the NFL Draft. He had impressed scouts at the NFL Combine by running the 40-yard dash in 4.