Tommy Mason

For other people named Tommy Mason, see Thomas Mason.

Tommy Mason
Mason in the Oval Office in 1975
No. 20
PositionRunning back
Personal information
Born(1939-07-08)July 8, 1939
Lake Charles, Louisiana, U.S.
DiedJanuary 22, 2015(2015-01-22) (aged 75)
Newport Beach, California, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight196 lb (89 kg)
Career information
High schoolLake Charles
CollegeTulane
NFL draft1961: 1st round, 1st overall pick
AFL draft1961: 1st round, 3rd overall pick
Career history
Awards and highlights
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards4,203
Rushing average4
Receptions214
Receiving yards2,324
Total touchdowns45
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Thomas Cyril Mason (July 8, 1939 – January 22, 2015) was an American professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tulane Green Wave.

College career

Mason attended and played football at Tulane University.

  • 1959: 10 Games – 81 carries for 336 yards. 5 catches for 54 yards and 2 TD.[1]
  • 1960: 10 Games – 120 carries for 663 yards. 28 catches for 376 yards and 5 TD.

Professional career

Mason was selected first overall by the expansion Minnesota Vikings in the 1961 NFL draft. In six seasons with the Vikings, he rushed for 3,252 yards and scored 28 touchdowns. In the 1967 NFL season, he was signed by the Los Angeles Rams. He played with the Rams for four years but accumulated only four touchdowns and less than 900 yards. He finished his career with the Washington Redskins in 1971. He did not officially announce his retirement until June 8, 1973.[2]

NFL career statistics

Legend
Bold Career high

Regular season

Year Team Games Rushing Receiving
GP GS Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD
1961 MIN 13 4 60 226 3.8 21 3 20 122 6.1 18 0
1962 MIN 14 11 167 740 4.4 71 2 36 603 16.8 74 6
1963 MIN 13 13 166 763 4.6 70 7 40 365 9.1 41 2
1964 MIN 13 12 169 691 4.1 51 4 26 239 9.2 29 1
1965 MIN 10 9 141 597 4.2 26 10 22 321 14.6 72 1
1966 MIN 7 6 58 235 4.1 52 2 7 39 5.6 17 1
1967 RAM 13 0 63 213 3.4 16 0 13 70 5.4 24 0
1968 RAM 12 7 108 395 3.7 19 3 15 144 9.6 31 0
1969 RAM 13 0 33 135 4.1 17 1 11 185 16.8 67 1
1970 RAM 6 2 44 123 2.8 13 0 12 127 10.6 32 1
1971 WAS 10 1 31 85 2.7 11 0 12 109 9.1 18 0
124 65 1,040 4,203 4.0 71 32 214 2,324 10.9 74 13

Playoffs

Year Team Games Rushing Receiving
GP GS Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD
1967 RAM 1 0 2 13 6.5 10 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
1969 RAM 1 0 1 2 2.0 2 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
1971 WAS 1 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 8 8.0 8 0
3 0 3 15 5.0 10 0 1 8 8.0 8 0

Records

Mason ranks ninth in total rushing yards and ninth in rushing touchdowns for the Minnesota Vikings.[3]

Personal life

Mason was married to Rita Ridinger in the mid-1960s. He married gymnast Cathy Rigby in 1972. They were divorced in 1981. Mason married Louise England in 1987, they divorced in 1994. He married Karen Kay Mason in 1999. He was a 1976 graduate of the Western State College of Law.[4] He died in hospice care at Newport Beach, California on January 22, 2015.[5]

References

  1. ^ Profile, sports-reference.com; accessed January 26, 2015.
  2. ^ McGowen, Deane. "People in Sports: Shue Steps Out," The New York Times, Saturday, June 9, 1973. Retrieved November 30, 2020
  3. ^ "The Most Powerful Research Tools in Sports". Stathead.com. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  4. ^ Western State College of Law Alumni Highlights, Spring 2015 (information on page 15). Retrieved November 30, 2020
  5. ^ Notice of death of Tommy Mason, startribune.com; accessed January 26, 2015.
  • Profile, pro-football-reference.com; accessed January 26, 2015.
  • Media related to Tommy Mason at Wikimedia Commons


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