Tom Pate

Tom Pate (July 21, 1952 – October 21, 1975) was a Canadian Football League linebacker who played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. A graduate of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, he was a three-time letterman with the Cornhuskers and a member of their 1971 national championship team. In his rookie 1975 season with Hamilton, Pate played 12 regular season games and recovered one fumble. On October 18, 1975, he suffered an aneurysm after striking his head on the turf at McMahon Stadium during a game against the Calgary Stampeders and died three days later at age 23. The CFL Players' Association named its sportsmanship and community service award in his honor in 1976.