Tom Tarver

Tom Tarver was an American football player for the Rutgers University Scarlet Knights. He was the team's starting quarterback in 1990 and 1991. After college, he became a coach at Manalapan High School.

College

Tarver was a quarterback at Jackson High School in New Jersey and chose to attend Rutgers University.[1] During his first two years at Rutgers, he appeared in six games and was a back-up to Scott Erney.[2][3]

Tarver was named the team's starting quarterback in 1990. In the first game of the season on September 8, he completed 9 of 15 passes for 172 yards and two touchdowns, and Rutgers defeated Kentucky.[4] The following week, against Colgate, he threw two touchdown passes again, and Rutgers won again.[5] The Scarlet Knights then lost their third game to Penn State and eventually finished the season with a record of 3–8.[6] Tarver led the team in passing yards, with 1,348.[7]

Tarver remained the Scarlet Knights' starter as a fifth-year senior in 1991.[8] He led the team to a victory in the first game of the season against Boston College, completing 21 for 30 passes for 275 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.[9] On September 28, he had 180 passing yards, and Rutgers defeated Michigan State, 14–7. Tarver threw a two-yard touchdown pass to his roommate, Antoine Moore, with 46 seconds left to win it.[10] In 2003, Tarver said that the Michigan State game was one of his fondest memories as a Rutgers player.[1]

Rutgers defeated Maine on October 12, 1991, bringing their record to 5–1. Tarver was 15 for 24 passing with 247 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.[11] However, Rutgers then lost their next four games in a row. In the last game of the season, against Temple, Tarver had a career-high 311 passing yards and had touchdown passes of 70, 68, and 49 yards. The Scarlet Knights won, 41–0, to clinch a winning record.[8] Tarver finished the year with 1,969 passing yards to lead the team for the second straight season.[7] Over his entire Rutgers career, he completed 285 of 518 passes for 3,607 yards and had 20 touchdowns and 24 interceptions. He has the eighth-most passing yards in team history.[12]

After college

After Tarver graduated from college with a degree in special education, he became an assistant football coach at Freehold Boro High School. He was also a coach at Lakewood High School before becoming the coach at Manalapan High School in 1996.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Tom Tarver: Once a Leader, Always a Leader". packers.rivals.com. October 8, 2003. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  2. ↑ "Rutgers Unknown to Cats". Daily News. September 7, 1990.
  3. ↑ Vega, Michael. "Tarver Chose Rutgers; Now They've Chosen Him". highbeam.com. October 5, 1990. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  4. ↑ Rhoden, William C. "Rutgers Wins in Coach's Debut". nytimes.com. September 9, 1990. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  5. ↑ "Duke Keeps Northwestern Losing". Gainesville Sun. September 16, 1990.
  6. ↑ Boyles, Bob and Guido, Paul (2009). USA Today College Football Encyclopedia 2009–2010. Skyhorse Publishing Inc. p. 1231.
  7. 1 2 "Rutgers Football Year-by-Year Leaders". scarletknights.com. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  8. 1 2 "Rutgers Beats Temple for a Winning Season". nytimes.com. November 17, 1991. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  9. ↑ Wallace, William N. "Rutgers on Top in Big East Kickoff". nytimes.com. September 1, 1991. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  10. ↑ "Spartan Football Reaches 1000-Game Milestone Against Rutgers". msuspartans.com. September 5, 2003. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  11. ↑ Harvin, Al. "Rutgers Routs Maine as Secondary Excels". nytimes.com. October 13, 1991. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  12. ↑ "Rutgers Football Passing Leaders". scarletknights.com. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
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