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 Tom  PROTHRO

 

 James Thompson "Tommy" Prothro nacque il 20 luglio del 1920 a Memphis nel Tennessee e fu un giocatore  e un allenatore di football americano di primo piano, sia a livello dilettantistico che a livello professionale.

 Prothro, era figlio d'arte essendo stato suo padre Doc, un giocatore, un allenatore  e un manager di football.

 Laureato in scienza politiche, da studente giocò anche a baseball e a lacrosse e divenne quarterback per i Wallace Wade's Duke Blue Devils con i quali nel 1942 vinse la Rose Bowl.

 Abbandonato ben presto il ruolo di giocatore passò presto in panchina e allenò per quasi trenta anni le migliori squadre del Paese.

 Prothro che si mantenne sempre attivo nelle strategie di investimento, nel 1973 rimase libero da occupazioni sportive e si poté dedicare al suo hobby preferito: il Bridge.

 Non allenò più ma fu premiato con l' inserimento in diverse Hall of Fame del football americano. Si dedicò al bridge giocando per diversi anni a livello internazionale in coppia con Omar Sharif.

Morì il 14 maggio del 1995 dopo aver combattuto un cancro per tre anni.

James Thompson "Tommy" Prothro, Jr. (July 20, 1920 – May 14, 1995) was an American football coach at both the collegiate and professional levels for more than 30 years.

 Prothro, a native of Memphis, Tennessee, was the son of major league baseball player and manager Doc Prothro, who played for three teams between 1920 and 1926, then managed the Philadelphia Phillies from 1939-1941 before buying a minor league team in Memphis called the Chicks.

His uncle, Clifton Cates, was commandant of the United States Marine Corps.

The younger Prothro found his niche in football, starting out as a quarterback for Wallace Wade's Duke Blue Devils.

In 1941, Prothro's versatility on the field helped him win the Jacobs award as the best blocker in the Southern Conference as the Blue Devils reached the 1942 Rose Bowl. During his time at the school, Prothro also competed in baseball and lacrosse, and graduated from the school in 1942 with a degree in political science.

Prothro was drafted in the fifth round of the 1942 NFL Draft by the New York Giants, but rejected the opportunity in favor of a budding coaching career and a brief attempt at professional baseball.

In 1973 Prothro remained out of the game, actively pursuing investment strategies, as well as his main hobby, competitive bridge.

Prothro would not return to football in any official capacity for the remainder of his life, but was honored for his career efforts by selection to the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame in 1985, the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1989, and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1991.

An expert bridge player, for a number of years he partnered with Omar Sharif in international competition.

He died in 1995 after a three-year battle with cancer.

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