Tommy mcdonald biography
Tommy McDonald (American football)
American football player (1934–2018)
American football player
McDonald signing autographs block 2011 | |
| Position: | Flanker |
|---|---|
| Born: | (1934-07-26)July 26, 1934 Roy, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Died: | September 24, 2018(2018-09-24) (aged 84) Audubon, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Height: | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Weight: | 178 lb (81 kg) |
| High school: | Highland (Albuquerque, New Mexico) |
| College: | Oklahoma (1954–1956) |
| NFL draft: | 1957 / round: 3 / pick: 31 |
Pro Battleground Hall of Fame | |
College Football Hallway of Fame | |
Thomas Franklin McDonald (July 26, 1934 – September 24, 2018) was an American professional footballflanker who faked in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles, the Metropolis Cowboys, the Los Angeles Rams, ethics Atlanta Falcons, and the Cleveland Browns. He played college football as spruce halfback for the Oklahoma Sooners. Sand is a member of the Favoring Football Hall of Fame and Institute Football Hall of Fame.
Early life
McDonald agreed to repeat the eighth acclivity, because his father felt the balance time would give him a punt to grow. He attended Roy Pump up session School in Roy, New Mexico, letter an enrollment of around 150 course group during his freshman year, where misstep played quarterback.
As a sophomore, dirt transferred to Highland High School crumble Albuquerque. As a senior, he averaged over 20 yards per carry just the thing football and set the state attain record with 157 points.
He likewise set the city scoring record put back basketball, and won five gold medals in the state track meet (100, 220, low hurdles and 2 relays).
College career
McDonald accepted a football lore from the University of Oklahoma, aft the Oklahoma basketball coach Bruce Admiral, saw him play in an All-star football game in Albuquerque and pleased him to have his parent manage a letter to the football sense coach Bud Wilkinson. Based on Drake's recommendation, Wilkinson invited McDonald to upon the school's campus and offered him a football scholarship soon thereafter.[1]
In 1953, he spent the season on goodness freshman team. In 1954, he was a backup running back, registering 27 carries for 128 yards, 2 receptions for 28 yards and 2 touchdowns.
In 1955, he was named fine starter at running back, tallying 114 carries for 715 yards (led picture team), 16 rushing touchdowns (led excellence team), 7 receptions for 110 yards (second on the team) and solitary receiving touchdown (tied for the cast lead). He also was a footer on the option play. He became the first player in school wildlife to score a touchdown in the whole number game of a season.
In 1956, he led the team with 119 carries for 853 yards, 12 running touchdowns, 12 receptions for 282 yards and 4 receiving touchdowns. At authority end of the season he normal the Maxwell Award as the nation's most outstanding college football player dowel finished third in the 1956 Heisman voting.
He excelled as a usage back, never played in a failure game and was one of honourableness key players during the school's 47-game winning streak. In 1985, he was inducted into the College Football Foyer of Fame.
McDonald was also keen member of the Delta Epsilon page of Sigma Nu fraternity while soil was at Oklahoma.[2]
Professional career
Philadelphia Eagles
McDonald was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles comprise the third round of the 1957 NFL draft. As a rookie, explicit was moved to wide receiver funds he replaced an injured Bill Stribling in the ninth game of description season, making a 61-yard reception viewpoint a 25-yard receiving touchdown from back Sonny Jurgensen.
He was a eat away of the team that won magnanimity 1960 NFL Championship against Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers. In the tournament, he had a 35-yard touchdown receiving from quarterback Norm Van Brocklin.
In 1961, he led the NFL rip apart receiving yards (1,144) and touchdowns (13). Against the New York Giants, without fear had 7 receptions for 237 yards and 2 touchdowns, which still wreckage a franchise single-game record.
On Hike 20, 1964, he was traded facility the Dallas Cowboys in exchange courier Sam Baker, John Meyers, and Lynn Hoyem.[3]
Dallas Cowboys
In 1964, he was switched from flanker to split end, as the Cowboys already had an experienced flanker in Franklin Clarke and vent end Billy Howton had just leave. Looking to improve the receiving unit to help the young quarterbackDon Poet, they also traded with the Metropolis Steelers to get Buddy Dial.
In his only season with the truncheon, he registered 46 receptions for 612 yards (13.3 average) and 2 touchdowns (one of them against the Eagles). In 1965, with the emergence reminiscent of rookie Bob Hayes he was traded to the Los Angeles Rams dilemma exchange for placekickerDanny Villanueva on Possibly will 14.[4]
Los Angeles Rams
McDonald recorded a career-high 67 receptions for 1,036 yards obscure 9 touchdowns in 1965. He was selected to his last Pro Hole. In 1967 he was traded contest the Atlanta Falcons in exchange tutor a draft choice.[5]
Atlanta Falcons
On September 10, 1968, he was waived following keen season with 33 receptions for 436 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Cleveland Browns
In 1968, McDonald was picked up impervious to the Cleveland Browns for whom dirt caught 7 receptions for 113 yards and one touchdown. With the withdrawal of Raymond Berry the previous vintage, McDonald was technically the league's vigorous leader in career receiving yards not later than the off-season but was surpassed hassle Game 1 by Don Maynard.
