Tom Waddle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Tom Waddle | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | February 20, 1967 |
| Place of birth | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Position(s) | Wide Receiver |
| College | Boston College |
| Statistics | |
| Team(s) | |
| 1989-1994 | Chicago Bears |
Gregory Thomas ("Tom") Waddle (born February 20, 1967 in Cincinnati, Ohio) is a former American football wide receiver in the NFL. He spent his entire six year career with the Chicago Bears. He attended Boston College.
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[edit] Professional career
The Bears signed Waddle as an undrafted free agent from Boston College. During his first years with Bears, he struggled to make an impact as a wide receiver. Due to his size and speed, he fell to the lower ranks of the team’s depth chart. Waddle, however, possessed great ball handling abilities. In 1991, Waddle caught a game-winning touchdown by diving for the football. In one of his best games in 1991, Waddle caught 102 yards on eight receptions, establishing himself as one of the Bears’ most solid playmakers. Later in the season, he caught nine passes for 104 yards. [1]
In 1992, Waddle earned a starting position, and became a fan favorite. He had several productive performances with quarterback, Jim Harbaugh, including a performance against the Atlanta Falcons where he outran Deion Sanders for a touchdown. In 1993, he was Bears’ leading receiver in both receptions and yard’s amassed. His career with the Bears’ began to fallout in 1994, when Dave Wannstedt demoted Waddle to third string wide receiver. The following year, Waddle left the Bears after failing to negotiate a proper contract. [1] To this day, Waddle reminisces about his wavering role on the team during episodes of The Final Word and Charge for the Championship, two shows he would eventually co-host.
Fans remember Waddle from his rigorous work ethic and effort. Even after sustaining big hits and injuries from bigger players, Waddle was eager to bounce back and play during the following week. His contract and career transactions also tell an interesting story, as the Bears released and resigned him six times. Even after leaving he football scene, Waddle was still a well known and respected figure in the Chicagoland. [1]
[edit] Personal life
Tom Waddle can be seen across the country with Mike Ditka on Pro Football Weekly. He is also a member of Fox News Chicago's Final Word, a thirty minute show, which airs every Sunday night that primarily consists of various sports highlights, commentaries, and interviews. During football season, he is the host of Fox Kickoff Live, an episode that airs hours before ever Bears' game. He often pokes fun at himself by engaging in several running jokes, including wandering the Fox Chicago News office in his boxers with a piece of toilet paper stuck to his shoe. Waddle also occasionally fills in for other sports anchors during week. Waddle also does color commentating for the NIU Huskies football games that are aired on Chicago Sports Net.
Tom Waddle has also been a regular radio host on WGN Radio, co-hosting the Sports Central program weeknights from 7-9 PM with David Kaplan from 1997-2007. He was one of a trio of Chicago Bears that were collectively called the "Three Bears"[2], with Glen Kozlowski and Dan Hampton. He presently co-hosts "The Show" on WMVP AM 1000 in Chicago with Marc Silverman.
