McDonald, "Tommy" (Thomas F.)
Football
b. July 26, 1934, Roy, NM
As a running back at the University of Oklahoma, McDonald helped lead his team to a 30-0-0 record from 1954 through 1956. Called by Bud Wilkinson "the best halfback I've ever coached," the 5-foot-9, 168-pounder rushed for 1,683 yards, averaged 6.8 yards per carry, and completed 28 of 44 passes on the halfback option.
He was a consensus All-American in 1956 and won the Maxwell Award as the nation's outstanding college player. He finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting to Paul Hornung and Johnny Majors.
McDonald wasn't selected until the third round of the 1957 NFL draft because of his size. The Philadelphia Eagles moved him to flanker, where he was a three-time All-Pro. A star on the Eagle championship team of 1960, McDonald played for the Dallas Cowboys in 1964, the Los Angeles Rams in 1965 and 1966, the Atlanta Falcons in 1967, and the Cleveland Browns in 1968.
During his 12 NFL seasons, McDonald caught 495 passes for 8,410 yards, a 17.0 average, and 84 touchdowns. He returned 73 punts for 404 yards, a 5.5 average, and 1 touchdown, and ran back 51 kickoffs for 1,055 yards, a 20.7 average.