All applications must be done on the North Carolina Community Foundation website. By his own description, Tommy was a baseball player. Raised on the sandlots of Draper, NC, playing baseball was all Tommy wanted to do with his life. He dreamed of being a big league ball player, one day. Tommy starred on the MHS baseball team in 1964 and 1965. He was one of the first at MHS to be scouted by the pros
in the spring of 1965. The Cincinnati Reds and NY Mets were interested in Tommy. In August 1965, Tommy decided to play football for Morehead. In the second game of the season, Tommy's neck was broken when he tackled a player from Martinsville High. Instantly, Tommy's dream of pro baseball was gone. But his spirit, courage, and raw determination did not stop. Tommy turned all his energies to his education, graduating with his class in June, 1966. Given only two years to live by his doctors, Tommy persevered for 43 years, living the rest of his life in a wheel chair. His life would become an inspiration to all who would know him for the rest of his life. Tommy often said that God had given him a chance to make a difference in people's lives. He would aspire to make the best of a bad situation. Awards and scholarships were named for him at Morehead, his football jersey was retired in 2001, and the baseball field was named in his memory in 2010, after Tommy had died of cancer in 2009. Tommy's life has thus become one that all should aspire to copy. Hard work, determination to succeed, love of God, love of family and friends were hallmarks of Tommy's life. Most importantly, Tommy never gave up when faced with tremendous challenges in his life. Because of his example, we are honored to remember Tommy with this scholarship.
