52 Days to Gator Football: Tom Shannon

I am a left-handed, former Florida Gator quarterback raised in Florida from a Gator family, and a natural athlete who also excelled in baseball. Who am I? 99% of you probably did not answer "Tom Shannon". Tom Shannon actually joined Ray Graves' Gators in 1961 as a defensive back. In the third game of his sophomore year, Tom took over as starter for Larry Libertore (my #58 Gator) and guided the team to a 5-2 record and a 17-7 upset win over Penn State in the Gator Bowl. He was MVP of the 1962 Gator Bowl, and what was then a season record for passing completion percentage at 56% (times have changed).

In 1963 he guided the Gators to a 6-3-1 record with key victories over Georgia, Miami, and Bear Bryant's Alabama Crimson Tide. His 7-3 senior season of 1964 marked the arrival of another Gator Great who would become a lifetime friend, Steven Orr Spurrier. Tom finished his career with 1766 yards passing (162/290, 7 TD), 137 yards rushing (203/137, 0.7 Avg, 9 TD) for a career passer rating of 99.1 and 4 punt returns for 29 Yds, 7.3 Avg, 0 TD.

Tom was named to the 1964 & 1965 All SEC team...in baseball. As a 1st baseman, he helped the baseball team to SEC East runner up seasons. Tom Shannon was named to the University of Florida Athletic Association Hall of Fame as a Gator Great in both football and baseball. Tom continues to be active in the Gator Nation by donating to several scholarship funds and local charities, and by funding $1M to the Hough Graduate School in the University of Florida Warrington College of Business Administration.