Gerry Bertier

Who was Gerry Bertier?

Gerry Bertier was a prominent Virginia high school American football player. He is best known for his participation on the 1971 Virginia State Champion T. C. Williams High School team and their portrayal in the Disney film Remember the Titans. After the conclusion of the 1971 season, Bertier was involved in an automobile accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Despite this injury, Bertier remained an active athlete, participating in the Paralympics and winning multiple medals. Bertier was killed on March 20, 1981 at the age of 27 in a second car crash. Today, the Gerry Bertier #42 Foundation is dedicated to raising money for research on spinal cord injuries. There is also a gymnasium at T. C. Williams which bears his name.