Posted on 09/24/2018 1:29:28 PM PDT by Kid Shelleen
Eagles legend and Hall of Fame receiver Tommy McDonald died on Monday morning, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced.
McDonald was 84 years old.
"Tommy McDonald lived life like he played the game of football," Hall of Fame president David Baker said in a statement. "He was charismatic, passionate and had fun. He was such a character. Heaven is a happier place today."
Prior to getting to the NFL, McDonald played running back at Oklahoma for three years. In his final season with the Sooners in 1956, he was named a consensus All-American
(Excerpt) Read more at si.com ...
When we were kids we would run a pass pattern that we heard about from somewhere - the “Tommy McDonald TD Special”. It was perfect for man-on-man coverage, and I scored more than a few TD’s with that one.
One of my favorite jokes is an old baseball player sitting on his porch, a fella comes walking up the street and the old man kind-of recognizes him, then he stops and comes up the walk - the guy on the porch eyes pop wide and he said Bob I thought you were dead - Bob says well, I am and I have good news and bad news - heaven is beautiful, we play two games every day sometimes we win, sometimes we lose, the old man says, thats great whats the bad news, he said your pitching on Tuesday.
Might still have my copy of his book They Pay Me to Catch Footballs!
Van Brocklin to McDonald = Touchdown !
#25
Jurgenson to McDonald = Touchdown !
about 5’ 10 and 170
played becuz he loved the game
Last guy to play in the NFL without a faceguard.
RIP.
Bummer. Pats could have used him....
I met him at a local supermarket when I was a lad. Nice guy. He took time to talk to a kid who was probably disrupting his day.
He was NEVER ON THE LOSING END OF A FOOTBALL GAME during his three years at OU.
Played WR for the Browns, ironically, and was the last guy in the NFL to NOT use a faceguard who wasn't a kicker.
Also those who knew him say he was a cool guy.
RIP
And pound for pound one of the toughest guys in the NFL
If my memory serves he was the last player to play without a face guard.
Oklahoma was undefeated under Bud Wilkinson while he was there. Same team as Jerry Tubbs.
Detailed piece here...
Tommy McDonald, Eagles Hall of Famer, dies
"On Oct. 4, 1959, one week after he'd broken his jaw and had it wired shut, Mr. McDonald caught touchdown passes of 33, 55 and 19 yards and scored on an 81-yard punt return in a 49-21 rout of the New York Giants."
That one great Eagles team he was on included Chuck Bednarik and Tom Brookshier. (Back then, nobody took a knee during the National Anthem.)
There was a SI photo of him after he got blasted after a catch. He was sitting on the turf, stunned, helmet missing but holding the ball.
As kids, we’d make a tough catch in the back yard and emulate that pose.
I doubt today’s little jam tarts would even play outside so we’ll never see that stuff again
Jurgenson to McDonald was also an early TV Sports show in Philadelphia. Eagles traded both as they had too much fun off the field in the local malt shoppes. But they were a great combination on the field.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.