Tommy Wade

Thomas Virgil Wade (born May 23, 1942) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for two seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Longhorns, playing on their national championship team in 1963. He is perhaps best known as a backup quarterback who engineered a fourth-quarter touchdown drive in the Longhorns' final regular season game of 1963 to win the game and the national title.

Early life Tommy Wade was born in Henderson, Texas, in 1942. He was an offensive tackle in junior high who didn't move to quarterback until his sophomore year in high school. He was recruited to play football by almost every Southwest Conference school and chose Texas because he was promised he could play baseball there. He was an accomplished baseball player who once pitched and won both games of a double-header.

College career After a year on the undefeated Texas freshman team in 1960 and a year on the 1961 Texas Longhorn baseball team, Tommy Wade became the back-up quarterback to Mike Cotten in 1961, and played a few downs on defense.

In 1962, despite a broken ankle suffered in the spring, Wade was expected to be the starter, but was sidelined by a preseason injury. He didn't get his first start at quarterback until November, though he did play some quarterback and defense in the early games. In his first game as starter he set the school record for most attempts in a game and threw for 195 yards.

Wade finished with a 3-0 record as the Texas starting quarterback.

Records

UT - Fewest Passes had intercepted, season (2) (min 75 attempts), tied Mike Cotten; later tied by James Brown and Chance Mock Cotton Bowl - Most passes had intercepted, game (3), tied Buzz Buivid, Cotten and Glynn Griffing; later tied by Kenny Stabler, Bobby Scott and Randy McEachern; surpassed by Joe Montana in 1979 Cotton Bowl - Most passes had intercepted, career (3), tied Buivid, Cotten and Griffing; later tied by Joe Theismann, Stabler, Scott and McEachern; surpassed by Montana in 1979

Bold means current record

Professional career In 1964 Wade was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers where former Longhorn quarterback Bobby Layne was an assistant coach. With the exception of 1 game, he spent his first year either on the taxi squad or playing for the minor league Pittsburgh Valley Ironmen. At the end of the season, he was named to the Atlantic Coast Football League's All-Star Team.

He played in 4 more games in 1965 including 2 starts, both losses, in his final two games. In his first game as starter, he set the franchise record for most interceptions in a game with 7. Following a change of coaches, he was released from the team in the following preseason.

His sons went on to play college basketball and baseball.