Thomas Herrion
Denver, Colorado | |
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
|---|---|
| Weight: | 320 lb (145 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Polytechnic High School (Fort Worth, Texas) |
| College: | Utah |
| Undrafted: | 2004 |
| Career history | |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Career NFL statistics | |
| Player stats at NFL.com | |
Thomas Lovell Herrion (December 15, 1981 – August 20, 2005) was an
Early years
Herrion attended
He competed in the discus throw and shot put, as a sophomore and junior. He played center on the basketball team as a sophomore.
College career
Herrion enrolled at Kilgore College, to play under head coach Jimmy Rieves at the junior college level. As a freshman, he contributed to the Red River Bowl victory and the 2000 conference championship.
As a sophomore, he was part of a team that finished undefeated with a 12-0 record and a No. 4 national JUCO ranking, while receiving first-team All-Southwest Junior College Football Conference and honorable-mention JUCO All-America honors.
As a junior, he transferred to the
As a senior, he played under new head coach Urban Meyer. He started all 12 games at left guard and received honorable-mention All-Mountain West Conference honors, while blocking for future San Francisco 49ers teammate and number one overall draft pick quarterback Alex Smith. He contributed to the team's Mountain West Conference championship and Liberty Bowl win. He finished his college career after appearing in a total of 22 games.[1]
Professional career
Herrion was signed as an
On December 9, 2004, he was signed by the San Francisco 49ers to the practice squad.[4]
On January 5, 2005, he signed a reserve/futures contract with the 49ers.[5] In February 2005, he was allocated to the Hamburg Sea Devils of NFL Europe, where he started 10 games at left tackle and received an invitation to attend the 49ers training camp.[1]
Death
Shortly after an exhibition game against the
He was considered to be the
On September 2, 2005, the 49ers established the Thomas Herrion Memorial Award, which will be given to the player who best exemplifies his spirit.[9]
In 2006, the Kilgore College TRIO Learning Center was dedicated to Herrion's memory and renamed as the "Thomas L. Herrion TRIO Learning Center." In 2018, he was inducted into the Kilgore College Athletics Hall of Fame.[10]
Personal life
Herrion was a musician who played the drums in his church band. On the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle, former 49er coach Mike Nolan commended Herrion for being "musical".[11]
References
- ^ a b c "Sudden Death Stuns NFL". LAtimes.com. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
- ^ "Transactions". nytimes.com. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
- ^ "Transactions". nytimes.com. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
- ^ "Transactions". nytimes.com. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
- ^ "Transactions". nytimes.com. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
- ^ "Herrion made fast friends with personality, wit". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
- ^ "When Sudden Death Strikes Athletes". NPR.org. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
- ^ "THOMAS HERRION: 1981-2005 / His final minutes / Herrion walked off field and collapsed during prayer". sfgate.com. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
- ^ "49ers Announce 2020 Team Awards". 49ers.com. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
- ^ "Hall inductees have special day at KC". kilgorenewsherald.com. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
- ^ "Thomas Herrion Obituary on Legacy.com". Legacy.com. Retrieved June 15, 2022.