American football player
 Mason in the Oval Office in 1975 | |||||||||||||||
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born: | (1939-07-08)July 8, 1939 Lake Charles, Louisiana, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Died: | January 22, 2015(2015-01-22) (aged 75) Newport Beach, California, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 196 lb (89 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school: | Lake Charles (LA) | ||||||||||||||
| College: | Tulane | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1961 / round: 1 / pick: 1 | ||||||||||||||
| AFL draft: | 1961 / round: 1 / pick: 3 | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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Thomas Cyril Mason (July 8, 1939 – January 22, 2015) was an American football running back in the National Football League (NFL).
College career
Mason played college football for Tulane University.
- 1959: 10 Games – 81 carries for 336 yards. 5 catches for 54 yards and 2 TD.
- 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 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.
Records
Mason ranks ninth in total rushing yards and ninth in rushing touchdowns for the Minnesota Vikings.
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. He died in hospice care at Newport Beach, California on January 22, 2015.
References
- Profile, sports-reference.com; accessed January 26, 2015.
- McGowen, Deane. "People in Sports: Shue Steps Out," The New York Times, Saturday, June 9, 1973. Retrieved November 30, 2020
- "The Most Powerful Research Tools in Sports". Stathead.com. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- Western State College of Law Alumni Highlights, Spring 2015 (information on page 15). Retrieved November 30, 2020
- Notice of death of Tommy Mason, startribune.com; accessed January 26, 2015.
External links
- Profile, pro-football-reference.com; accessed January 26, 2015.
Media related to Tommy Mason at Wikimedia Commons
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| Minnesota Vikings 1961 NFL draft selections | |
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| Minnesota Vikings 1961 inaugural season roster | |
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Head coach: Norm Van Brocklin |
 | This biographical article relating to an American football running back born in the 1930s is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |
- 1939 births
- 2015 deaths
- American football running backs
- Los Angeles Rams players
- Minnesota Vikings players
- National Football League announcers
- First overall NFL draft picks
- Players of American football from Lake Charles, Louisiana
- San Diego Chargers announcers
- Tulane Green Wave football players
- Washington Redskins players
- Western Conference Pro Bowl players
- Sigma Alpha Epsilon members
- 20th-century American sportsmen
- American football running back, 1930s birth stubs