Thomas Haskins facts for kids

Thomas A. Haskins was born on August 11, 1973. He is a former professional football player who played as a running back in the Canadian Football League (CFL).

Thomas Haskins' College Football Journey

Thomas Haskins played college football for the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) for three seasons. During his time there, he became a truly outstanding player. He broke or shared 26 school records, which is a lot!

Setting Records at VMI

Haskins scored an amazing 50 touchdowns during his college career. He also set an all-time rushing record for Division I-AA (a level of college football) with 5,349 yards. This means he ran with the ball for more yards than almost anyone else in that division at the time. By 2002, he was ranked third all-time in Division I-AA for rushing yards.

A VMI Legend

Thomas Haskins is a very special player for VMI. As of 2008, he was the only VMI football player to have his jersey number officially retired, meaning no one else can wear that number again. This is a huge honor! He was also inducted into the VMI Sports Hall of Fame in November 2008, recognizing his incredible achievements.

Thomas Haskins' Professional Football Career

After his successful college career, Thomas Haskins went on to play professional football in Canada.

Playing for the Montreal Alouettes

In 1997, Haskins joined the Montreal Alouettes, a team in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played for the Alouettes for six seasons, which is a long time to stay with one team! In his last year with the team, he helped them win the Grey Cup, which is the championship trophy for the CFL.

A Health Challenge and Retirement

After leaving the Alouettes, Haskins signed a contract with the Edmonton Eskimos (now the Edmonton Elks) in February 2003. However, just a month later, he faced a serious health issue. Doctors discovered a benign (which means non-cancerous) brain tumor that was about the size of an orange. He had surgery to remove the tumor.

Because of his recovery, Haskins was not able to play any games for the Eskimos that season. Even though he couldn't play, the Eskimos honored his contract for 2003, which was very kind of them. In March 2004, Haskins was released by the team. After recovering, he had hoped to return to professional football, but he eventually decided to retire from the sport.