Tom Waddle

Infobox NFLretired
position=Wide Receiver
number=87
birthdate=Birth date and age|1967|2|20|mf=y
debutyear=1989
finalyear=1994
draftyear=
draftround=
draftpick=
college=Boston College
teams=
* Chicago Bears (1989-1994)
stat1label=Touchdowns
stat1value=9
stat2label=Receiving yards
stat2value=2,109
stat3label=Receptions
stat3value=173
pfr=WaddTo00
highlights=
*All Madden Team (1991)
*Chicago Bears Leading Receiver (1991, 1992)
HOF=
CollegeHOF=

Gregory "Tom" Thomas 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.

High School

Waddle went to high school at Archbishop Moeller High School in Sycamore Township, Ohio. He aspired to be a professional baseball player but with the likes of fellow Moeller schoolmates Ken Griffey Jr and Barry Larkin, Waddle turned to football.

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. cite web|url=http://www.bearshistory.com/lore/tomwaddle.aspx|title=Tom Waddle, Bears WR 1989-1994|language=English]

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 yards 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. cite web|url=http://www.bearshistory.com/lore/tomwaddle.aspx|title=Tom Waddle, Bears WR 1989-1994|language=English] Waddle finished his NFL career as a Bengal in 1995. To this day, Waddle reminisces about his wavering role on the team during episodes of "The Final Word", a show he co-hosts.

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 the football scene, Waddle was still a well known and respected figure. cite web|url=http://www.bearshistory.com/lore/tomwaddle.aspx|title=Tom Waddle, Bears WR 1989-1994|language=English]

Post-football career

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 every 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 and also does color commentating for the NIU Huskies football games that are aired on Comcast SportsNet via CSN Chicago.

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" [ [http://www.wgnradio.com/sports/3bears.htm Radio 720 is the home of The Three Bears!] ] , with Glen Kozlowski and Dan Hampton. He presently co-hosts "The Waddle and Silvy Show" from 9-12 AM on WMVP AM 1000 (ESPN 1000) in Chicago with Marc Silverman. He has also served as a substitute host on ESPN Radio's Mike and Mike in the Morning show.

Tom Waddle is also an analyst for Sprint Exclusive Entertainment, providing content on all sports for cell phones.

References

External links

* [http://www.myfoxchicago.com/myfox/pages/Sports;jsessionid=D6448C9B4F78761C13B3CA66FB471146?pageId=6.1 Waddle @ Fox Chicago Sports]