Tom Addison
Encyclopedia
Tom Addison was a professional American football
linebacker
(1960–1967) and sports labor leader, and is a member of the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame.
and was drafted by the NFL Baltimore Colts
and the Canadian Football League
Ottawa Rough Riders
, but chose to sign in 1960 with the Boston Patriots of the newly formed American Football League
, playing his entire pro career with the Patriots.
Considered a leader of the newly formed team, Addison was selected as team captain, and was named to the AFL All-Star
team for five straight years (1960
–1964), as well as being one of the first players ever selected to be a Patriot All-League player (in 1960
). He was also a Sporting News' All-League player in 1963 and 1964, and an AFL Eastern Division All-Star
in 1961 and 1962. With 16 career interceptions (returning one for a touchdown), he was considered by many to be the best AFL linebacker against the run in the mid 1960s.
He played in every Patriots' game from 1961 to 1966 (84 games), and was adding to this total when he sustained what proved to be a career-ending knee injury. On June 18, 1968, he was released by the Patriots after team doctors stated that he would risk further damage by playing after having undergone two knee operations. Addison was selected by a Patriot fan vote in 1971 as a member of the Patriots' All-1960s (AFL) Team.
formed the AFL Players Association, and Addison was elected the union's first president.
In search of protection for the players, Addison put together a request package of benefits that included insurance
and a player pension
plan. As president, Addison had the intimidating task of meeting with the team owners to communicate the request. Upon entering the meeting room, Addison approached the long oval table, where the stern-faced owners were awaiting. With Southern charm
, he looked up at the owners, smiled, and said "Well, I'm not trying to be the next Jimmy Hoffa
!" This broke the tension, and started a period of perhaps the most positive relationship between owners and players in team sports history.
With a players association in place, players newly drafted by American Football League teams in the "war between the leagues" could be assured that they would have representation and protection in the AFL that was the equal of that in the older league. Addison's work was an important element in the survival of the league, and helped the AFL to be able compete for top talent, and to establish itself as the future of professional football.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
(1960–1967) and sports labor leader, and is a member of the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame.
Playing career
Addison attended the University of South CarolinaUniversity of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
and was drafted by the NFL Baltimore Colts
History of the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
and the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
Ottawa Rough Riders
Ottawa Rough Riders
The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...
, but chose to sign in 1960 with the Boston Patriots of the newly formed American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
, playing his entire pro career with the Patriots.
Considered a leader of the newly formed team, Addison was selected as team captain, and was named to the AFL All-Star
American Football League All-Star games
-All-League Teams:The Sporting News published American Football League All-League Teams for each season played by the American Football League, 1960 through 1969...
team for five straight years (1960
1960 American Football League All-League Players
-Sporting News American Football League All-League Team - 1960:The American Football League did not have an All-Star game after its first season in 1960, but an All-League team, selected by vote of the AFL players themselves, was published by the Sporting News...
–1964), as well as being one of the first players ever selected to be a Patriot All-League player (in 1960
1960 American Football League All-League Players
-Sporting News American Football League All-League Team - 1960:The American Football League did not have an All-Star game after its first season in 1960, but an All-League team, selected by vote of the AFL players themselves, was published by the Sporting News...
). He was also a Sporting News' All-League player in 1963 and 1964, and an AFL Eastern Division All-Star
American Football League All-Star games
-All-League Teams:The Sporting News published American Football League All-League Teams for each season played by the American Football League, 1960 through 1969...
in 1961 and 1962. With 16 career interceptions (returning one for a touchdown), he was considered by many to be the best AFL linebacker against the run in the mid 1960s.
He played in every Patriots' game from 1961 to 1966 (84 games), and was adding to this total when he sustained what proved to be a career-ending knee injury. On June 18, 1968, he was released by the Patriots after team doctors stated that he would risk further damage by playing after having undergone two knee operations. Addison was selected by a Patriot fan vote in 1971 as a member of the Patriots' All-1960s (AFL) Team.
Labor leadership
On January 14, 1964, players in the American Football LeagueAmerican Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
formed the AFL Players Association, and Addison was elected the union's first president.
In search of protection for the players, Addison put together a request package of benefits that included insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
and a player pension
Pension
In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
plan. As president, Addison had the intimidating task of meeting with the team owners to communicate the request. Upon entering the meeting room, Addison approached the long oval table, where the stern-faced owners were awaiting. With Southern charm
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
, he looked up at the owners, smiled, and said "Well, I'm not trying to be the next Jimmy Hoffa
Jimmy Hoffa
James Riddle "Jimmy" Hoffa was an American labor union leader....
!" This broke the tension, and started a period of perhaps the most positive relationship between owners and players in team sports history.
With a players association in place, players newly drafted by American Football League teams in the "war between the leagues" could be assured that they would have representation and protection in the AFL that was the equal of that in the older league. Addison's work was an important element in the survival of the league, and helped the AFL to be able compete for top talent, and to establish itself as the future of professional football.