1961-1966

Tom Yewcic was born into a family of humble means, abundant love and 11 children on May 9, 1932 in Conemaugh, PA to Julia and George Yewcic.

Prior to playing for the Boston Patriots as a punter and quarterback, Tom grew up in western Pennsylvania where he excelled in football, basketball, and baseball at Conemaugh Valley High School where today the football stadium is named in his honor.

At Michigan State he starred for and helped lead the Spartans to an undefeated season and national championship in 1952 followed by a Big Ten title in 1953 and a Rose Bowl victory over UCLA. That spring he earned All-American honors as catcher for a Spartan team that reached the College World Series where he was named World Series MVP on a team that did not even win the championship. Tom's name and number grace the outfield wall at the Michigan State Baseball Stadium and he is enshrined into the Michigan State University Athletics Hall of Fame for both Football and Baseball.

The armed forces came calling, and the catcher became Second Lieutenant Tom Yewcic, stationed at Fort Polk, La., and assigned to the First Tank Battalion, First Armored Division. He stayed in the Army for all of 1956 and a good portion of 1957, playing both football and baseball in his free time.

He was drafted in the 27th round with the 319th pick overall in the 1954 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, but opted to play baseball and signed with the Detroit Tigers. Yewcic spent time in the minor leagues before playing one game at catcher for Detroit on June 27, 1957. Yewcic’s career stats are 0-for-1 at the plate and an .833 fielding percentage, with an error, an assist and 4 putouts in 3 innings.

He signed with the Patriots in 1961 following a half a season with Toronto of the Canadian Football League.

Yewcic was used chiefly as a punter in 1961 and the first half of 1962 before being pressed into service as a starting quarterback when Babe Parilli suffered an injury and sparked the Patriots to three straight wins.

Yewcic made the Patriots as a punter and a backup quarterback — even though he had originally signed as a defensive end. He had a very good 6-year career with the Patriots, doing a little bit of everything.

Punting was his primary job, and he had an average of 38.6 yards per punt over his career, with a long of 70 yards in 1965. As a passer, Yewcic completed 87 of 206 attempts for 1,374 yards, with 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He also rushed 72 times for 424 yards and caught 7 passes for 69 yards. He kicked a 68-yard punt in a 1963 AFL title game that stood as a playoff record until Ray Guy broke it with a 71-yarder in 1981.

Yewcic and Tom Brady share the distinction of being the only players to have ever punted, thrown a touchdown pass, caught a pass, and run for a touchdown in a Patriots uniform. He was an assistant coach for the Patriots and head coach for the New England Colonials. He loved coaching and continued to mentor players both on and off the field, throughout his life. After his playing and coaching careers, Tom worked in Medical sales and soon began his extensive work fundraising for the many charitable organizations he became involved with.

Yewcic was named the punter on the Patriots’ offensive team of the 1960s. He was also inducted into the Michigan State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003.

Tom passed away peacefully on October, 20th at the age of 88, in Arlington MA.