Tommy Blake
| Position: | Defensive End |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Date of birth: | January 15, 1985 |
| Place of birth: | Aransas Pass, Texas |
| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Weight: | 252 lb (114 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College: | TCU |
| Undrafted: | 2008 |
Tommy Earl Blake, Jr. (born January 15, 1985) is a former American football defensive end who played at the collegiate level for Texas Christian University.
Blake grew up in tiny town in Texas. After his mother died of pneumonia when he was 10 months old, his maternal grandmother and only parent he has ever known, Ernestine Chisholm, was left to care for the family. Nevertheless, Blake's family was "one big circle of love", and Blake became a devout Baptist and a "mama's boy".
Blake was a standout athlete at Aransas Pass High School, earning 12 total letters (four in basketball, four in track, three in football and one in baseball). He played running back for the Panthers, and as a senior ran for 2,101 yards and 25 touchdowns behind a stout offensive line led by an all-South Texas center. This performance earned him All-South Texas Offensive MVP honors from the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. He was offered football scholarships at Colorado, Arkansas, and Vanderbilt, but elected to stay closer to home to play at TCU in Fort Worth. Blake played on Aransas Pass High School's championship basketball teams, playing all four years on the varsity, and advancing to the UIL Texas State Playoffs all four years. The Panthers basketball team advanced to the class AAA Boy's Final Four his junior and senior years with Blake at the center position. Blake was named first-team All State in basketball his senior year.
While redshirting as a freshman in 2003, Blake was moved by TCU coach Gary Patterson from tailback to defensive end because of his mix of size and speed. As a redshirt freshman in 2004, Blake earned Conference USA All-Freshman honors with five sacks, the most for a TCU freshman since Aaron Schobel in 1997. In 2005, TCU moved to the Mountain West Conference, and Blake earned first-team All-MWC honors with seven sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss. College Football News named Blake their Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year.
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