Mike Tos Tribute
Mike "Tugger" Tos, long-time Bishop Egan/Conwell-Egan statistician and supporter beyond belief of the program and its players/coaches (and all of the school's athletic teams), passed away Dec. 4, 2007. Mike missed only TWO games in C-E/Egan's FB history; he was in the sixth grade at the time.
Recently, Mike had contributed humorous columns for TedSilary.com while also doing a year-by-year look at Egan's FB history.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held for Mike on Dec. 10 at St. Michael the Archangel Church, in Levittown. It was co-officiated by Father Fidelis, of C-E, and Father Terry Adams, Egan's former athletic director and a long-time friend of Mike's. En route to the cemetery, the funeral procession pulled into C-E's parking lot and former players Matt Brazil (one of the pallbearers) and Mike Smith rang the "victory bell" as students pressed against the windows to see what was going on.
---
Remembrances
Joe LePera: "I really enjoyed reading Mike's weekly chatter the last few years. I could always feel his love & passion for the school, league and football. And I especially enjoyed his recollection of the glory days of Egan and Catholic league football."
Bill Knowles: "'The man, the myth, the legend' -- Mike Tos. There is going be something missing when Egan comes to play Bensalem this year. I will never forget your dedication to the school and the amazing encyclopedia of Conwell Egan knowledge you had."
Justin Kane, Class of '79: "Mike was like the Ol' time radio character; 'The Shadow'. Everywhere he lurked, clipboard in hand, looking out over those Charles Nelson Riley glasses of his. He had an extraordinarily ability to just bury you w/ dry wit & humor just stuffing stats in your psyche... He's a 1 of a kind great guy, perhaps 1 of the last of a kind from a bygone generation."
Bill Sytsma, Head Football Coach, Neumann-Goretti: "Many times I found myself looking to see where my team stood, 'HOT', 'IMPROVED' or the dreaded 'YET TO BE HEARD FROM'. Never would you hear anything close to being negative, he always offered solutions or a word of encouragement to teams that were facing tough times."
Matt Brazil: "Nobody cared more about Egan football players the way Tos did and its never gonna be the same going to a game and not seeing him on the sideline ever again."
Rob Biernat: "Every morning myself and a group of friends from the football team would stop by the Athletic office and talk to him about sports. Whether it'd be about our next football opponent, how Slaton didn't get the ball enough lol or whatever sporting event there was to talk about, we looked forward to seeing him because he made our days more enjoyable. I can not picture my high school days without Mike Tos, he was Egan."
Joe Knowles, Class of '78: "You could mention any game and Mike would rattle off not only the score but the weather conditions, big plays and interesting stats... If Mike Tos referred to you as a good kid with a lot of heart you know you left your mark. As the blue and the gray stand before us, let the echoes ever ring -- Mike Tos was King."
Derrick Savage, CEC '03: "Mike Tos was Egan football. He never missed a game no matter how poor the conditions or how far away. His life revolved around that football team. He was always there telling us how many days, hours and minutes until the start of football practice."
Colleen Jennings, 2007 CEC Graduate: "Everytime during my high-school career Tos sat on the same seat almost everyday, I would always quiz him with numbers, and he knew anything and everything. It amazed me."
Drew McQuade, Daily News night sports editor: "Mike, my former neighbor, one of the guys who played touch football in the streets of the Red Cedar Hill section of Levittown. He would quarterback and say the same thing in the huddle every time: 'Catch the ball.' That was it. Such a smart, loyal guy... You knew about his memory, spouting off my birthdate and that of my older sister and younger brother."