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The New England Patriot announced the death of former Pats quarterback Tom Yewcicon on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020, at 88. He was born on May 9, 1932, in Conemaugh, Pennsylvania.
He was a college football star at Michigan State. Playing in two different sports, in 1954, he was named the Most Outstanding Player of the college baseball World Series.
Dan Roche Tweeted, “Yewcic was originally drafted in the 1954 NFL Draft.”
After long consideration, he decided to play baseball.” Upon signing with the Detroit Tigers, he was sent down to the minor league.
Yewcic Sign With Patriots
In 1961 the Patriots signed him where he was mainly used as a punter. The Boston quarterback Babe Parilli in 1962 suffered an injury-causing Yewcic to become the next quarterback.
He leads the Patriots to three straight wins upon taking the reigns. Contributing to games as a quarterback, he also served the team as a receiver and ran back.
Career Stats
After playing 77 career season games, he completed 87 passes for 1,374 yards and 12 touchdowns and had 72 carries for 424 yards and four touchdowns. As a receiver, he posted seven receptions for 69 yards. He was named to the Patriots’ 1960s All-Decade team after he retired.
Upon his retirement, Yewcic served with the Patriots as an assistant coach under Mike Holovak in 1968 and Chuck Fairbanks from 1976-1978. He also was a college coach and coached semipro football.
Inductee
Yewcic was inducted into the Cambria County Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1965, the Michigan State University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003, and the All American Amateur Baseball Association Hall of Fame in 2009.
At Conemaugh Valley High School, a football stadium is named after him.
Written by Omari Jahi
Edited by Cathy Milne-Ware
Sources:
The Spun: Former New England Patriots Quarterback, Punter Has Died, Andrew Holleran
IMDb: Tom Yewcic Biography
Fox News: Tom Yewcic, former Patriots quarterback and punter, dies at 88, Ryan Gaydos
Feature and Top Image Courtesy of U. S. Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps’ Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
