Tobin Rote
Encyclopedia
Tobin Cornelius Rote was an American college and professional football player who played quarterback for the NFL's Green Bay Packers
and Detroit Lions
, the Canadian Football League
's Toronto Argonauts
, and the American Football League
's San Diego Chargers
and Denver Broncos
.
in San Antonio, Texas
, graduating in 1946. He was named "Most Athletic Boy" by his classmates.
from 1946–49, quarterbacking the Owls
under the leadership of head coach Jess Neely
. As a senior in 1949, Rote led the Owls to a 10–1 season, capped by a 27–13 win over North Carolina
in the Cotton Bowl. During the fourth game of the season against rival Southern Methodist
that featured cousin Kyle Rote
, he led the Owls back from a 14–0 deficit to a 41–27 win. The next week saw Rote lead a comeback against Texas, turning a 9–0 halftime deficit into a 17–15 win. With a flawless conference record, the Owls were named outright Southwest Conference champions for the third time.
selected Rote in the second round (17th overall) of the 1950 NFL Draft
. He would spend a total of seven seasons in Wisconsin, leading the hapless Packers' offense while the defense annually ranked among the league's worst. Besides his passing duties, Rote led the Packers in rushing yards three times and rushing touchdowns five times. During the span of his Green Bay career, Rote ranked 3rd in the NFL
in passing touchdowns, trailing only Bobby Layne
and Norm Van Brocklin
. He also ranked 1st in the league in rushing yards by a quarterback and 2nd in touchdowns.
ranks among the greatest in NFL history. On a 4–8 team, he led the league in passing yards (by 294), passing touchdowns (his 18 being six more than Ted Marchibroda
's 12). In addition, his 11 rushing touchdowns were second in the league behind only Chicago's
Rick Casares
. His 29 total touchdowns were the highest single-season total in NFL history to date and the highest total in the era of the twelve-game schedule. The entire Packers' offense outside of Rote accounted for just 5 touchdowns.
Among quarterbacks, he led the league in pass completions, pass attempts, passing yards, passing touchdowns, rushing attempts, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns.
were traded to the Detroit Lions
for four players (halfback Don McIllhenny, offensive tackles Oliver Spencer and Norm Masters
, and offensive guard Jim Salsbury
).
Rote split time with Bobby Layne
, although it was Rote who ended up with more passing touchdowns, fewer interceptions, more rushing yards, more rushing touchdowns, and a better won-lost record as a starter. Layne broke his leg late in the year, leaving Rote to guide the team to an NFL title
. Detroit tied San Francisco
for the division title, forcing a one-game playoff. Facing a 27–7 deficit in the third quarter, Rote led the Lions to a 31–27 comeback win and a date with the Cleveland Browns
. In one of the greatest playoff performances in history, Rote led the Lions to a 59–14 thumping of the Browns. He completed 12 of 19 passes for 280 yards and 4 touchdowns, adding another touchdown on the ground.
As for Green Bay, they averaged four points/game fewer than the year before in spite of the addition of future Hall of Famers Bart Starr
and Paul Hornung
.
Layne was traded to Pittsburgh
shortly into the 1958 season, leaving Rote to guide the aging and rapidly declining Lions. Rote would lead the team in rushing, making it the fourth time in his career that he did so (an NFL record for quarterbacks). After a disastrous 1959 season, the Lions informed Rote that he would be released. Rather than retire, he headed north of the border to the Toronto Argonauts
of the CFL
.
who went on to win the Grey Cup
. Rote's 108 yard pass to Jim Rountree
in 1961 is still a team record, and in 1960 he threw 7 touchdown passes in a game twice, this being a CFL record at the time.
developed, the San Diego Chargers
of the American Football League
came calling. Rote was 35 years old at the time, but led the Chargers to an 11–3 record. For his part in directing the league's top offense, Rote was named first-team All-AFL and captured the Associated Press
Player of the Year award. Proving that his 1957 performance was no fluke, he led the Chargers to a 51–10 win over the Boston Patriots in the championship game. Individually, he accounted for 173 yards and 2 touchdowns on 10/15 passing, plus another 15 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground.
In 1964, Hadl began receiving more playing time. The Chargers went from 11–3 to 8–5–1 and the offense fell from 1st in the AFL to 4th. Rote was the starter for the 1964 AFL Championship game against the Buffalo Bills
, but neither he nor Hadl could do much against the swarming defense. Buffalo won 20–7, and Rote announced his retirement.
.
|-
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
and Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
, the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
's Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
, and the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
's San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Early life
Rote attended Harlandale High SchoolHarlandale High School
Harlandale High School is the flagship school for the Harlandale Independent School District in San Antonio, Texas....
in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, graduating in 1946. He was named "Most Athletic Boy" by his classmates.
