Thomas Henry Casanova III (born July 29, 1950) is a former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
player and
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...
. He played professionally in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL) for the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
for six seasons and was invited to three
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
s, as well as an
All-Pro
All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list th ...
in
1976
Events January
* January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...
. He played college football at
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 nea ...
, where he was a three-time first-team
All-American. He is a
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
former member of the
Louisiana State Senate
The Louisiana State Senate (french: Sénat de Louisiane) is the upper house of the state legislature of Louisiana. All senators serve four-year terms and are assigned to multiple committees.
Composition
The Louisiana State Senate is compose ...
, having served a single term from 1996 to 2000.
Early life and college
Casanova attended the
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
Notre Dame High School in
Crowley, Louisiana
Crowley (Local pronunciation: ) is a city in, and the parish seat of, Acadia Parish, Louisiana, Acadia Parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. At the 2020 United States census, Crowley had a population of 11,710. Crowley is the principal city of th ...
. As a senior at Notre Dame, he was chosen to play in the Louisiana High School Coaches Association all-star game.
After high school, Casanova attended
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 nea ...
in
Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-sma ...
, where he played for the
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football program, also known as the Fighting Tigers, represents Louisiana State University in college football. The Tigers compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) an ...
team. He was a running back, kick returner, and defensive back for the Tigers. As a freshman in 1968, he led the Bayou Bengals in rushing with 209 yards on 54 attempts. He also returned punts and kickoffs, and was a defensive standout.
[Tommy Casanova – Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame]
''lasportshall.com''. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
In
1969
This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon.
Events January
* January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco.
* January 5
**Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...
, Casanova's first year on the varsity, he was shifted to cornerback. LSU fielded four defensive All-Americans in linebackers
George Bevan
George Bevan is a former college American football player for the LSU Tigers football team. He played as a linebacker from 1967 to 1969, although he missed the majority of his first two seasons after rupturing an Achilles tendon in the 1967 seas ...
and
Mike Anderson, defensive tackle
Ron Estay
Ron Estay (born December 22, 1948) is a former defensive lineman for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
Career
After graduating from LSU Tigers football, Louisiana State University (LSU) in 1972, he was selected by the ...
, and Casanova. Casanova was recognized as a first-team
All-American by ''Football News''. The Tigers lost only one game that year, to arch-rival
Ole Miss.
As a junior in
1970
Events
January
* January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC.
* January 5 – The 7.1 Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli intensity of X (''Extrem ...
, Casanova was a consensus All-American. He earned first-team honors from the
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
(AP) and
American Football Coaches Association
The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) is an association of over 11,000 American football coaches and staff on all levels. According to its constitution, some of the main goals of the American Football Coaches Association are to "mainta ...
(AFCA), and second-team honors from
United Press International
United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20th ...
(UPI) and the
Central Press. In a 61–17 rout of
Ole Miss in the final game of the regular season, Casanova had punt return touchdowns of 61 and 73 yards, tying the NCAA record for punt return touchdowns in a game.
Prior to his senior year in 1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6).
The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history.
Events
Ja ...
, Casanova was featured on the front cover of the September 13, 1971 issue of ''Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...
'', with the headline, "Tommy Casanova of LSU, Best Player in the Nation." In the second game of the season, against Texas A&M
Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...
, Casanova pulled his right hamstring muscle and subsequently missed the next five games.[ He recorded his only interception of the year later that season in a nationally televised 28–8 victory over No. 7 Notre Dame. Despite missing nearly half the season due to injury, Casanova was again a consensus All-American, earning first-team recognition from the ]Football Writers Association of America
The Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) is an organization of college football media members in the United States founded in 1941. It is composed of approximately 1,200 professional sports writers from both print and Internet media out ...
and UPI. After his college career, Casanova played in the 1972 Chicago College All-Star Game
The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the C ...
against the Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
. His defensive play was lauded in the All-Stars' 20–7 loss.
