Tom Cleary Explained
| Tom Cleary |
| Birth Date: | 30 October 1922 |
| Death Place: | Harris County, Texas, U.S. |
| Import: | yes |
| Position1: | Linebacker |
| Height Ft: | 6 |
| Height In: | 2 |
| Weight Lb: | 230 |
| College: | Pennsylvania |
| Playing Years1: | 1948 |
| Playing Team1: | Hawaiian Warriors (PCFL) |
| Playing Team2: | Edmonton Eskimos (CFL) |
Thomas Leo Cleary[1] (October 30, 1922 – June 20, 2009) was a Canadian football player who played for the Edmonton Eskimos[2] He was a former Washington Redskins tackle. He also played for the Hawaiian Warriors of the Pacific Coast Professional Football League and won an award for the most outstanding lineman.[3] [4]
Cleary was from Oakland, California and attended Roosevelt High School there and later Saint Mary's College in Moraga, California where he played college football.[5] He was a veteran of World War II with the United States Marine Corps,[6] having served in the Marine Raiders battalion commanded by Evans Carlson and reaching the rank of captain.[7] [8] Cleary married Isabel Lloyd, who was from Alberta.[9] He died in 2009.[10]
Notes
- Though Canadian newspapers state that Cleary played at the University of Pennsylvania in 1939, 1940, 1941, 1945 and 1946, there is no record of any Thomas Cleary having attended or played football for these purported years.
Notes and References
- News: Marine's Letter Brings War Close. January 29, 1943. 13. Oakland Tribune. January 1, 2019.
- Web site: Tom Cleary Statistics on JustSportsStats.com. justsportsstats.com. 2015-04-15.
- Winnipeg Free Press, Monday, February 27, 1950, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Web site: 22 Sep 1949, Page 20 - The Winnipeg Tribune at Newspapers.com. newspapers.com. 2015-04-15.
- News: Former St. Mary's Back, Cpl. Cleary, Bougainville Hero. 25. October 13, 1944. Oakland Tribune. January 1, 2019.
- News: Oaklander Wins Marine Corps Badge of Honor. May 27, 1942. Oakland Tribune. Oakland, California. 14. January 1, 2019.
- News: Survivor Tells Story of Carlson's Raiders. November 30, 1949. 29. The Calgary Herald. January 1, 2019.
- News: Eskimos Acquire First Import As Tom Cleary Signs Contract. The Edmonton Journal. 12. January 1, 2019.
- Web site: Isabel CLEARY Obituary - Calgary, AB | Calgary Herald . Legacy.com . 2019-01-02.
- Web site: One Got Away . Bonita Gilbert . 21 October 2015. 2019-01-02.
