Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2009
- Class:
- 1962
Tom Alexander was a two-way starter at Bucknell for three seasons (1959-61), playing guard and center on offense and linebacker on the defensive side. He was a key cog on the 1960 team that finished 7-2 and won the Lambert Cup as the best team in the East. As a senior in 1961, he helped lead the Bison to a 6-3 mark and was named an honorable mention on the Associated Press Little All-America Team as a guard. He was also named to the All-Middle Atlantic Conference Team and the All-Pennsylvania Team.
Running variations of the split-T and wing-T under Hall-of-Fame coach Bob Odell, Bucknell employed a light, but extremely quick and mobile, front wall. At 5-10 and 190 pounds, Alexander had the perfect blend of speed and toughness, and he and his linemates helped clear the way for over 2,500 total yards of offense during the 1960 Lambert Cup season. Bucknell also had a very underrated defense, which allowed only 59 points all season. The Herd allowed eight points or fewer in seven of the nine games, including four shutouts.
Alexander was later named Bucknell's Most Courageous Senior Athlete and was the university's Helms Foundation ROTC Athlete of the Year. He was named to Bucknell all-time teams in both 1970 and 1996. After graduation, Alexander served in the U.S. Army in Europe, where he continued his football career. He was a first team All-Europe and second team All-Army selection, and he was invited to play in the Europe All-Star game while serving abroad. A product of Monaca High School, Alexander went on to become a successful high school coach in Western Pennsylvania, and he was named to the Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame in 1999.Â
(Bucknell Hall of Fame Class of 2009)
