Al Toon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Al Toon

Toon playing for the Jets in 1986
No. 88
Position:	Wide receiver
Personal information
Born:	(1963-04-30) April 30, 1963 (age 62) Newport News, Virginia, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:	200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school:	Menchville (Newport, Virginia)
College:	Wisconsin (1981–1984)
NFL Draft:	1985 / Round: 1 / Pick: 10
Career history
New York Jets (1985)
Career highlights and awards
First-team All-Pro (1986) Second-team All-Pro (1988) 3× Pro Bowl (1986–1988) NFL receptions leader (1988) New York Jets All-Time Four Decade Team New York Jets Ring of Honor 2× First-team All-Big Ten (1983, 1984)
Career NFL statistics
Receptions: 517 Receiving yards: 6,605 Touchdowns: 31
Player stats at PFR

Albert Lee Toon Jr. (born in 1963) is a former American football player. He was a wide receiver for the New York Jets in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons. A wide receiver is a player who catches passes from the quarterback.

Al Toon was a standout player in college at the University of Wisconsin. He set several school records for the Wisconsin Badgers football team. During his NFL career, he was chosen for the Pro Bowl three times. He played his entire career with the Jets from 1985 to 1992. He even led the entire league in receptions (catches) in the late 1980s. Many people consider him one of the greatest wide receivers and overall players in the history of the New York Jets team.

Early Life and Sports

Al Toon showed his amazing athletic skills from a young age. He was a star in both football and track and field.

High School Achievements

In high school, Al Toon was very well known for his success in track and field. He was one of only three athletes in his area to jump over 50 feet in the triple jump. He did this three times! He also jumped 23 feet in the long jump. Toon used his incredible jumping ability to become a great wide receiver for his high school football team at Menchville High School.

College Football and Track

Al Toon continued to play football and run track at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He was there from 1981 to 1984. While at Wisconsin, Toon set a Big Ten Conference record for most catches in a single game. He also set new school records for career catches (131), receiving yards (2,103), and touchdown catches (19).

Besides football, he also set records in track and field. He set Big Ten and school records in the Triple Jump. He even qualified for the Olympic Trials in 1983 in both the 110 High Hurdles and the Triple Jump.

Playing in the NFL

Al Toon had a very successful career in the National Football League. He was known for his strong catches and dedication to his team.

Joining the New York Jets

The New York Jets picked Al Toon in the first round of the 1985 NFL draft. He was the 10th player chosen overall. In his very first game on September 15, he caught three passes for 67 yards. His first touchdown came on November 3 against the Indianapolis Colts. The next week, he had a huge game with 10 catches for 156 yards. This was his best game that season. In his first year, he caught 46 passes for 662 yards and three touchdowns.

Top Moments and Records

The next year, in 1986, Al Toon had an amazing season. He caught 85 passes for 1,176 yards and eight touchdowns. He was named an All-Pro player, meaning he was one of the best players in the league. He was also chosen for the Pro Bowl. He led the Jets in catches for the next five seasons.

In 1988, he led the entire NFL with 93 catches for 1,067 yards and five touchdowns. He was again named to the Pro Bowl and was an All-Pro. He was the first Jets player to lead the league in receptions since 1967. Toon is still the last Jets player to achieve this.

Al Toon was a strong player who was also good at blocking. This made him a valuable target for tough catches. He set franchise records for most catches in a season (93) and most consecutive games with at least one catch (110). When he retired, he was second in team history for total catches (517) and third for receiving yards (6,605).

Why Al Toon Retired

In 1992, Al Toon played in only nine games. He caught 31 passes for 311 yards and two touchdowns. In his last game on November 8, he suffered a head injury. This injury made him unconscious and ended his playing career. He had played 101 straight games with at least one catch.

On November 28, 1992, Al Toon announced he was retiring from football. He made this decision after doctors advised him not to risk any more head injuries. He had experienced several head injuries during his career. His retirement was to protect his long-term health.

Life After Football

After his football career, Al Toon became a successful businessman and community leader.

Business and Community Work

In 1995, Al Toon helped start Capitol Bank, a local community bank. He still serves on its board of directors. He also used to be the president of the University of Wisconsin's National W Club, which is a club for former varsity athletes.

Toon also created AT8 Companies to manage his commercial real estate properties. He became a franchisee for Taco Bell and Hilton Garden Inn. A franchisee owns and operates a business under a larger company's brand. He also helped develop the Boy's and Girl's Club of Dane County as a board member.

Al Toon served on the board of directors for the National Guardian Life Insurance Company. He also served on the board of directors for the Green Bay Packers football team. Today, he owns one of the largest landscape design and building companies in the Midwest, called Olson Toon Landscaping, Inc. He has also been an investor in Wisconsin Burger King Franchise companies since 1992.

Al Toon, who had some health challenges after his football career, has improved greatly. In 2004, he was even able to compete in a triathlon, which is a race with swimming, biking, and running.

Al Toon's Family

Al Toon is married to Jane, and they have a son and three daughters. His family is also very athletic.

His son, Nick, was a football star in high school. He also played as a wide receiver for the Wisconsin Badgers, just like his dad. In 2011, Nick even passed his father's records for all-time catches and yards at the school. Nicholas Toon was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the 2012 NFL draft and played four years in the NFL. He now owns and runs an online retail sales business and works in real estate.

His daughter, Kirby, played volleyball at UW–Madison. She now works for Kimberly Clark. His other daughters, Molly and Sydney, also played volleyball. Molly played at the University of Michigan and reached the Final Four in the NCAA tournament. Sydney played two seasons of volleyball at the University of Wisconsin Whitewater.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular season