Tommy Maddox

Thomas "Tommy" Alfred Maddox (born September 2, 1971 in Shreveport, Louisiana) is a former football quarterback in the NFL who most recently played for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

High school career

At L.D. Bell High School in Hurst, Texas, Maddox was a letterwinner in football, basketball, and baseball. As a senior, he was team captain, and was named the Southwest Texas Offensive Player of the Year, District Most Valuable Player, and the Area Most Valuable Player.

College, Early NFL Years, & AFL

Maddox played college football as quarterback at UCLA, where he was well-regarded, but was, in opinions of some, ill-advised in attempting to turn professional after his sophomore season. Drafted by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 1992 NFL Draft, he spent several seasons in the NFL relegated to back-up duty on various teams. He was drafted by then Broncos head coach Dan Reeves, a sign of the coach's troubled relationship with quarterback John Elway. Maddox also played for the Los Angeles Rams and New York Giants before being released by the Atlanta Falcons during the 1997 preseason. After being released from the NFL, Maddox was out of football for a period of time, selling insurance for his dad in Houston, Texas. After being featured on NFL Films about where his career had gone since being drafted, he had the itch to play again, and joined the New Jersey Red Dogs of the Arena Football League for one season.

XFL

After his brief stint in the AFL, Tommy Maddox was invited to try out for the Los Angeles Xtreme of the XFL. Maddox became the starting quarterback for LA in week 1, despite the team using its first pick in the XFL Draft on quarterback Scott Milanovich. Maddox made an impact in his time in the XFL. He was the only quarterback of the league to start all 10 regular season games, led the league in passing yards, touchdowns, rushed for 2 touchdowns, and led the Xtreme to the Million Dollar Game, also known as the "Big Game At The End." The Xtreme defeated the San Francisco Demons with a score of 38-6. Maddox was named the XFL MVP in 2001. However Tommy Maddox's XFL glory would not last, as the league closed after its only season in 2001. During his stint in the XFL, Maddox's playing style was noticeably different as well. Considered a more "mobile" quarterback who could scramble during his days at UCLA and in his early NFL days, Maddox's one year in the AFL made him more of a traditional "pocket passer", as that league requires quick passes with a smaller field.

NFL return

Maddox signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a backup in 2001 and replaced Kordell Stewart at quarterback early in the 2002 season. Maddox became a dominant NFL quarterback in 2002 as he led the Steelers into the playoffs with a 10-5-1 record. One of Maddox's most memorable games came in the first round of the playoffs when he overcame a 17 point 3rd quarter deficit against the Cleveland Browns. Maddox delivered a clutch 36-33 win over the rival Cleveland Browns at home in the wild card round before a 34-31 loss at the Tennessee Titans in the second round. He won the ESPN ESPY award and also the NFL award for NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award for his performance during the 2002 season. He threw 20 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. In 2003, Maddox had an average year statistically as the Steelers finished at a disappointing 6-10. After the 2003 season, the Steelers drafted a new quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, in the first round. Roethlisberger was given the starting job after Maddox was injured during a week 2 game against the Ravens, and responded by guiding the Steelers to 14 straight regular season wins and a trip to the AFC Championship game. Maddox reassumed his starting QB role when Roethlisberger suffered a knee injury early in the 2005 season, but losses in a poor performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Baltimore Ravens sent him back to the bench, giving Charlie Batch the second-string spot. Following the Steelers' win in Super Bowl XL, Maddox was released from the team for salary cap reasons. Tommy Maddox is one of two players (along with Bobby Singh) to hold both a Super Bowl ring and XFL championship ring. However, Maddox was the only Steelers player not to attend the ceremony at the White House honoring their Super Bowl championship.

Post-football career

Maddox is an avid golfer, and he is the founder of the Tommy Maddox Foundation for disadvantaged children. Maddox tried out for the Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders and the New England Patriots in September 2006, but did not sign a contract.^[1] He is currently retired.

References