Tag Archives: tom waddle

NFL

Waddle, Tom (2)

Skybox 1992, #116
Action Packed 1992, #27
Skybox Premium 1993, #255
Gameday 1992, #50

CARDS: Skybox 1992, Skybox Premium 1993, Gameday 1992, Action Packed 1992
ACQUIRED: TTM 2023, C/o Home
SENT: 6/22 RECEIVED: 7/7 (15 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

NOTES:

Many years ago, thanks to my friend Bryan who was taking a break from collecting I acquired a few of Tom Waddle’s autographs. At the time I didn’t have anything from Waddle and gleefully added him on 2 cards. Well after all those years, I’ve developed specific set needs and now I needed him on a few of them, including both these Skybox sets and the Gameday 1992 issue.

Skybox 1992 had very few disappointing cards, chief among this one. There was no reason that any manufacturer at this point- especially one that prided itself in the ‘poster card’ design style, would come up with this one of Waddle just standing there with his hands on his hips. They should’ve used the action shot from the Skybox set’s Bears team card for this and relegated this hip pose to that team card instead.

All the others feel like nice designs- though Pro Set 1992 used a less close shot of the same image from the Action Packed 1992 card. I love the clarity of the Gameday 1992 card. Although probably unintended, the people in the background and the referee are so clear, that you can see their astonishment with Tom laying out to catch that pass.

NFL

Waddle, Tom

Cards: Pro Set Power 1992, Pro Set 1991
Acquired: Canton Acquisition 2012

Tom Waddle is a player of football lore,  who proves that if you have the tools and can stick with it, you can make it in the NFL. Waddle was an acclaimed receiver for the Golden Eagles of Boston College. With great hands and excellent ability to cut on the fly running routes, it was thought that with his stellar numbers, at BC (finishing 3rd All-Time receiving) he’d sneak into the 1989 draft. As we all know, the 1989 NFL draft was an incredible draft from top to bottom, and despite it still being a 12 round draft, Tom did not hear his name called. Undeterred, Waddle signed a free agent contract with Mike Ditka’s Chicago Bears.

The Bears were pretty set at receiver with Wendell Davis, Ron Morris, Dennis Gentry, and Dennis McKinnon all in front of Waddle. He got in some garbage time as a punt returner and receiver over the next two years, and managed to hang on until he really got his break in 1991.  By the 1991 season we were looking at a vastly different Bears team. The offense was going through major growing pangs converting to a more pass friendly environment with Jim Harbaugh at quarterback. Runningback Neal Anderson and a good portion of wide receiver corps were decimated by injuries, so Tom got his shot on a Monday night game- and didn’t look back….

He’d end up starting 13 games in 1991, and make 55 grabs for 599 yards and 3 touchdowns in 1991. Teams saw that he was fearless trying to make the catch, and made sure to put a licking on Waddle, but he always managed to get his smelling salts, and return right back into the game. Tom recorded career highs in receiving yards in 1992 (with 674 yards receiving and 4 touchdowns on 46 receptions),  and followed that up in 1993 with 44 receptions for  552 yards and a touchdown despite a changeover with Dave Wannastedt becoming head coach. In 1994, Tom was demoted to 3rd string and injuries (concussion, leg) began to take their toll on him. He finished the season starting only 1 contest, but came off the bench still to post 25 receptions for 244 yards and a touchdown. Waddle signed with the Bengals after the season but retired soon there after.

Always a Chicago fan favorite, even after retirement, Tom works radio in Chicago both for ESPN and Fox, and has also done some time as a color and in studio broadcaster for both college and professional football.

G/Gs 60/41   Rec 173    Yds 2109    Avg 12.2    Td 9    Lg  68