Tom Braatz
| No. 84, 83, 85, 51 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Linebacker Defensive end | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | May 12, 1933 Kenosha, Wisconsin, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died: | October 30, 2018 (aged 85) Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 216 lb (98 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Bradford (Kenosha, Wisconsin) | ||||||||
| College: | Marquette | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1955 / round: 14 / pick: 159 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Thomas Myron Braatz (May 12, 1933 – October 30, 2018) was a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins, Los Angeles Rams, and Dallas Cowboys. He also was the former general manager of the Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers. He played college football at Marquette University.
Early years
Braatz attended Mary D. Bradford High School, where he was a teammate of future Pro Bowl player Alan Ameche. He also practiced basketball and track.
He accepted a football scholarship from Marquette University, where he played as a two-way End. He was named the team's co-captain as a senior.[1]
Professional Player Career
Washington Redskins (first stint)
Braatz was selected in the fourteenth round (159th overall) of the 1955 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. He spent two years out of football, while serving in the United States Army during the Korean War from 1955 to 1956 as a crypto operator. He returned in 1957, playing both at defensive end and linebacker. He was waived on October 13, 1958.
Los Angeles Rams
On October 16, 1958, he signed with the Los Angeles Rams to play as a defensive end. After playing in one game, he was released to make room for halfback Clendon Thomas on October 20, 1958.
Green Bay Packers
In 1959, he was signed by the Green Bay Packers. He was released on September 22.
Washington Redskins (second stint)
In 1959, he returned to the Washington Redskins and was asked to concentrate on playing linebacker.
Dallas Cowboys
Braatz was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1960 NFL Expansion Draft. He was used as a reserve linebacker, registering 49 tackles and one interception.[2] He was placed on the injured reserve list on August 29, 1961. He would later announce his retirement.
Professional NFL Executive Career
After retiring as a player, he joined the expansion Atlanta Falcons as a part-time area scout in 1965. In 1968, he was promoted to director of player personnel. He became general manager of the Falcons in 1983, a promotion merited by his success as director of player personnel for the club. In what was his 19th year with the Falcons, Braatz was recognized as one of professional football's finest talent scouts, a fact substantiated by the fact that nine different Falcons have gone to the Pro Bowl from 1980 to 1983. Braatz’ input and direction of acquisitions enabled the Falcons to become not only competitive but also a viable contender for yearly playoff appearances, a feat accomplished three times since 1978. In addition to heading the scouting department, Braatz was also actively involved in player contract negotiations and personnel moves. Braatz' success, however, along with the Falcons, had not been sudden, working his way up through the organization over nearly 20 years and ultimately spending 22 years with the club. “| think Tom has proven over the years that he is a knowledgeable football man, and has earned the respect of people throughout the NFL,” said Falcon owner Rankin Smith upon promoting Braatz.
On January 31, 1987, he was hired by the Green Bay packers as the franchise's first Director of Football Operations. The position was created following several disappointing drafts under head coaches Bart Starr and Forrest Gregg. He was later promoted to Vice president of football operations, keeping the position until being fired on November 21, 1991, with the team having a 2–9 record. He was replaced with Ron Wolf. In 1992, he was hired as the Miami Dolphins Director of College Scouting until retiring in June 2003.[3][4]
In 39 seasons as an NFL executive, he drafted or acquired 45 players who participated in 117 Pro Bowls. His teams played in 17 playoff games. He was inducted into the Pro Scouting Hall of Fame and was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from Marquette University. He died on October 30, 2018, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.[5]
References
- ^ "Marquette Has Depth, Power--Except at Ends". Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- ^ "Borden, Braatz Sign With Dallas". Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- ^ "Dolphins Welcome Former Packers VP". Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- ^ "Sports briefs". Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- ^ "Thomas Braatz". Tributes. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
- 1933 births
- 2018 deaths
- Sportspeople from Kenosha, Wisconsin
- Players of American football from Wisconsin
- American football linebackers
- Marquette Golden Avalanche football players
- Washington Redskins players
- Los Angeles Rams players
- Dallas Cowboys players
- National Football League general managers
- Atlanta Falcons executives
- Green Bay Packers executives
- Miami Dolphins executives
- Miami Dolphins scouts
- Atlanta Falcons scouts
- United States Army soldiers
- Mary D. Bradford High School alumni