 Suggs, c. 1970 | |
| South Carolina Gamecocks – No. 12 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Quarterback |
| Major | Business administration |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | c. 1948–1949 |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Weight | 170 lb (77 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College | South Carolina (1968–1970) |
| Bowl games | Peach Bowl (1969) |
| High school | Lamar (SC) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Tommy Suggs (born c. 1948–1949) is an American businessman, sports commentator, and former American football player. He played as the starting quarterback for the South Carolina Gamecocks football team from 1968 to 1970.
A multiple sport athlete in high school, Suggs turned down offers from Davidson College and the New York Mets in order to attend the University of South Carolina. In 1969, Suggs led the Gamecocks to an Atlantic Coast Conference record of 6–0, winning the program their first and only conference championship, as well as a berth in that year's Peach Bowl. The following season, he was named the team's most valuable player and participated in the Blue–Gray Football Classic all-star game, for which he also received MVP honors. He is widely considered one of the best quarterbacks to play at South Carolina and was inducted into both the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame in 1983 and the university's athletic hall of fame in 1989.
He graduated in 1971 with a Bachelor of Science in business administration and has since been involved in the banking and insurance industries in South Carolina, having served in executive roles with several different companies. Since 1973, he has also served as the color commentator for the team's radio broadcast, a position he has held for over 50 years. During his time as a broadcaster, he proposed using the fanfare for Also sprach Zarathustra as the team's entrance music, which has been an ongoing tradition since 1983.