Collegiate career
Rote attended Rice UniversityRice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
from 1946–49, quarterbacking the Owls
Rice Owls football
The Rice Owls football team represents Rice University in NCAA Division I college football. The Owls have competed in Conference USA's Western Division since 2005. Rice Stadium, built in 1950, hosts the Owls' home football games.-Venue:...
under the leadership of head coach Jess Neely
Jess Neely
Jess C. Neely was an American football player and coach of football and baseball. He served as the head football coach at Southwestern University, now Rhodes College , Clemson University , and Rice University , compiling a career college football record of 207–176–19...
. As a senior in 1949, Rote led the Owls to a 10–1 season, capped by a 27–13 win over North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels football
The North Carolina Tar Heels football team represents the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in collegiate level football. In Carolina’s first 121 seasons of football competition, the Tar Heels have compiled a record of 646–488–54, a winning percentage of .566...
in the Cotton Bowl. During the fourth game of the season against rival Southern Methodist
SMU Mustangs
The SMU Mustangs is the name of the athletic teams representing Southern Methodist University. The Mustangs participate in the NCAA's Division I as a member of Conference USA. In 2005, SMU accepted an invitation to the Western Division of Conference USA, and left the Western Athletic Conference...
that featured cousin Kyle Rote
Kyle Rote
William Kyle Rote, Sr. was an American football player and sports announcer.-Early life:Rote attended Thomas Jefferson High School in San Antonio, Texas, where he was an all-state basketball and football player....
, he led the Owls back from a 14–0 deficit to a 41–27 win. The next week saw Rote lead a comeback against Texas, turning a 9–0 halftime deficit into a 17–15 win. With a flawless conference record, the Owls were named outright Southwest Conference champions for the third time.
Career in Green Bay
The Green Bay PackersGreen Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
selected Rote in the second round (17th overall) of the 1950 NFL Draft
1950 NFL Draft
The 1950 National Football League Draft was held on January 20–21, 1950.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
. He would spend a total of seven seasons in Wisconsin, leading the hapless Packers' offense while the defense annually ranked among the league's worst. Besides his passing duties, Rote led the Packers in rushing yards three times and rushing touchdowns five times. During the span of his Green Bay career, Rote ranked 3rd in the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
in passing touchdowns, trailing only Bobby Layne
Bobby Layne
Robert Lawrence "Bobby" Layne was an American football quarterback who played for 15 seasons in the National Football League. He played for the Chicago Bears in 1948, the New York Bulldogs in 1949, the Detroit Lions from 1950–1958, and the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1958–1962...
and Norm Van Brocklin
Norm Van Brocklin
Norman Mack "Norm" Van Brocklin , nicknamed "The Dutchman", was an American football player and coach. He was also a first rate punter in college and in the NFL...
. He also ranked 1st in the league in rushing yards by a quarterback and 2nd in touchdowns.
1956 Season
Rote's 1956 season1956 NFL season
The 1956 NFL season was the 37th regular season of the National Football League. CBS became the first network to televise some regular season games across the nation...
ranks among the greatest in NFL history. On a 4–8 team, he led the league in passing yards (by 294), passing touchdowns (his 18 being six more than Ted Marchibroda
Ted Marchibroda
Theodore "Ted" Joseph Marchibroda is a former American football quarterback and head coach in the National Football League.-Player:...
's 12). In addition, his 11 rushing touchdowns were second in the league behind only Chicago's
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
Rick Casares
Rick Casares
Richard Jose "Rick" Casares is a former American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League and the American Football League for twelve seasons in the 1950s and 1960s...
. His 29 total touchdowns were the highest single-season total in NFL history to date and the highest total in the era of the twelve-game schedule. The entire Packers' offense outside of Rote accounted for just 5 touchdowns.
Among quarterbacks, he led the league in pass completions, pass attempts, passing yards, passing touchdowns, rushing attempts, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns.
On to Detroit
After the 1956 season, Rote and defensive back Val Joe WalkerVal Joe Walker
Val Joe Walker is a former defensive back in the National Football League. He was drafted in the seventh round of the 1952 NFL Draft by the New York Giants and would later play four seasons with the Green Bay Packers and one with the San Francisco 49ers....
were traded to the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
for four players (halfback Don McIllhenny, offensive tackles Oliver Spencer and Norm Masters
Norm Masters
Norman Donald Masters was an American football offensive tackle for the Green Bay Packers. He was originally drafted by the Chicago Cardinals in the 1956 NFL Draft. He was 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighted 249 pounds...
, and offensive guard Jim Salsbury
Jim Salsbury
Jim Salsbury is a former guard in the National Football League. He was drafted in the second round of the 1955 NFL Draft and played two seasons with the team. Later he played two seasons with the Green Bay Packers.-References:...
).
