When San Antonio native Tobin Rote completed his collegiate gridiron career at Rice University in 1949, the multitalented quarterback had led the Owls football team through an undefeated Conference schedule, ultimately securing the Southwest Conference Championship. The tall Texan then embarked on a remarkable professional career that spanned 15 years, during which he won championships and set passing and rushing records in three different leagues in two different countries.
Tobin Rote’s career in the NFL spanned 1950-1959 with two ball clubs. Rote had a highly successful career as a quarterback with both the Green Bay Packers (1950-1956) and the Detroit Lions (1957-1959). He led the league in touchdowns passes in 1955, and again in touchdown passes and yardage in 1956. He was also an accomplished runner, so much so that he led the Packers in rushing yardage three times and ran for the most team touchdowns five times. In 1956; his best season in the NFL, Rote threw and ran for a then unprecedented combined total of 29 touchdowns. In spite of his statistical accomplishments, Rote was never able to win an NFL Championship in Titletown, and subsequently he was dealt in a blockbuster trade to the Detroit Lions after his historic 1956 season. He responded by leading the Lions to the 1957 NFL Championship game, where Detroit crushed the Cleveland Browns 59-14 to secure Rote’s first and only NFL Title. After a substandard season two years later, Rote was released by Detroit after the 1959 season, effectively ending his NFL career. Until Fran Tarkenton surpassed his mark in the 1970’s, Rote had more rushing yards than any quarterback in the history of the NFL. Only Norm Van Brocklin and Bobby Layne threw more touchdowns than Rote during the decade of the 1950’s
After he was released by the Lions, Rote signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League, and established himself immediately as one of the league’s best quarterbacks. Over the course of his three years as the Argos starter, Rote threw for almost 10,000 yards and over 60 touchdowns. His first year with the Argos was at the time one of the finest single season performances by any quarterback in the history of the CFL. In 1960 Rote became only the second 4,000 yard passer in CFL history when he tossed for 4,247 yards, while also setting a since then surpassed league record by throwing 38 touchdowns. Rote even threw seven touchdowns in two separate games during the month of October of that season alone. To date, no other Argonaut quarterback has ever thrown seven touchdowns in a game more than once during their entire career. It was in fact 30 years later before any quarterback in Toronto’s history even matched the feat that Rote had performed twice in that one record setting month alone. 60 years later, Rote still holds the Argonaut record for the longest completion (108 yards) and the most passing yards in a game (524). Although he did guide the Argos to a first place finish in 1960, Rote was never able to secure the highly coveted Grey Cup during his three seasons north of the border. When the Argos traded for three time Grey Cup champion quarterback Jackie Parker after the 1962 season, Rote returned to the US in order to extend his career.
Having won an NFL Title, and then having reestablished his skills in Canada, Rote might have seemed primed for a return to the NFL. But such was not to be his destiny. The 34 year old Texan opted to sign with the San Diego Chargers of the AFL. Though his career with the Chargers was brief, Rote added to his legacy from the outset of his time in thunderbolt blue.
In San Diego, Rote continued a pattern that he had begun in Detroit and resumed in Toronto by leading the Chargers to a First Place finish in his initial season. Additionally, 1963 was one of the most efficient seasons of his career. During his first year in San Diego he completed a run of four consecutive seasons with 2,500 yards passing and a completion rate in excess of 50%. In fact, in 1963 alone he completed almost 60% of his passes, which was a career best. His 20 touchdown passes during his inaugural season as a Charger were more than Rote had ever tossed in any given season during his productive career in the NFL.
Rote completed his return to the States by leading the Chargers to a 51-10 victory over the Boston Patriots in the 1963 AFL Championship Game on January 5, 1964. As was the case when he guided Detroit to their 59-14 victory over Cleveland in the 1957 NFL Championship, Rote scored a rushing touchdown and threw for multiple touchdowns in each game. Rote remains the only quarterback to win an NFL and an AFL Championship, and is likewise the only quarterback in either league to lead Offensive units that scored over 50 points in more than one Championship Game.
The remarkable career of Tobin Rote entailed an exciting decade and a half of personal accomplishments and team titles, and his legacy is recorded in the history of three different leagues in two different countries. Legendary Sid Gillman, the Head Coach of the 1963 San Diego Chargers may have summarized the tall Texan’s career best in his post AFL Championship game comments:
“Tobin Rote is about as great a quarterback as ever took the ball from center. He has a great mind, has all the ability in the world, and is a great leader. As a balanced runner, passer, blocker, leader, field general, he has no superior”
Long live the memory of Tobin Rote.
Long live the memory of the AFL.
The AFL Original Eight 