Tom Cosgrove


Tom Cosgrove was a National Football League player for the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Colts. He played college football for the Maryland Terrapins at the University of Maryland.

College career

Cosgrove attended Maryland, where he played as a center under legendary head coach Jim Tatum in 1951 and 1952. As a junior, in 1951, Cosgrove was named an honorable mention All-American. In 1952, Cosgrove was named a second-team All-American. He played in the 1953 North-South Shrine Game, the Senior Bowl, and the College All-Star Game.
In 1952, he was honored with the Coaches' Award for the team's most outstanding offensive lineman.

Professional career

Cosgrove was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round of the 1952 NFL Draft. In 1954, he was traded to Baltimore for their sixth round draft selection. He spent two years with the Colts before an ankle injury ended his career.
After the end of his playing career, Cosgrove became a commercial airline pilot. He flew for Capital Airlines and then for United Airlines, after the two merged. Cosgrove retired in 1990 to Potomac, Maryland. In 2005, he was inducted into the University of Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame.

Personal life

Cosgrove married Marguerite Wilson, with whom he has 8 children. He has 29 grandchildren, and 3 great-grand children.