Tommie Frazier facts for kids
Frazier with the Nebraska Cornhuskers in 1993
|
|
| No. 15 | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Quarterback |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | July 16, 1974 Bradenton, Florida, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight: | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Manatee (Bradenton) |
| College: | Nebraska (1992–1995) |
| Undrafted: | 1996 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
|
|
| As coach: | |
|
|
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
|
College Football Hall of Fame
|
|
Tommie James Frazier Jr. (born July 16, 1974) is a former American college football player. He was a star quarterback for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. A quarterback is the player who leads the team's offense. He calls plays and throws the ball.
Frazier led his team to win two national championships in a row, in 1994 and 1995. He is one of only a few quarterbacks to do this since the 1950s. He was also named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in three national championship games. No other player has ever done that! The 1995 Nebraska football team is thought to be one of the best college football teams ever. In 2006, ESPN.com voted them the best of all time.
In 2013, Tommie Frazier was chosen for the College Football Hall of Fame. This is a special place for the best college football players.
Contents
About Tommie Frazier
Tommie Frazier grew up in Palmetto, Florida. He went to Manatee High School. In high school, he was a great quarterback. He ran for 1,600 yards and scored 33 touchdowns. He also passed for 2,600 yards and 30 touchdowns.
Tommie is married to Andrea Stephens Frazier. They have a son and a daughter. He was also a host for two radio shows about football.
Playing College Football
Starting at Nebraska in 1992
Tommie Frazier received a scholarship to play football at the University of Nebraska. The Nebraska Cornhuskers had struggled in big bowl games before he arrived. Their coach, Tom Osborne, wanted faster players. He was very happy when Frazier chose Nebraska.
Frazier joined the team in 1992 when he was 18. He started as a backup quarterback. But soon, he became the main starter. He led Nebraska to a 9–3 record that season. He played well in the 1993 Orange Bowl against Florida State. Even though Nebraska lost, Frazier showed his talent.
The 1993 Season
In 1993, Frazier helped the Cornhuskers have a perfect regular season. He ran for over 1,000 yards and scored nine touchdowns. He also passed for 1,159 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Nebraska played Florida State again in the 1994 Orange Bowl. It was a very close game. Florida State won 18–16 with a last-minute field goal. Even though Nebraska lost, Frazier was named the MVP of the game. He completed 13 passes for 206 yards and ran for 77 yards. Nebraska finished the season with an 11–1 record.
Winning a Championship in 1994
Frazier was a top player in 1994. However, he missed half the season because of a blood clot in his leg. This is a medical condition where blood thickens and can block blood flow.
Another quarterback, Brook Berringer, led the team to the 1995 Orange Bowl. Nebraska played against Miami for the national championship. Frazier started the game but was later replaced. When Nebraska was losing, Coach Osborne put Frazier back in. Frazier led two amazing touchdown drives. These drives helped Nebraska win 24–17. This was Nebraska's first national title since 1971. Frazier was again named the MVP of the game.
Undefeated in 1995
Frazier was healthy again in 1995. He led the Cornhuskers to another perfect season. He improved his passing skills a lot. He completed 56.4% of his passes and threw 17 touchdowns. He was considered for the Heisman Trophy, an award for the best college player. He finished second in the voting.
The 1995 team had many great running backs. They set a record for rushing yards per attempt. Nebraska averaged almost 400 rushing yards and 52 points per game. Frazier completed 92 passes for 1,362 yards. He also ran for 604 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was never sacked, meaning he was never tackled while trying to pass. He won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, given to the best senior quarterback.
Nebraska played the Florida Gators in the 1996 Fiesta Bowl. Frazier won his third straight national championship game MVP award. Nebraska won 62–24. Frazier ran for 199 yards in that game. He had a famous 75-yard touchdown run where he broke seven tackles. Sports Illustrated called it one of college football's greatest plays.
After the game, Frazier thanked his fans, teammates, and his faith. He graduated from Nebraska after this amazing season.
Tommie Frazier's Legacy
Tommie Frazier is a legend in Nebraska football history. He helped the Cornhuskers win many championships. His jersey number, 15, was retired in 1996. This means no other player on the team can wear that number. He was named one of the greatest college football players of the century.
In 2013, Tommie Frazier was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He was also named to the Nebraska Hall of Fame in 2023.
Playing Professional Football
Tommie Frazier played well in a game called the East-West Shrine Game in 1996. This game helps college players show their skills to professional scouts. Many thought he would be drafted by an NFL team.
However, Frazier had more problems with blood clots. Because of these health issues, he was not chosen in the NFL Draft. He then signed a contract with the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played in only one game for them in August 1996.
His professional career ended quickly. In September 1996, he had pneumonia and more blood clot issues. He decided to retire from football.
Coaching Career
After playing, Frazier became a football coach. He was an assistant coach at Baylor University from 1999 to 2002. He worked with quarterbacks and then running backs.
In 2005, Frazier became the head football coach at Doane College in Nebraska. He coached there for two seasons before resigning in 2006.
Records and Achievements
Tommie Frazier achieved many great things in his college career:
- He had a 33–3 record as a starting quarterback.
- He won 2 national championships.
- He won 4 Big Eight Conference championships.
- He held the Nebraska Cornhuskers record for total offense in his career (5,476 yards).
- He held the Nebraska Cornhuskers record for career touchdown passes (43).
- He held the Nebraska Cornhuskers record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a season (14).
- He held the NCAA record for rushing yards in a bowl game by a quarterback (199).
- He had the longest touchdown run in a bowl game (75 yards).
College Statistics
| Passing | Rushing | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YEAR | CMP (Completions) | ATT (Attempts) | CMP% (Completion %) | YDS (Yards) | TD (Touchdowns) | INT (Interceptions) | ATT (Attempts) | YDS (Yards) | AVG (Average) | TD (Touchdowns) |
| 1992 | 54 | 121 | 44.6 | 873 | 12 | 3 | 93 | 400 | 4.3 | 7 |
| 1993 | 90 | 186 | 48.4 | 1,365 | 13 | 6 | 140 | 781 | 5.6 | 9 |
| 1994 | 22 | 49 | 44.9 | 298 | 4 | 3 | 40 | 279 | 7.0 | 6 |
| 1995 | 98 | 177 | 55.4 | 1,467 | 18 | 6 | 113 | 803 | 7.1 | 16 |
| Totals | 250 | 509 | 49.1 | 4,003 | 47 | 18 | 386 | 2,263 | 5.9 | 36 |
More Awards and Honors
- First-Team All-American (1995)
- Heisman Trophy Runner-Up (1995)
- Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Winner (1995)
- UPI Player-of-the-Year (1995)
- Sporting News Player of the Year (1995)
- ESPY Play of the Year (1996)
- First-Team All-Big Eight (1995)
- Big Eight Offensive Player-of-the-Year (1995)
- 1994 Orange Bowl MVP
- 1995 Orange Bowl MVP
- 1996 Fiesta Bowl MVP
- Big Eight Freshman/Newcomer-of-the-Year (1992)
