Thomas Pullen (born January 3, 1945) is a former American football and Canadian football player. He played college football at the University of Michigan from 1965 to 1967. A native of Ottawa, Ontario, he also played professional football in the Canadian Football League for the Ottawa Rough Riders (1968–1969, 1972–1974), the Montreal Alouettes (1970–1971), and the Toronto Argonauts (1975).
| Date of birth | January 3, 1945 |
|---|---|
| Place of birth | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Career information | |
| Status | Retired |
| CFL status | National |
| Position(s) | TE |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) |
| Weight | 205 lb (93 kg) |
| US college | University of Michigan |
| High school | Glebe Collegiate Institute |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1968–1969 | Ottawa Rough Riders |
| 1970–1971 | Montreal Alouettes |
| 1972–1974 | Ottawa Rough Riders |
| 1975 | Toronto Argonauts |
Early years
editPullen was born in Ottawa, Ontario, in 1945.[1] He attended Glebe Collegiate Institute, a high school in Ottawa, where he played football, basketball and ran track and field. He was selected as Glebe's most outstanding football player in 1961, set records in the high jump, hurdles and sprints, and led the basketball team to the Ontario provincial finals. He also played goalie for the Ottawa Montagnards and was also one of the first players in Canadian Little League history to pitch a no-hit shut-out.[2][3]
University of Michigan
editPullen enrolled at the University of Michigan in 1965 and played college football for the Michigan Wolverines football team from 1965 to 1967.[4] He was the first Canadian to receive a full football scholarship from the school, and he became the first Canadian to letter with the Michigan football team.[2] He played principally at the end position for the 1965 Michigan Wolverines football team.[5] Pullen graduated from the University of Michigan with degrees in science and education.[2]
Professional football
editPullen later played seven seasons in the Canadian Football League with the Ottawa Rough Riders (1968–1969, 1972–1974), the Montreal Alouettes (1970–1971), and the Toronto Argonauts (1975). He had his best season in 1971 when he caught 34 passes for 487 yards and three touchdowns as a member of the Alouettes.[6] He was a member of three consecutive Grey Cup championship teams (two with Ottawa with 1968 and 1979, and one with Montreal in 1970), and he also a fourth Grey Cup championship with Ottawa in 1973.[7]
Later years
editAfter retiring from football, Pullen became a teacher and basketball and track coach at Glebe Collegiate in Ottawa. He also held coaching positions with the Carleton Ravens (three years as receivers coach), Midget Nepean Rams (one year as assistant coach), and Ashbury (one season as the goalie coach). He later became a vice-president of business development for Innovative Financial Group Inc.[2]
References
edit- ^ "Players A-Z". CFLapedia. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
- ^ a b c d Earl McRae (December 4, 2009). "Tom Pullen is an easy choice for sports hall of fame". Ottawa Sun.
- ^ "Tom Pullen Hurls Glebe to Victory In All-Star Game". Ottawa Citizen. July 25, 1957.
- ^ "All-Time Football Roster Database". University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
- ^ "1965 Football Team". University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library.
- ^ "Tom Pullen". cflapedia.com.
- ^ "Tom Pullen Pro Football Stats, Position, College, Transactions". profootballarchives.com. Retrieved July 5, 2024.