Hall of Fame
Position: Safety
Years: 1978-1981
Place of Birth: Oaklyn, NJ
Date of Birth: Feb 04, 1960
Jersey Number: 13
Height: 6-2
Weight: 192
High School: Haddon Township, NJ (Pope Paul VI HS)
Tom Deery was a defensive back at Widener four years and was named All-America by the American Coaches Association and the Associated Press three years -- 1979, 1980, and 1981. He was in 43 games, including post-season playoffs, and piled up these figures: 126 unassisted tackles, 44 assisted tackles, 32 interceptions. He also returned kicks. In 1981, he made a 100-yard kickoff return against Montclair and a 76-yard punt return against Dayton. In 1979 he made a 74-yard interception return and 59-yard punt return against Albright and a 48-yard punt return against Johns Hopkins. In his career he ran back 45 punts, averaging 11.3 yards, and 21 kickoffs, averaging 23 yards. Deery stood 6-2 and weighed 192. The Eastern College Athletic Conference named him Player of the Year, 1980 and 1981. The New York Times placed him on its All-East team in 1980 and 1981. Widener's record each of his four seasons was 8-1, 10-1, 11-1, 13-0. This made a total of 42-3. Widener was a semi-finalist in NCAA Division III playoffs in 1979 and 1980 and won Division III in 1981. Widener beat Dayton 17-10 for the championship. Deery was named Most Valuable Player for the game.
