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Tom BrookshierRemembered by many fans today for his long career as a sports broadcaster, cornerback Tom Brookshier, who played for the Eagles in 1953 and then from 1956 until 1961, was a star performer on the football field whose career was cut short at its height by injury.
Brookie was chosen by the Eagles in the 10th round of the 1953 draft out of Colorado. An outstanding baseball player who pitched at the Class B level, he chose a pro football career instead and made an immediate impact in the NFL by intercepting a career-high 8 passes in his rookie season. An Air Force commitment kept him away from the Birds for two years, during which time he was an assistant to the Air Force Academy’s head coach, Buck Shaw, who would arrive in Philadelphia in 1958, two years after Brookshier’s return to the team.
Tom quickly gained recognition as one of the top corners (or defensive halfbacks, as they were generally called at the time) in the NFL, both for pass coverage and defense against the run. A thorough student of the game, he called the defensive signals and provided inspirational leadership to the unit. At 6’0” and 196 pounds, he was an excellent tackler, even running up to the line to stop fullbacks in their tracks. Yet he had enough speed plus the instincts to keep up with the best receivers in the league, disrupting patterns and breaking up passes. It didn’t take opposing teams long to avoid throwing in his direction, but overall he intercepted 20 passes for the Eagles, which he returned for 193 yards, during a career spent entirely in Philadelphia.
Brookshier especially excelled in the modified zone defense devised by defensive backfield coach (and future Eagles head coach) Jerry Williams. With a lack of overall speed in the defensive backfield, but with a group that was very physical, it proved effective in the 1960 championship season.
Brookie was recognized as a top defender, receiving All-NFL honors in 1959 (1st team All-NFL by the NEA, 2nd team by the AP and UPI) and ’60 (unanimous 1st team All-NFL) and going to the Pro Bowl after each of those seasons as well. He would undoubtedly have been honored again in ’61 had he not suffered a broken leg against the Chicago Bears midway through the season. His loss to the defense proved to be critical, as the Eagles suffered all four of their defeats that year following his injury, and were noticeably more vulnerable against the pass.
Originally, it had been hoped that Tom would return from his injury, but the compound fracture didn’t heal well, and after sitting out the 1962 season with the hope of returning in ’63, he chose to move into the broadcast booth rather than risk further damage.
The Eagles honored Brookshier for his leadership as well as outstanding play by retiring his number upon his retirement as a player. He also was named as a defensive back on the Eagles All-Time team selected in 1965 and is a member of the Eagles Honor Roll.
Brookie became well known as a radio and television broadcaster, both locally in Philadelphia and nationally, over many years. He was sports director and commentator for WCAU-TV in Philadelphia in the ‘60s while providing color commentary for Eagles games on CBS. Eventually, he teamed with Pat Summerall on national broadcasts, and later returned to local radio.
Tom Brookshier’s career interception record:
Year
1953
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
| | | | G
11
11
12
11
12
12
7
| | | | Int.
8
1
4
1
3
1
2
| | | | Yds.
41
31
74
0
13
14
20
| | | | TD
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
|
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