Tommy Thompson
American football player
Died when: 63 years 268 days (764 months)Star Sign: Capricorn
Thomas Wright Thompson (January 6, 1927 – October 1, 1990) was an American football linebacker and center who played for the Cleveland Browns in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and the National Football League (NFL) in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
He played college football at the College of William & Mary in Virginia.Thompson was a standout athlete at his high school in New Jersey.
He continued playing football at William & Mary between 1944 and 1948 – his career was interrupted by a year of service in the U.S. military during World War II – and helped the team to a series of winning records and bowl appearances.
He was named an all-Southern Conference center three times in college and was a third-string All-American in 1948, his senior year.
Thompson joined the Browns in 1949 and played primarily as a linebacker as the team won the AAFC championship.The Browns joined the NFL in 1950 and won the league championship that year.
Thompson was a leader for Cleveland, serving as its captain in 1952 and 1953, his final two seasons.He was named a first-team All-Pro in 1953.
After retiring, Thompson worked as a financial executive and was a trustee at William & Mary.He was inducted into his college's athletics hall of fame in 1969 and into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 1975.
He died of cancer in 1990.
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