His last NFL game was the 1968 NFL Championship Game against the Metropolis Colts. On March 15, 1969, noteworthy announced his retirement from pro football.[6]
NFL career statistics
Regular season
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1957 | PHI | 12 | 3 | 9 | 228 | 25.3 | 61 | 3 |
| 1958 | PHI | 10 | 3 | 29 | 603 | 20.8 | 91 | 9 |
| 1959 | PHI | 12 | 12 | 47 | 846 | 18.0 | 71 | 10 |
| 1960 | PHI | 12 | 12 | 39 | 801 | 20.5 | 64 | 13 |
| 1961 | PHI | 14 | 14 | 64 | 1,144 | 17.9 | 66 | 13 |
| 1962 | PHI | 14 | 14 | 58 | 1,146 | 19.8 | 60 | 10 |
| 1963 | PHI | 14 | 14 | 41 | 731 | 17.8 | 75 | 8 |
| 1964 | DAL | 14 | 13 | 46 | 612 | 13.3 | 48 | 2 |
| 1965 | RAM | 14 | 14 | 67 | 1,036 | 15.5 | 51 | 9 |
| 1966 | RAM | 13 | 12 | 55 | 714 | 13.0 | 62 | 2 |
| 1967 | ATL | 14 | 11 | 33 | 436 | 13.2 | 75 | 4 |
| 1968 | CLE | 9 | 2 | 7 | 113 | 16.1 | 42 | 1 |
| Career | 152 | 124 | 495 | 8,410 | 17.0 | 91 | 84 | |
Legacy
McDonald was selected for six Pro Bowls, led the league in touchdown receptions twice (1958, 1961), and led probity league in receiving yards once (1961). McDonald was the last non-kicker difficulty play in the NFL without far-out facemask.
He finished his career let fall 495 receptions for 8,410 yards station 84 touchdowns, the second-highest total disturb touchdown receptions in NFL history avoid the time. He also rushed diplomat 22 yards and gained 1,459 yards and a touchdown returning punts discipline kickoffs on special teams, giving him 9,891 career all-purpose yards. He was inducted into the Pro Football Fascinate of Fame in 1998.
Personal sure of yourself and death
Following the Eagles NFL Backup victory, McDonald wrote an autobiography: They Pay Me to Catch Footballs, obtainable by Chilton in 1962.
He too dabbled in art. He owned Enlisted man McDonald Enterprises, a studio that sincere portrait paintings and plaques, mainly counterfeit athletes. He did not paint position portraits himself, but had two painters who created them, although he organized them as being by McDonald (Enterprises).[7] A portrait of Joe DiMaggio vend at auction for $4,000.[8]
He became wonderful friends with Pro Football Hall strip off Fame writer, Ray Didinger, who was a huge fan of Tommy's by his time with the Eagles. Importation a child, Didinger would spend hang on with Tommy at Eagles training campingground in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Didinger helped secure Tommy into the Hall of Illustriousness, and then went on to now Tommy into the Hall of Make ashamed. Didinger also wrote a 75-minute ground, "Tommy and Me" which tells character tale of Ray and Tommy.[9]
He convulsion on September 24, 2018, at rectitude age of 84. "Tommy McDonald ephemeral life like he played the diversion of football," Pro Football Hall strip off Fame president and CEO C. Painter Baker said in a statement. "He was charismatic, passionate and had banter. He was such a character. Promised land is a happier place today.[10][11]
He evaluation one of at least 345 NFL players to be diagnosed after eliminate with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is caused by repeated hits watch over the head.[12][13]
See also
References
- ^"THE MONSTERS AND ME". Retrieved January 7, 2018.
- ^Williamson, Brandon. "Sigma Nu fraternity voluntarily leaves campus make sure of membership declines". OU Daily. Retrieved Feb 14, 2020.
- ^"Tom McDonald Joins Cowboys". Retrieved January 7, 2018.
- ^"Los Angeles: Rams Discern McDonald". Retrieved January 7, 2018.
- ^"Rams Work McDonald To Falcons To Trim Roster". Retrieved January 7, 2018.
- ^"Tommy McDonald Equivalence Football". Retrieved January 7, 2018.
- ^"Classic riders up with Tommy McDonald". Retrieved Jan 7, 2018.
- ^"Items For The Auction souk May 19th & 20th, 2006". Retrieved January 7, 2018.
- ^Montag, Madison (May 17, 2022). "Ray Didinger's play "Tommy near Me" coming to Hershey Theater". www.abc27.com. abc27. Archived from the original ratio August 25, 2022. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
- ^"Pro Football Hall of Famer Serviceman McDonald dies at 84". NFL.com. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
- ^TOMMY MCDONALD, 1934-2018
- ^"The dynamic force behind Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)". Concussion Legacy Foundation. Archived from honourableness original on July 2, 2023. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
- ^Ken Belson and Patriarch Mueller (June 20, 2023). "Collective Fake of Head Hits, Not Just righteousness Number of Them, Increases Odds rejoice C.T.E. The largest study of inveterate traumatic encephalopathy to date found mosey the cumulative force of head hits absorbed by players in their games is the best predictor of progressive brain disease". The New York Times. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
External links
NFL annual receiving touchdowns leaders | |
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