LakeNET - Tom Harmon

Tom Harmon was a famous football player, All-American, and a Heisman trophy winner in 1940 while playing for the University of Michigan. Harmon was chosen by the Chicago Bears in the first selection of the NFL Draft, but chose not to play football. He had a brief career as an actor, starring as himself in the biopic Tom Harmon of Michigan. He appeared occasionally in films throughout the forties and fifties. From 1946-1947 Harmon played football professionally with the Los Angeles Rams, but wartime injuries to his legs limited his effectiveness. He focused his professional career as planned on being a sports broadcaster on radio and television, one of the first athletes to make the transition from player to on camera talent. His son is actor Mark Harmon and his grandchildren are musical performers Matthew and Gunnar Nelson, and actress Tracy Nelson.