Former Michigan State football and baseball All-American Tom Yewcic has died at the age of 88, the New England Patriots and MSU Athletics announced Thursday.
Yewcic played quarterback and punter for the Spartans football team from 1950 to 1953 where hee had one of the most lustrous careers in MSU history. Yewcic won two national championships in 1952 and 1953 including a Rose Bowl victory in the 1953 season. That same season, he set a single season record for passing yards and punting yards. Yewcic went 27-1 in his time on the MSU football team.
Yewcic was also the starting catcher for the MSU baseball team in 1954, leading the team to their first ever Big Ten championship and first ever College World Series appearances. The Spartans finished in third place, however Yewcic was named as the College World Series MVP.
Yewcic is the only athlete in history to win a Rose Bowl while also winning the College World Series MVP in the same year.
After his time at Michigan State, Yewcic was selected in the 27th round of the 1954 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Wanting to play baseball instead, he signed with the Detroit Tigers where he appeared in one major league game in 1957.
In 1961, Yewcic signed with the Boston Patriots of the American Football League where he played quarterback, punter, running back and wide receiver. He is most known in his professional career from his punting, punting 377 times for 14,553 total yards. As a quarterback he completed 87 passes for over 1,300 yards and 12 touchdown passes.
In 2003, Yewcic was inducted into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame as well as being named the MSU Distinguished Alumnus of the Year in 2013.
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