10/07/2025
Please join us at Zamirs this Friday evening as we host Thom in a discussion and book signing of his new book "JUST FOLLOW ME" and honor our friend James Owens who we call 'The Big O."
Henry Ford
Thomas (Thom) Gossom, Jr. is an actor, writer, speaker, and communications consultant. A 1975 graduate of Auburn University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, Gossom made history as the first Black athlete to graduate from the university, where he was also a starting wide receiver for the Tigers from 1972–1974. His groundbreaking journey is told in his memoir, Walk-On: My Reluctant Journey to Integration at Auburn University.
As an actor, Gossom’s credits include Fight Club, Jeepers Creepers 2, In the Heat of the Night, and his acclaimed performance as the title character, Israel, in the Emmy Award-winning NYPD Blue episode, “Lost Israel.”
An accomplished author, he also wrote the Slice of Life short story collection and co-authored Just Follow Me: James Owens and the Integration of Southeastern Conference Football. In addition to his writing, he directed and produced Quiet Courage: The James Curtis Owens Story, a documentary honoring Auburn’s first Black football player.
Alongside his wife, Dr. joyce gillie gossom, he owns Best Gurl, Inc., a unique multi-platform communications company dedicated to all forms of effective communication. Both Thom and joyce are passionate supporters of higher education, libraries, and literacy.
He is also the host of Tuesdays with Thom, a weekly, hour-long, positive talk show that has built a national audience through livestreaming on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Each week, the show brings together diverse voices, meaningful conversations, and uplifting perspectives
