Tom Fears
| Tom Fears | |
|---|---|
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Position (s): End |
Jersey numbers: 55, 80 |
| born on December 31, 1922 in Guadalajara , Mexico | |
| died on January 4, 2000 in Palm Desert , California | |
| Career information | |
| Active : 1948 - 1956 | |
| NFL Draft : 1945 / Round: 11 / Pick: 103 | |
| College : Santa Clara University , UCLA | |
| Teams | |
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player
Assistant coach
Trainer
management
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| Career statistics | |
| Achieved gain in space by catching the pass | 5,397 yards |
| Games | 87 |
| Touchdowns | 37 |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
| Stats at pro-football-reference.com | |
| Coaching stats at pro-football-reference.com | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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player
Assistant coach
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| Pro Football Hall of Fame | |
| College Football Hall of Fame | |
Thomas "Tom" Jesse Fears (* 31 December 1922 in Guadalajara , Mexico ; † 4. January 2000 in Palm Desert , California ) was an American American football player and - coaches . He played as a finish in the National Football League (NFL) with the Los Angeles Rams and was the first head coach of the New Orleans Saints .
youth
Tom Fears was born in Mexico to a Mexican woman and an American mining engineer . Shortly after he was born, the family moved to Los Angeles , where he also attended high school . Tom Fear's youth fell during the Great Depression and he was forced to load trucks in a flower wholesaler to earn a living . At school he already played American football in the position of an end.
Player career
College career
In 1942 Tom Fears graduated from Santa Clara University . Fears played for their football team and was elected to the league selection in 1942. During the Second World War , his father became a Japanese prisoner of war and he was drafted into military service. At his own request, Fears was trained as a pilot by the United States Army Air Corps . However, he did not come to the war effort, but was transferred to Colorado Springs , where he played football on a military team. After the war, Fears followed his brother Charles to the University of California, Los Angeles , where he continued his studies and football career in 1946 and 1947. In both years he was voted All-American because of his athletic performance . He was also recognized by his college . His season in Los Angeles was not entirely free of scandal. Contrary to college football rules, several UCLA Bruins players advertised a clothing store in an ad. However, the matter was not pursued as the players' faces could not be recognized.
Professional career
Tom Fears was drafted in the eleventh round in the year 1945 by the Los Angeles Rams in 108 place . However, he preferred to finish his studies. To get him to sign the contract, the Rams offered him a contract that guaranteed him an annual income of $ 6,000 and a one-time bonus of $ 500. Fears then joined the Rams in 1948 and was initially used as a defensive back . In his first game he caught two interceptions and was able to use one of them for a touchdown . In the game against the Detroit Lions , he scored a second touchdown with a pass catch. Immediately after the game, Fears moved to the position of an End. In 1949 the Rams signed Elroy Hirsch , who from then on was used as an end together with Fears in the Rams' offense . In the same year Fears moved with the team for the first time in the NFL final, where they were defeated by the Greasy Neale- trained Philadelphia Eagles 14-0. 1950 Joe Stydahar took over the coaching position with the Rams and led the team for the second time in a row in the championship game. Opponents were the Cleveland Browns , who were able to prevail in a tight game with 30:28. Fears caught nine passes from quarterback Bob Waterfield in the game for 136 yards . 1951 was to be far more successful for Fears and the Rams. Again the Browns were the opponents in the final and this time the Rams were able to prevail. In the 24:17 victory of his team over the Paul Brown coached team from Cleveland , Fears scored the game-winning touchdown due to a 73 yard pass from Norm Van Brocklin . With three more trapped passports, he was able to gain a total of 73 yards, which corresponds to a total gain of 146 yards. In 1955, Fears played his fourth final with the Rams. The team met the Browns again and lost 38:14. After the 1956 season, Fears ended his playing career. Fears set numerous NFL annual bests. From 1948 to 1950 he had the most passing catches of any player in the league. In 1950, his total space gain for the season was 1,116 yards. On December 3, 1950, Fears got 18 pass catches in a game against the Packers. He is still number 3 in the NFL's leaderboard today.
Coaching career
In 1959 Fears worked as assistant coach to Vince Lombardi at the Green Bay Packers . In 1960 he returned to the Rams and was there assistant to his former teammate Bob Waterfield. In 1962 he was hired again with the Packers and was with the team from Green Bay in 1962 and 1965 NFL champions. After a stopover with the Atlanta Falcons , Fears received an offer from the New Orleans Saints and took over the position of head coach . Fears did not succeed in calling for a top team from the Saints. In 1970 he was dismissed during the season after his team lost a streak. In 1971 and 1972 he worked as an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Eagles . In 1974 he was signed by the team of the Southern California Sun as head coach. The Sun were part of the short-term World Football League (WFL), which had to stop playing in 1975. From 1983 to 1985 Fears was a member of the management of the Los Angeles Express , which played in the United States Football League (USFL). After the USFL ceased playing after the 1985 season, Fears retired.
After the career
Tom Fears was married from 1952 until his death. He had six children and died at the age of 77. Six years before his death he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease , from which he ultimately died. Thomas Fears is buried in Ascension Cemetery in Lake Forest .
Honors
Tom Fears played in a Pro Bowl , the final game of the season's best players. He was voted All-Pro five times . Thomas Fears is a member of the NFL 1950s All-Decade Team , the Pro Football Hall of Fame , College Football Hall of Fame , Los Angeles Rams 40th Anniversary Team, and the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame . The St. Louis Rams honor him on the Ring of Fame.
literature
- Ian C. Friedman: Latino athletes. Facts on File, New York NY 2007, ISBN 978-0-8160-6384-0 .
Web links
- Short biography ( Memento from September 27, 2011 in the web archive archive.today )
- Biography (PDF; 22 kB)
- NFL coach statistics
- Tom Fears at the Rams
- Obituary in the New York Times
Individual evidence
- ↑ according to other sources born in Los Angeles
- ↑ Awards by Tom Fears ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Annual statistics of the Rams 1949
- ↑ Statistics NFL final 1949
- ↑ Annual statistics of the Rams 1950
- ^ Statistics NFL final 1950
- ↑ Annual statistics of the Rams 1951
- ^ Statistics NFL final 1951
- ↑ Annual statistics of the Rams 1955
- ^ Statistics NFL final 1955
- ↑ NFL Leaderboard for the most passes captured in a game
- ↑ Annual statistics of the Packers 1962
- ↑ Annual statistics of the Packers 1965
- ↑ Tom Fears Tomb
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Fears, Tom |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Fears, Thomas Jesse (real name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American football player and coach |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 31, 1922 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Guadalajara , Mexico |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 4, 2000 |
| Place of death | Palm Desert , California , United States |