Tom Ehrhardt

This article is about the quarterback. For the theatrical literary agent, see Tom Erhardt. For the athlete specializing in decathlon and pole vault, see Tim Ehrhardt.

Tom Ehrhardt
No. 12
Position:Quarterback
Personal information
Born:c. 1963 (age 60–61)
Queens, New York, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:206 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High school:Holy Cross
(Flushing, Queens)
College:C. W. Post (1981–1982)
Rhode Island (1983–1985)
Undrafted:1986
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
  • ECAC Hall of Fame (2016)
  • URI Hall of Fame (1996)
  • Yankee Conference Player of the Year (1984, 1985)
  • First Team All-America (1984, 1985)
  • First Team All-New England (1984, 1985)
  • First Team All-Yankee Conference (1984, 1985)
  • ECAC Division II Rookie of the Year (1981)
  • No. 12 retired by Rhode Island Rams

Thomas E. Ehrhardt (born c. 1963) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for C. W. Post and Rhode Island. After going undrafted in the 1986 NFL draft, he signed with the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He also played for the Cincinnati Bengals. His number twelve jersey is retired by the Rhode Island Rams.

Early life and high school

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Ehrhardt was born in Queens, New York, and attended Holy Cross High School in Flushing, Queens.[1] He played high school football in Flushing as a quarterback. He was a one-year starter for the school and lead them to the Catholic High School Football League championship game and was also named as a New York Newsday All-Queens selection in 1980.[1]

College career

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C. W. Post

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Ehrhardt began his college football career at C. W. Post. As a true freshman in 1981, he threw for 2,179 yards and twenty touchdowns.[2] In his last game for the Pioneers, he threw for 432 yards and six touchdowns against Merchant Marine.[2] He led the team to a 7–4 record.[1] After the season he was named as the ECAC Rookie of the Year.[1]

Ehrhardt's sophomore season in 1982 was less impressive as he led the team to a 3–7 record along with getting sacked 26 times.[1] After C. W. Post announced that it was dropping down to Division III, he decided to transfer.

Rhode Island

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In September 1983, Ehrhardt transferred to Rhode Island and had to take a redshirt season due to NCAA transfer rules.[1][3]

In 1984, Ehrhardt led the Rams to a 10–3 record and were named co-conference champions of the Yankee Conference.[4] During his junior season, he earned the nickname Ehr Force due to how much the team threw the ball.[5] He threw for 3,180 yards and thirty touchdowns during the regular season, which were all Yankee Conference single season records.[3] He finished the season with 3,870 yards and 36 touchdowns.[6] Following the season, he was named as the conference's Offensive Player of the Year.[3]

After being chosen to finish last in the conference last season, the Rams began the season poised to win the conference.[6] Ehrhardt was injured during the first game and missed the second game of the 1985 season.[1][7] In the first half against New Hampshire on November 2, he partially collapsed his lung in the first half.[8] Despite his injury, he still threw for 446 yards and three touchdowns.[8] Against Connecticut, Ehrhardt threw for eight touchdown passes which is a school record.[8] In the first round of the NCAA Division I-AA football playoffs he completed 43 of his seventy pass attempts for 472 yards and five touchdowns in the team's 35–26 victory over No. 10 Akron.[9] During that game he set the New England passing record for touchdown passes in a season with forty and most attempts and completions in a game.[9]

Statistics

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Season Games Passing
GP Record Comp Att Pct Yards Avg TD Int Rate
C. W. Post Pioneers
1981 11 7–4 166 295 56.3 2,179 7.4 20 16 129.8
1982 10 3–7 141 278 50.7 1,424 5.1 7 16 90.5
Rhode Island Rams
1983 DNP
1984 13 10–3 308 536 57.5 3,870 7.2 36 19 133.2
1985 12 9–3 365 645 56.6 4,508 7.0 42 27 128.4
Career 46 29−17 980 1,754 55.9 11,981 6.8 105 78 124.1

Professional career

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New York Jets

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On May 3, 1986, after going undrafted in the 1986 NFL draft, Ehrhardt signed with the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL).[10][11] He appeared in one preseason game before being released.[12]

Cincinnati Bengals

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On February 7, 1987, Ehrhardt signed with the Cincinnati Bengals.[13] He was waived on September 9, 1987[14]

Personal life

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Ehrhardt has three brothers and three sisters. His brother, Bobby, was also a quarterback for Rhode Island.[1] Their father died in 1969.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Valenti, John (September 22, 1985). "Ehrhardt: A Special Kind of Guy". Newsday (Nassau Edition). p. 502. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Former Pioneer To Be Inducted Into ECAC Hall of Fame". LIU Post Athletics. March 20, 2015. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Haskell, Bob (November 20, 1984). "Rhody's Ehrhardt tops All-YanCon choices". The Bangor Daily News. p. 7. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  4. ^ "Rams host Richmond". Record-Journal. December 1, 1984. p. 13. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  5. ^ Yawitz, Michael (December 6, 1984). "URI's Griffin puts the burden on the defenses". Bozeman Daily Chronicle. p. 12. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  6. ^ a b MacMullan, Jackie (August 23, 1985). "Rhode Island is graduated to top of its '85 class". The Boston Globe. p. 74. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  7. ^ Hardesty, Abe (December 6, 1985). "Ehr Force and company on the way". The Greenville News. p. 57. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  8. ^ a b c Szostak, Mike (December 5, 1985). "College's best won't win Heisman". The Herald-News. p. 28. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  9. ^ a b "What Makes Him Happy?". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. December 1, 1985. p. 46. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  10. ^ "Deals". The Cincinnati Enquirer. May 4, 1986. p. 25. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  11. ^ "Ehrhardt signs on with NY Jets". The Boston Globe. May 4, 1986. p. 64. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  12. ^ Groeschen, Tom (July 22, 1987). "Bengals give Ehrhardt a look". The Cincinnati Enquirer. p. 26. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  13. ^ "Bengals sign Ehrhardt". Troy Daily News. February 7, 1987. p. 8. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  14. ^ "Transactions". The Charlotte Observer. September 9, 1987. p. 144. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
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