Tom Fears 1956 Los Angeles Rams Topps Card #42
From his last season of a 9-year career. Unfortunately a pre-season injury slowed him down to the point he had but 5 catches. Retired before the season ended but stayed on as an assistant coach with the Rams.
Tom Fears 1955 Los Angeles Rams Bowman Football Card
His 1955 Bowman Card. It was his 8th year in the league and while his numbers may have appeared modest compared to previous seasons he still led the Rams in receiving as well as ranking #3 in the NFL for catches. His totals for the season were 44 catches, 569 yards and 2 touchdowns.
LA Ram Hall of Fame Receivers Elroy Hirsch and Tom Fears
2 Hall of Fame receivers from the high-powered offense that was the early 1950s Rams. Both members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame 1950s All-Decade Team.
Tom Fears
Originally assigned as a Defensive Back when he left UCLA in 1947 the Rams coaching staff felt his ball-hawking skills were used at the receiving position. It turned out to be a wise decision as the led the NFL in receptions his first 3 years in the league. To this day, over 50 years later, he still ranks #6 on the All-Time Rams Career Catches (400) and Yards (5397) and #7 on All-Time Touchdown Catches (38).
Tom Fears
Named to the NFL 1950s Al-Decade Team he lead the NFL in receiving 3 straight seasons setting new records twice. Set the record for Most Catches in a Game in 1950 when he had 18 catches against Green Bay. That record stood until the 2000 season. In the 1950 Divisional Playoff Round against the Chicago Bears he caught 7 passes for 198 yards and 3 touchdowns. The next week in the Championship game loss to the Cleveland Browns he had 9 catches for 136 yards.
Tom Fears NFL Hall of Fame Receiver
Born in Guadalajara, Mexico he was was drafted by the Army Corps of Engineers and served as a flight instructor during World War II. An All-American at UCLA he was an 11th round draft pick of the Cleveland Rams (they moved to Los Angeles soon after) in 1945. Finishing his schooling he joined the Rams in 1948 and quickly emerged as one of the NFL's top receivers when he led the league with 51 catches. The following season he not only lead the league again but set a new NFL record with 77 catches. In 1950 he made the All Pro team, leading the NFL a third straight year while breaking his previous mark an establishing another Pro Football record of 84 catches. Named to the Hall of Fame in 1970.
New Orleans Saints Coaching Staff of 1967
After his Hall of Fame career as an NFL receiver he joined the Packers as an assistant coach in 1959 and was on staff of the Rams and Falcons before being named as the Head Coach of the newly formed New Orleans Saints team in 1967. He remained the Saints head coach until 1970. His career as a player was much more successful.
Tom Fears
