Tom McHale (American football)
Encyclopedia
Thomas McHale was an American
offensive guard
in the National Football League
. During his career he played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
(1987–92), Philadelphia Eagles
(1993–94) and Miami Dolphins
(1995). Born in Gaithersburg, Maryland
, he attended Gaithersburg High School
and then Wyoming Seminary
in Kingston, Pennsylvania
before playing college football
at Maryland
(1983) and Cornell
(1986), graduating from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration
. Playing as a defensive end, he was named all-Ivy League
and first team All-America
n in 1986, and was runner-up for Ivy League Player of the Year. He was named to the Cornell Athletic Hall of Fame in 1993.
. The cause of death was recorded as an accidental drug overdose.
An examination of McHale's brain at Boston University's School of Medicine found that McHale had chronic traumatic encephalopathy
(CTE), a condition found in several other NFL veterans who had received repeated concussions.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
offensive guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. During his career he played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
(1987–92), Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
(1993–94) and Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(1995). Born in Gaithersburg, Maryland
Gaithersburg, Maryland
Gaithersburg is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The city had a population of 59,933 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest incorporated city in the state, behind Baltimore, Frederick, and Rockville...
, he attended Gaithersburg High School
Gaithersburg High School
Gaithersburg High School is located in Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States. Part of Montgomery County Public Schools, the school was founded in 1904 as "Gaithersburg School" and offered grades K-12. Since 1951, the school resides at 314 South Frederick Avenue and currently offers education for...
and then Wyoming Seminary
Wyoming Seminary
Wyoming Seminary, founded in 1844 and currently led by President Kip P. Nygren, is a private college preparatory school located in the Wyoming Valley of Northeastern Pennsylvania, in Kingston and Forty Fort It is near the Susquehanna River and the city of Wilkes-Barre...
in Kingston, Pennsylvania
Kingston, Pennsylvania
Kingston is a municipality located in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States, on the Susquehanna River opposite Wilkes Barre. Kingston was incorporated as a borough in 1857. Kingston has adopted a home rule charter which became effective in January 1976. It is part of the greater metropolitan...
before playing college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
(1983) and Cornell
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
(1986), graduating from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration
Cornell University School of Hotel Administration
The School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University is a specialized business school for hospitality management founded in 1922 as the first four-year intercollegiate school devoted to the field...
. Playing as a defensive end, he was named all-Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
and first team All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n in 1986, and was runner-up for Ivy League Player of the Year. He was named to the Cornell Athletic Hall of Fame in 1993.
Death
On the morning of May 25, 2008, McHale was found dead at age 45 at the home of a friend in Wesley Chapel, FloridaWesley Chapel, Florida
Wesley Chapel is a census-designated place in Pasco County, Florida, United States. Wesley Chapel is considered part of the Tampa Bay Area metro. The population was 44,092 at the 2010 census. In 2003, some residents of Wesley Chapel started a movement to incorporate the community...
. The cause of death was recorded as an accidental drug overdose.
An examination of McHale's brain at Boston University's School of Medicine found that McHale had chronic traumatic encephalopathy
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a progressive degenerative disease found in individuals who have been subjected to multiple concussions and other forms of head injury. A variant of the condition, dementia pugilistica, is primarily associated with boxing...
(CTE), a condition found in several other NFL veterans who had received repeated concussions.