Mossy Cade facts for kids

Tommories "Mossy" S. Cade, born on December 26, 1961, is a former American football player. He played as a safety in professional leagues. Mossy Cade first played for the Memphis Showboats in the United States Football League (USFL) in 1985. He then joined the Green Bay Packers in the National Football League (NFL) for two seasons, from 1985 to 1986. Before turning pro, he was an All-American player for the Texas Longhorns. The San Diego Chargers picked him early in the 1984 NFL draft. He was the sixth player chosen overall.

Mossy Cade grew up in Eloy, Arizona. He was a talented athlete at Eloy Santa Cruz. In 1979, he helped his high school team win the State Championship in football. He scored both of his team's touchdowns in that big game. He also helped his team's defense hold Ray High School to very few yards. Mossy Cade was an all-state running back and also played safety. He was also a star in track and field. He set a national high school record in the 110 high hurdles. His time of 13.69 seconds is still an Arizona state record today.

College Football Career

Mossy Cade played college football for four years. He was named an All-American in his final year, 1983. He played in every game during his four years at college. He made 11 interceptions, which was a great achievement. This was the fifth-best record at the time.

In 1980, he helped his team reach the 1980 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl. They played against North Carolina but lost the game. The next year, in 1981, his team had a fantastic season. They went 10-1-1 and were ranked as high as #1 in the country. They also beat Alabama in the 1982 Cotton Bowl Classic. The team finished that season ranked #2 nationally.

In 1982, Mossy Cade was chosen for the 2nd Team All-Southwest Conference. His team played in the 1982 Sun Bowl but lost to North Carolina again. In his senior year, 1983, he was a first-team All-American. He was also a first-team All-SWC safety. His team won the Southwest Conference Championship that year. They were ranked #2 for most of the season. However, they lost a close game to Georgia by just one point. This loss meant they missed out on the National Championship. The 1983 defense, which also included All-American Jerry Gray, is often called one of the best in Texas history.

After his college career, he played in the 35th annual Senior Bowl.

Mossy Cade also ran track during his freshman and senior years at Texas. He set a school record in the 55-meter/60-yard hurdles. This record was set at the 1981 SWC Championship. He also finished 5th in the 110-hurdles at the same event.

Professional Football Career

The San Diego Chargers picked Mossy Cade as the #6 overall player in the 1984 NFL Draft. However, he did not play for them that year. In February 1985, he signed with the Memphis Showboats of the USFL. He played one season there before the league stopped operating. During that year, he played in 15 games and made 2 interceptions.

In the summer of 1985, the Chargers traded Mossy Cade to the Green Bay Packers. He played for the Packers for two seasons. After his time with the Packers, he briefly joined the Minnesota Vikings in 1988. However, he was released after only three days.

Mossy Cade finished his professional career having played in 30 games. He started in 19 of those games. He recovered 1 fumble and made 5 interceptions, gaining 26 yards.

Personal Life

Mossy Cade's brother, Mike, also played football. Mike was on the 1979 state championship team with Mossy. He then went on to play at Arizona State. Mossy's cousin, Eddie Cade, played one season with the New England Patriots.

After his football career ended, Mossy Cade married Kim Wright. They have a son together. He has worked several jobs and also took computer classes at night.

See also

• List of Texas Longhorns football All-Americans
• List of Los Angeles Chargers first-round draft picks