Career Highlights: Five time College Conference of Illinois First Team: selected as center in 1958, center and linebacker in 1959, center and linebacker in 1960; Little All-American Honorable Mention; NAIA All-District Team; member of North Central’s All-Century Football Team (1898-1998), named the College’s Most Outstanding Athlete of the 1940s, 50s and 60s.
If not for a phone call by legendary football coach Jesse Vail, there may have never been a Tom Dean who starred on the gridiron for North Central College. Dean, who was an all-state performer at Kankakee High School, chose to attend the University of Nebraska his first year of school. However, fortunately for North Central, he chose not to return to the Huskers after that first year. Instead Dean went to work until he got the call from Vail, who had recruited him while at Kankakee.
“He asked if I would rather be working or playing football,” Dean said. “It was an easy decision. It was a great way to get an education as well as play football. And as it turned out, I found it to be very enjoyable.”
Dean was on a full athletic scholarship at North Central and made the most of his three years. The two-way player was a five-time College Conference of Illinois (CCI) All-Conference First Team selection. Dean was chosen as center in 1958, center and linebacker in 1959 and center and linebacker in 1960. He is the only player in North Central history to be named All-CCI First Team five times.
He was also named Little All-American Honorable Mention and to the NAIA All-District Team after leading the College a 4-3-2 record as a junior. He was NAIA All-District again as a senior as North Central had one of its most successful seasons ever, posting a 7-2 record in 1960. Dean certainly received assistance from teammate and fellow 2006 Hall of Fame inductee John Turpin ’61. As an offensive lineman, Dean helped open the holes that Turpin, a halfback, ran through.
Both Dean and Turpin were honored in 1998 as members of North Central’s All-Century Football Team (1898-1998). Dean was also chosen as the College’s Most Outstanding Athlete of the 1940s, 50s and 60s.
Following graduation from North Central in 1961 with a degree in business administration, Dean attended Chicago-Kent College of Law. After completing his law degree and passing the bar, he worked for 25 years in the trust department at Continental Bank in Chicago. He then moved to Florida to work for Southeast Bank (now Wachovia) where he eventually retired.
