A 1966 graduate of Deshler High School, Tommy was a member of the football, basketball and track teams. He played quarterback on the undefeated 1965 Tiger team that was the Tennessee Valley Conference Champions and was second in the state ranking that year. He was named to the 1965 TVC All-Conference team in 1965, was selected to the Birmingham News All-State Team and won the "Thom McAn" Trophy for being selected the Outstanding Back in the Shoals as selected by the Florence Times and Tri-Cities Daily. Tommy was named the Alabama State "Back of the Week" after passing for 5 touchdowns in defeating Decatur 41-19 in the 1965 season in which he scored 22 touchdowns; 14 passing and 8 rushing. He played in the Alabama North-South All-Star game played at the University of Alabama the same year and the North won 13-7. After high school he received a football scholarship to Harding University in Searcy,Arkansas where he started as a sophomore and senior. He was injured during his junior season. Following his college career at Harding, he became football and track coach at North Cobb High in Cobb County, Georgia.