Missouri State

TOM HAMILTON
Football, 1974-77
Inducted February 19, 1994

Tom Hamilton was a four-year football letterman at Missouri State from 1974 to 1977, playing two seasons each as a wide receiver under Bears' coaches Don Cross and Rich Johanningmeier. A product of Independence, MO, Hamilton was the Bears' leading receiver each of his last three seasons at MSU. After catching nine passes as a freshman and gaining all-MIAA honorable mention as a sophomore with 26 catches for 405 yards, Hamilton set new MSU season records for pass receptions and receiving yardage his junior year when he had 37 catches for 574 yards and four touchdowns to lead the MIAA in both departments. His top single game performance in 1976 was a Southeast Missouri as he caught seven passes for 62 yards as MSU beat Southeast for the first time in 10 years. Hamilton finished the season with touchdown receptions of 26 and 49 yards in the finale against Central Missouri as the Bears closed with four wins in their last five games to collect third place in the MIAA for the third straight season. Hamilton was named to the all-MIAA first team. As a senior co-captain in 1977, Hamilton bettered his MSU single season reception records again as he caught 40 passes for 678 yards and two touchdowns. He had seven catches for 115 yards in the season opener against Emporia State and recorded his best career game with nine catches for 175 yards, including a career-best 60-yard touchdown reception, against Missouri-Rolla as the Bears posted a 6-3-1 record and finished fourth in the league. Hamilton repeated his all-MIAA first team selection and finished with 112 receptions for 1,803 yards and seven touchdowns in 41 MSU games. His reception and yardage totals were MSU records, as were his 20 consecutive games with at least one pass reception. Hamilton caught at least one pass in 33 of his last 35 MSU games and he still holds the MSU career receiving yardage record. His mark for receptions was broken as recently as the fourth quarter of the final game of the 1993 season. Hamilton was also active for the Bears in track as a hurdler, sprinter, and jumper.