Tommy Mont facts for kids
Mont as Maryland head coach in 1957
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| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 20, 1922 Mount Savage, Maryland, U.S. |
| Died | January 1, 2012 (aged 89) Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1941–1942 | Maryland |
| 1946 | Maryland |
| 1947 | Wilmington Clippers |
| 1947–1949 | Washington Redskins |
| Position(s) | Quarterback |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1949 | Chattanooga (assistant) |
| 1950 | Washington Redskins (assistant) |
| 1951–1955 | Maryland (backfield) |
| 1956–1958 | Maryland |
| 1959–1976 | DePauw |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1972–1987 | DePauw |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 78–112–5 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
| 2× ICC Coach of the Year (1967, 19??) | |
Thomas Allison Mont (born June 20, 1922 – died January 1, 2012) was an American teacher, university leader, and a college football coach. He also played in the National Football League (NFL). He was a quarterback for the Washington Redskins, playing as a backup for three seasons. Tommy Mont was the head football coach for three years at the University of Maryland. He then coached for eighteen years at DePauw University. He also served as the athletic director at DePauw for fifteen years.
Contents
Tommy Mont's Early Life
Tommy Mont was born in Mount Savage, Maryland in 1922. He went to Allegany High School in Cumberland, Maryland. There, he played football as a quarterback. In 1939, he helped his team win the city championship.
College Football Career
Mont attended the University of Maryland. He played football as a quarterback in 1941 and 1942. In 1942, Clark Shaughnessy became Maryland's head coach. Shaughnessy was known for using a pass-focused style of play called the T-formation. He had helped another team, Stanford, go from a losing record to a perfect season.
Shaughnessy also worked as an advisor for the Washington Redskins at the same time. He helped Tommy Mont become a very good quarterback. In 1942, with Mont leading the team, the Maryland Terrapins had a great 7–2 record. That year, Mont was recognized as one of the best college football players in the nation. He was also ranked as the third-best passer. Mont also played lacrosse for Maryland in 1942 and again in 1948.
Serving in the Military
Tommy Mont paused his college studies to join the United States Army. He served as an infantryman during Second World War. In 1945, he coached the football team for the 3rd Infantry Division. His team won the championship for the 7th Army. After the war, he coached both basketball and football teams at Fort Benning, Georgia.
Back to College Life
After his time in the military, Mont returned to Maryland. He played football for another season in 1946. His former coach, Clark Shaughnessy, also returned to Maryland. Shaughnessy continued to advise the Washington Redskins part-time. He even had some Maryland players, including Mont, help him call plays for the Redskins. Mont earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Maryland in 1947.
Tommy Mont's Professional Football Career
The New York Giants picked Tommy Mont in the 1944 NFL Draft. In 1947, he began playing for the Washington Redskins. He was a backup quarterback for three seasons. At one point, he was the second-string quarterback behind the famous player Sammy Baugh.
- 1947 Season: He played in four games. On defense, he made one interception and returned it seven yards.
- 1948 Season: He played in 11 games and started two of them. He completed 12 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran the ball 11 times for 103 yards and one touchdown. On defense, he had two interceptions. He was the Redskins' second-best passer that year.
- 1949 Season: He played in 12 games. He completed three passes for 44 yards. He also ran the ball 14 times for 75 yards. He caught eight passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns. On defense, he recovered one fumble and returned it 45 yards.
Tommy Mont's Coaching Career
Early Coaching Jobs
In 1949, Mont started as an assistant coach at the University of Chattanooga. He helped them use the T-formation offense. In 1950, he was an assistant coach for the Washington Redskins.
Mont returned to his old university, Maryland, in 1951. He became the backfield coach under head coach Jim Tatum. He stayed in this role until 1955. During this time, he also worked with the U.S. Marine Corps' football team at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. He helped them use a different offense called the Split-T. From 1953 to 1955, Mont spent his summers working with a football team in Mexico City. In 1955, he also worked for the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League.
Coaching at Maryland
When Jim Tatum left Maryland to coach at North Carolina, Tommy Mont became the new head coach in 1956. His first season was tough, with many injuries, and the team had a 2–7–1 record. It was hard for Mont to find new talented players like his predecessor did. However, he did manage to get Rod Breedlove, a highly-rated player who later played in the NFL.
In 1957, the Maryland Terrapins improved to a 5–5 record. A very special game that season was against North Carolina, led by former Maryland coach Jim Tatum. On October 19, at Byrd Stadium, Queen Elizabeth II was in the audience. She wanted to see her first American football game! North Carolina was ranked 6th in the nation. Maryland was not doing as well.
Maryland won the game 21–7. After the victory, the Maryland players carried Coach Mont to the Queen's box. Mont later said it was a day he would "revel in for the rest of my life." However, in 1958, Maryland's record dropped to 4–6, and Mont decided to resign as head coach.
Coaching at DePauw University
In 1959, Mont took a job as head coach and a professor at DePauw University. He coached there for many years, leading his teams to a 67–94–4 record. He had a great record against their rival, Wabash College, in the Monon Bell Classic, winning 12 games. He was named the Indiana Collegiate Conference Coach of the Year twice, including in 1967.
In 1964, Mont earned a Master of Science degree from Indiana University. In 1973, he was honored and added to the Maryland Sports Hall of Fame.
After Coaching Football
In 1972, Tommy Mont was chosen to be the athletic director at DePauw University. He also became the head of the physical education department. In 1977, he stopped being the head football coach to focus completely on his duties as athletic director. He retired as athletic director in 1987. In his later years, he lived in Phoenix, Arizona with his wife. Tommy Mont passed away on January 1, 2012, at the age of 89, due to heart failure.
Images for kids
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Mont as Maryland head coach in 1957
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Mont meets William W. Skinner, Maryland's first quarterback and coach of the 1892 team.
