Tom Southall's reputation among his peers, coaches and anyone who ever witnessed his athletic prowess is most appropriately described as “that's incredible.” 

Appropriately, Southall was one of three individuals inducted into the Colorado College Athletics Hall of Fame on May 9, 2009, as a member of the HOF's 15th class.

At first glance you would never guess that Southall, who grew up in Steamboat Springs, was an exceptionally gifted athlete. He is very unassuming, extremely approachable, incredibly personable, enormously well liked and a friend to all. A fixture on the Colorado College campus for four years in the early 1980s, he also was CC's most identifiable student athlete – not only for his athletic abilities, but also because of the way he carried himself on the field and in the classroom.

As Coach Gerry Carle said, “This honor is way overdue.” Or did he say, after Tom showed up for his first practice freshman year, “Here's this little guy…how is he going to tie his shoes or fix his equipment?” Coach Carle, like all of us, learned quickly that there is something very special about Tom Southall.

Tom may not have run or caught passes for the most yards in a season, but his overall talents, combined with his dedication to academics and athletics, are what truly portray the Colorado College student athlete.

Southall's accomplishments are many. He was a four-year letter winner in both football and track and field. He excelled as a running back and wide receiver, as well as a return specialist on kickoffs and punts. In track, he ran the 100 and 200 meters, along with the 4x100 relay, and competed in the long jump.

Some of the Colorado College and NCAA standards he established are mindboggling – especially if you look at him and say, “Wow, he did this with all one arm!”

• As a senior, he served as captain and was voted MVP of the football team.
• He still holds the school record in the long jump with a leap of 24 feet.
•  As a junior, he led all Division III players nationwide in total kickoff returns and yardage, running one back for 96 yards and a touchdown in a 24-16 victory over Cornell College.
• As a sophomore, he led the nation in punt-return average, and made an appearance on the popular television show “That's Incredible.”
• As a freshman, he was a member of the 4x100 relay that held the best time in the country and qualified for nationals with a school-record clocking of 41.7 seconds. That mark, set with Fred Galves, John Champion and Pat Geonetta more than a quarter century ago, still stands.

His accomplishments as a prep at Steamboat Springs High School are just as impressive. They include:
• The school single-game record of 412 yards rushing
• A state record of 23 feet, 4 inches in the long jump
• Football state champions his junior year
• Track and field state champions three consecutive years
• Helped set state records in the 4x200 and 4x400 relays

Thankfully, a doctor who once assumed that Tom would get hurt playing high-school sports and subsequently refused to sign a physical report on his behalf, left town in the nick of time. Neither Southall nor his family ever have engaged in any form of self pity. In fact, on the day that Tom was dropped off for two-a-day practices his freshman year, his mom told Coach Carle, “Don't treat him like he is handicapped.”

Tom Southall brought pride and inspiration to a team and a college. He never made excuses and always gave 150 percent and defied the odds. Everyone was in awe. 

After college, Southall became a school teacher. He served as an assistant football coach at Eagle Crest High School, where he was part of a state championship team in 1995. He also was head coach of the track team, which won a state title in 2002. His legacy continues in sports and as a role model, in his ongoing efforts as a community leader with USA Paralympics Track and Field. He resides in Denver and has two sons – Jordan and Adam.