Casanova was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were vote ...
in 1995. In 2000, the Walter Camp Football Foundation
The Walter Camp Football Foundation (WCFF) is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The organization also presents various awards. It is named in honor of foo ...
selected Casanova for their All-Century team, honoring the best college football players of the 20th century. His jersey number 37 was retired by LSU football on October 10, 2009. NFL and collegiate coach Pete Carroll
Peter Clay Carroll (born September 15, 1951) is an American football coach who is the head coach and executive vice president for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He was previously the head football coach at USC Troja ...
has stated that Casanova was one of his all-time favorite players.
NFL
Casanova was drafted in the second of round of the 1972 NFL Draft
The 1972 NFL draft was held February 1–2, 1972, at the Essex House in New York City, New York. With the first overall pick of the draft, the Buffalo Bills selected defensive end Walt Patulski.
Player selections
Round one
Round two
...
with the 29th overall pick by the Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
. After the draft, he received an offer from the Ottawa Rough Riders
The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. Formerly one of the oldest and longest-lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine ...
of the Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
, which he considered but he ultimately declined, and signed with the Bengals. Casanova played as a safety
Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk.
Meanings
There are ...
with the Bengals and also returned punts. As a rookie, he intercepted five passes on defense and had a 66-yard punt return for a touchdown. He was named the team MVP by his teammates after the season. In 1973, he had four interceptions, including two against the Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
in the seventh game of the season. He also had an interception in the Bengals' 34–16 divisional playoff loss to the Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
.
Casanova was invited to his first Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
after the 1974 season. In 1975, Casanova moved from free safety
Safety is a position in gridiron football on the defense. The safeties are defensive backs who line up ten to fifteen yards from the line of scrimmage. There are two variations of the position: the free safety and the strong safety. Their dut ...
to strong safety
Safety is a position in gridiron football on the defense. The safeties are defensive backs who line up ten to fifteen yards from the line of scrimmage. There are two variations of the position: the free safety and the strong safety. Their dut ...
. His most productive year on defense was in 1976; he intercepted five passes and returned two of them for touchdowns and also returned a recovered fumble for a touchdown. He was invited to his second Pro Bowl and was recognized as a first-team All-Pro
All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list th ...
by the Associated Press. He had another Pro Bowl appearance in 1977 and retired after that season. Casanova compiled 17 interceptions in his career with the Bengals and scored three touchdowns on defense and one on a punt return.
Later life and politics
While playing for the Bengals, Casanova began to pursue his M.D. at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
The University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center (AHC) is a collection of health colleges and institutions of the University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio. It trains health care professionals and provides research and patient care. AHC has st ...
. In 1977, he quit playing football early to pursue his medical degree full-time. He graduated from the UC College of Medicine in 1980, and then began a three-year residency in ophthalmology
Ophthalmology ( ) is a surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders.
An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Following a medic ...
in New Orleans. After completing his residency in 1983, Casanova went on to complete a specialization in oculoplastic surgery
Oculoplastics, or oculoplastic surgery, includes a wide variety of surgical procedures that deal with the orbit (eye socket), eyelids, tear ducts, and the face. It also deals with the reconstruction of the eye and associated structures.
Training ...
at the University of Utah
The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education. The university was established in 1850 as the University of De ...
in Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
.[
In the 1995 ]nonpartisan blanket primary
A nonpartisan blanket primary is a primary election in which all candidates for the same elected office run against each other at once, regardless of the political party. Partisan elections are, on the other hand, segregated by political party. ...
in the historically Democratic District 26, formerly District 24, the Republican Casanova upset veteran Democrat state Senator Armand Brinkhaus
Armand refer to:
People
* Armand (name), list of people with this name
*Armand (photographer) (1901–1963), Armenian photographer
*Armand (singer) (1946–2015), Dutch protest singer
*Sean Armand (born 1991), American basketball player
*Armand, ...
. Casanova received 21,543 votes (58 percent) to Brinkhaus's 15,753 (42 percent). In addition to Acadia and St. Landry, the district included parts of five other parishes: Avoyelles
Avoyelles (french: Paroisse des Avoyelles) is a parish (administrative division), parish located in central eastern Louisiana on the Red River of the South,
Red River where it effectively becomes the Atchafalaya River and meets the Mississippi ...