Rote split time with Bobby Layne
Bobby Layne
Robert Lawrence "Bobby" Layne was an American football quarterback who played for 15 seasons in the National Football League. He played for the Chicago Bears in 1948, the New York Bulldogs in 1949, the Detroit Lions from 1950–1958, and the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1958–1962...
, although it was Rote who ended up with more passing touchdowns, fewer interceptions, more rushing yards, more rushing touchdowns, and a better won-lost record as a starter. Layne broke his leg late in the year, leaving Rote to guide the team to an NFL title
NFL Championship Game, 1957
The 1957 National Football League championship game was the 25th annual championship game. The NFL title game was held on December 29, 1957 at Briggs Stadium, Detroit, Michigan. The game was the fourth pairing of the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns in the championship game...
. Detroit tied San Francisco
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
for the division title, forcing a one-game playoff. Facing a 27–7 deficit in the third quarter, Rote led the Lions to a 31–27 comeback win and a date with the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. In one of the greatest playoff performances in history, Rote led the Lions to a 59–14 thumping of the Browns. He completed 12 of 19 passes for 280 yards and 4 touchdowns, adding another touchdown on the ground.
As for Green Bay, they averaged four points/game fewer than the year before in spite of the addition of future Hall of Famers Bart Starr
Bart Starr
Bryan Bartlett "Bart" Starr is a former professional American football player and coach. Wearing #15, he was the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers from 1956 to 1971 and head coach from 1975 to 1983, compiling a record of 52–76–3 ....
and Paul Hornung
Paul Hornung
Paul Vernon Hornung is a retired Hall of Fame professional football player who played for the Green Bay Packers from 1957-66...
.
Layne was traded to Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
shortly into the 1958 season, leaving Rote to guide the aging and rapidly declining Lions. Rote would lead the team in rushing, making it the fourth time in his career that he did so (an NFL record for quarterbacks). After a disastrous 1959 season, the Lions informed Rote that he would be released. Rather than retire, he headed north of the border to the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
of the CFL
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
.
In the CFL
His three seasons with the Toronto Argonauts were quite eventful. He completed 662 of 1187 passes for 9,872 yards and 62 TDs. His 38 TD passes in 1960 was an all-time CFL record. In Rote's first season with the Argos he became the CFL's second quarterback to exceed 4,000 yards passing in a season with 4,247. He also threw 38 touchdowns that season which was then a league record. Thanks to Rote's leadership the 10–4–0 Argonauts in 1960 accomplished something they had not done since 1937: finish in first place. However they lost the conference final series to Ottawa Rough RidersOttawa Rough Riders
The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...
who went on to win the Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
. Rote's 108 yard pass to Jim Rountree
Jim Rountree
James W. "Jim" Rountree is a former American college and professional football player who was a defensive back in the Canadian Football League for ten years during the 1950s and 1960s...
in 1961 is still a team record, and in 1960 he threw 7 touchdown passes in a game twice, this being a CFL record at the time.
Back to America
Looking for a quarterback to lead the team while a young John HadlJohn Hadl
John Willard Hadl is a former collegiate and professional football player.Hadl was born in Lawrence, Kansas. After playing halfback on both offense and defense at the University of Kansas as a sophomore, Hadl played quarterback for his last two years at Kansas, and was selected as the school's...
developed, the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
came calling. Rote was 35 years old at the time, but led the Chargers to an 11–3 record. For his part in directing the league's top offense, Rote was named first-team All-AFL and captured the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
Player of the Year award. Proving that his 1957 performance was no fluke, he led the Chargers to a 51–10 win over the Boston Patriots in the championship game. Individually, he accounted for 173 yards and 2 touchdowns on 10/15 passing, plus another 15 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground.
In 1964, Hadl began receiving more playing time. The Chargers went from 11–3 to 8–5–1 and the offense fell from 1st in the AFL to 4th. Rote was the starter for the 1964 AFL Championship game against the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, but neither he nor Hadl could do much against the swarming defense. Buffalo won 20–7, and Rote announced his retirement.
Single-season Milestones
- Led the NFL in rushing yards by a quarterback six times (1951, 1954–58)
- Led the NFL in passing yards once (1956)
- Led the NFL in passing touchdowns twice (1955 and 1956)
Career Milestones
- Rote was the only quarterback to lead his team to both an NFL and AFLAmerican Football LeagueThe American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
championship. - At the time he retired, Rote had more rushing yards than any quarterback in NFL history. He currently ranks 7th all-time.
- Rote's 21.0 yards/game rushing average is 7th all-time among quarterbacks with at least 2,000 career passes.
- Rote's 37 career rushing touchdowns ranks 6th all-time among quarterbacks.
- Rote is one of two quarterbacks to lead his team in rushing four times.
Death
On June 27, 2000, Tobin died from a heart attackMyocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
.
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External links
- American Football League Website (Fan created site)
- Rote's citation in the AFL Hall of Fame