Tommy Suggs

Tommy Suggs (born ) is an American businessman, sports commentator, and former college football player. He played as the starting quarterback for the South Carolina Gamecocks football team from 1968 to 1970.

A multiple sport athlete in high school, Suggs turned down offers from Davidson College and the New York Mets in order to attend the University of South Carolina. In 1969, Suggs led the Gamecocks to an Atlantic Coast Conference record of 6–0, winning the program their first and only conference championship, as well as a berth in that year's Peach Bowl. The following season, he was named the team's most valuable player and participated in the Blue–Gray Football Classic all-star game, for which he also received MVP honors. He is widely considered one of the best quarterbacks to play at South Carolina and was inducted into both the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame in 1983 and the university's athletic hall of fame in 1989.

He graduated in 1971 with a Bachelor of Science in business administration and has since been involved in the banking and insurance industries in South Carolina, having served in executive roles with several different companies. Since 1973, he has also served as the color commentator for the team's radio broadcast, a position he has held for over 50 years. During his time as a broadcaster, he proposed using the fanfare for Also sprach Zarathustra as the team's entrance music, which has been an ongoing tradition since 1983.

Early life Tommy Suggs was born in either 1948 or 1949. (A 2019 article in The New York Times gives his age at that time as 70, meaning that his year of birth is either 1948 or 1949.) In his youth, he worked in agriculture, helping to harvest cotton and tobacco. During a high school basketball all-star game, he played alongside Pete Maravich.

College career Suggs enrolled at the University of South Carolina in either 1966 or 1967. (A 2013 article in The State states that he entered the University of South Carolina in 1966, During the 1969 season, he had a height of and weighed .) The team's performance granted them a berth in the 1969 Peach Bowl. Going into the 1970 season, the Gamecocks hired a new offensive coordinator, John Bridges, who emphasized a more pass-heavy offense. he participated in the Blue–Gray Football Classic college all-star game, He graduated from the university in 1971 with a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in business administration from the Darla Moore School of Business.

College statistics Season Team Passing Rushing Cmp Att Yds Pct TD Int Rtg Att Yds Avg TD 1968 South Carolina 110 207 1,544 53.1 13 12 124.9 71 114 1.6 3 1969 South Carolina 100 179 1,244 55.9 7 10 116.0 63 93 1.5 1 1970 South Carolina 136 269 2,030 50.6 14 18 117.7 46 −82 −1.8 0 Career 346 655 4,818 52.8 34 40 119.5 180 125 0.7 4

Broadcasting career During his time at South Carolina, Suggs was active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and was a public speaker at many of the association's events.

Awards and honors In 1983, Suggs was inducted into the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame, and in 1989, he was inducted into the University of South Carolina's Athletic Hall of Fame. while a 2021 poll conducted by The State listed Suggs on their "Mount Rushmore" of South Carolina's four greatest quarterbacks, alongside Ellis, Shaw, and Taneyhill. Both a walkway near Williams–Brice Stadium (pictured 2015) and the players' entrance bear Suggs's name. In 2012, the Tommy Suggs Endowed Quarterback Scholarship was established by friends and colleagues of Suggs's in order to provide an annual scholarship for a quarterback on the South Carolina team.

Personal life Suggs is married and has two children and one grandchild. Since then, he has served as the president and chief executive officer of HUB's Carolinas region.