, Calcasieu, Cameron, Jefferson Davis
Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives as a ...
, and Lafayette
Lafayette or La Fayette may refer to:
People
* Lafayette (name), a list of people with the surname Lafayette or La Fayette or the given name Lafayette
* House of La Fayette, a French noble family
** Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757â ...
. During his term Casanova served alongside another physician, Donald E. Hines
Donald Elliott "Doc" Hines (November 14, 1933 – June 18, 2019) was an American family physician in Bunkie, Louisiana, Bunkie in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, who was from 1993 to 2008 a member of the Louisiana State Senate for Louisiana's 28th ...
, who subsequently was the state Senate President from 2004 to 2008. After a single term, Casanova declined to seek reelection and returned to his ophthalmology practice in Crowley. He was succeeded by the Democrat Fred Hoyt.
See also
* Colin Allred
Colin Zachary Allred (born April 15, 1983) is an American politician, lawyer, and former professional football player. A member of the Democratic Party, he is the U.S. representative from . The district includes the northeastern corner of Dallas, ...
- former NFL linebacker who became a lawyer and US Representative
* Dennis Claridge
Dennis Bert Claridge (August 18, 1941 – May 1, 2018) was an American football player, a quarterback in the National Football League for the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons. He played college football at the University of Nebraska under he ...
– former NFL quarterback who became an orthodontist
* Dan Doornink
Daniel Glenn Doornink (born February 1, 1956) is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League who played one season for the New York Giants and seven seasons for the Seattle Seahawks.
Born in Yakima, Washi ...
– former NFL running back who became a medical doctor
* Laurent Duvernay-Tardif – current NFL player who earned a medical degree while playing in the league
* John Frank - Super Bowl winning SF 49er who became a NY City based plastic surgeon
* Joel Makovicka – former NFL fullback who became a doctor of physical therapy
* Bill McColl
William Frazer McColl Jr. (born April 2, 1930) is an American athlete, surgeon, and politician. He is best remembered as a college football star before becoming a professional with the Chicago Bears of the National Football League, for whom he ...
- former NFL player who became an orthopedic surgeon, father of Milt McColl
* Milt McColl
Milton Bird McColl (born August 28, 1959) is an American physician and former football linebacker. He played college football at Stanford University and in the National Football League (NFL) from 1981 to 1988, during which he played for the San ...
- former NFL linebacker who became a medical doctor
* Frank Ryan – former NFL player and mathematician, who maintained an academic career while playing in the league
* Myron Rolle
Myron L. Rolle (born October 30, 1986) is a Bahamian-American neurosurgeon and former football safety. He played college football at Florida State, and was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He attended the ...
– former NFL defensive back who was also a Rhodes scholar
The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom.
Established in 1902, it is the oldest graduate scholarship in the world. It is considered among the world' ...
and is now serving a neurosurgery residency
* John Urschel
John Cameron Urschel (born June 24, 1991) is a Canadian-American mathematician, former professional American football guard and center and chess player. He played college football at Penn State and was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fi ...
– former NFL player and mathematician who was a PhD candidate while playing in the league
* Byron White
Byron "Whizzer" Raymond White (June 8, 1917 April 15, 2002) was an American professional football player and jurist who served as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1962 until his retirement in 1993.
Born and raised in Color ...
- former NFL running back who became a US Supreme Court Justice
* Rob Zatechka
Robert Brett Zatechka (born December 1, 1971) is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the New York Giants. He was born to Douglas and Jane Zatechka in 1971. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 1995 ...
– former NFL guard who became a medical doctor
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Casanova, Tommy
1950 births
Living people
American athlete-politicians
American football defensive backs
Cincinnati Bengals players
Republican Party Louisiana state senators
American ophthalmologists
LSU Tigers football players
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine alumni
All-American college football players
American Conference Pro Bowl players
College Football Hall of Fame inductees
University of Utah School of Medicine alumni
People from Crowley, Louisiana
Physicians from Louisiana
Players of American football from New Orleans