Tommy Thompson (quarterback)
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Thompson on a 1948 Bowman football card | |||||||||
| No. 10, 11 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Quarterback | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Date of birth: | August 15, 1916 | ||||||||
| Place of birth: | Hutchinson, Kansas | ||||||||
| Date of death: | April 21, 1989 (aged 72) | ||||||||
| Place of death: | Calico Rock, Arkansas | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Fort Worth Paschal (TX) | ||||||||
| College: | Tulsa | ||||||||
| Undrafted: | 1940 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||
Lurtis Pryor "Tommy" Thompson (August 15, 1916 – April 22, 1989) was an American football quarterback in the National Football League and Canadian Football League. He was blind in one eye, from a childhood incident, but nevertheless served in the U.S. Army for two years during World War II, which put his professional career on hold.[1]
Born in Hutchinson, Kansas, Thompson graduated from R. L. Paschal High School in Fort Worth, Texas, and played college football at the University of Tulsa.
Thompson was an off-and-on starter for the Philadelphia Eagles, and led them to three consecutive NFL championship appearances, including the 1948 and 1949 title-winning seasons.[2] His 25 touchdown passes led the league in 1948 and he led to victory in the championship game over the defending champion Chicago Cardinals in a snowstorm, avenging their loss in the previous year.[3] Thompson also played on in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 1953.[4][5]
Thompson is one of three inactive NFL quarterbacks with multiple championships who were not inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, along with Jim Plunkett and Jack Kemp.[6] Ray Didinger of CSNPhilly ranked him in the Top 5 all-time Eagles quarterbacks, citing his contribution to the championship teams. It is projected under the Harlor Formula that Thompson would have made 3 Pro Bowls.
Thompson battled brain cancer for over a year and died in 1989 in Calico Rock, Arkansas.[7][8]
References
- ↑ http://www.csnphilly.com/09/08/09/Didingers-Top-Five-Eagles-Quarterbacks/landing.html?blockID=73673&feedID=2227
- ↑ http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/T/ThomTo21.htm
- ↑ "Thompson key to Eagles' win". Lewiston Daily Sun. Maine. Associated Press. December 20, 1948. p. 12.
- ↑ http://www.justsportsstats.com/footballstatsindex.php?player_id=thomptom001
- ↑ "Big time football parade in full swing this weekend". Ottawa Citizen. Canada. Canadian Press. August 29, 1953. p. 42.
- ↑ Anderson, Dave (February 6, 2010). "It's about the quarterbacks, and it always has been". New York Times. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
- ↑ http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE5D81038F931A15757C0A96F948260
- ↑ "Tommy Thompson, champion quarterback". Daytona Beach Sunday News-Journal. Florida. April 23, 1989. p. 7C.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from NFL.com • Pro-Football-Reference • Databasefootball.com
- Tommy Thompson at Find a Grave