Tom House to Receive 2021 Legacy Recognition Award™
The National Quarterback Club (NQBC) announced today that legendary biomechanics pioneer and throwing coach, Tom House, will receive the 2021 Legacy Recognition Award™, NQBC's highest honor. NQBC will honor the decades of positive impacts that Tom has made to the world of sport through his commitment to affirmative coaching techniques at youth and professional levels. The Legacy Recognition Award™ will be presented during the 2021 National Quarterback Club Awards Dinner and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on February 26, 2022 at The Scottsdale Resort at McCormick Ranch.
About Tom House
Tom was born in Seattle in 1947. His family moved to Southern California when he was 13 years old. “Baseball was the one thing in the neighborhood that all the kids did,” said House. “If I was going to make friends, this is where he would have to do it.” His experience on the neighborhood diamond ignited his dreams of becoming a professional baseball player.
During Tom’s youth, Tom’s parents welcomed into their lives a young African American boy named Richard Rice whom found himself without a home or family. Tom’s mother, who hailed from central Iowa, had been an orphan herself. Richard became a member of the House family during a time when racism was painfully overt. The family’s actions would teach the entire community, including young boys Tom and Richard, that all must be loved, accepted and treated equally. The family found that sometimes this notion was best shown through team sports, which the boys actively participated in growing up.
In 1967, the 19-year-old House made good on his childhood dream of becoming a big-league pitcher when he was drafted by the Atlanta Braves and entered professional baseball alongside teammates Dusty Baker and Ralph Garr. The Braves are located in the deep South where segregation and civil rights were the subjects of significant attention. House remained consistent in the morals and teaching of his up-bringing. “I never really understood the race issue. It just didn’t make sense to me. I was happy to be playing baseball.”
Tom, now known widely as the ‘father of modern pitching mechanics’ has always believed that embracing the wisdom of a mentor is the secret to success. “Wherever I was in my life, someone would put their hand on my shoulder and tell me what I needed to do to get by,” said House. “I always had someone mentoring me at the right time and at the right place, for the right reasons.” He served as the pitching coach for the Texas Rangers, guiding the throwing mechanics and extending the careers of the likes of Nolan Ryan. Others include Randy Johnson, Orel Hershiser and more. These techniques translated adequately to football, too. House became a ‘quarterback guru’, coaching Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Carson Palmer, and others into injury-free and long-term careers.
“Being born in the early 60’s, I have seen the setting and breaking of some of the greatest athletic performance milestones in history. Tom’s pioneering leadership in biometrics has been a meaningful component to many of these records,” said Don Kile, National Quarterback Club president. “With generosity of spirit, Tom will teach anyone who wants to learn, and will teach upon bigger issues surrounding the game, as well.”
Tom has a PhD, two master’s degrees and a Bachelor’s of Science. He has authored or co-authored 22 books and over 20 studies for sports and medical journals. He is the founder of The Rod Dedeaux Research and Baseball Institute (RDRBI) and The National Pitching Association (NPA). Both organizations are renowned for their health and performance research and development involving three-dimensional analysis of human movement, physical preparation and training. Tom is also an advisor with the American Sports Medicine Institute, the Titleist Performance Institute, and gives seminars for the American College of Sports Medicine. Through the NPA, Tom runs a series of camps and clinics for athletes, and markets a series of instructional videos for young athletes.
At 74, Tom reflects on his extraordinary experiences to best direct his focus on future contributions, namely to youth sports, which have become an expensive proposition for families who pay thousands of dollars each year. “Too many kids miss out on the power of participation and the many emotional, social, and physical benefits of sports,” said House. “Although the desire to win is universal, winning and trophies shouldn’t matter in youth sports. The mission is to create the best environments, memories and foundations possible for kids at all levels, in all sports. Those are the things that will last and compound forever, and translate into stronger families and stronger communities.”
In late 2020, Tom co-founded Mustard, an app which democratizes elite level physical, mental and emotional training. “It’s amazing to me that all the data I have collected over the last 40 years, and everything I have learned and taught, will be in the Mustard platform,” House says. “I’m thrilled that all of that information will not be lost to history, and that it will benefit a whole new generation of athletes.” Mustard uses AI, the worlds most advanced computer-vision system, and Tom's athletic dataset to provide each user with simple report cards on their mechanics and personalized, elite instruction.
In 2014, Tom was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. A scientist at heart, he applies his extensive experience and knowledge from the field to help others with Parkinson’s. “The disease has allowed me to look for a new way to survive personally, and those lessons in survival can be applied to help others.”
The NQBC Awards Dinner and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will also include honors for the National Quarterback of the Year in high school, college and professional ranks. Conner Weigman of Bridgeland High School in Cypress, Texas, will receive the National High School Quarterback of the Year Award. Steve Beuerlein, Matt Hasselbeck and Donovan McNabb will be inducted into the National Quarterback Club Hall of Fame.
For tickets to the event, visit the National Quarterback Club at www.nationalqbclub.com. A limited number of media credentials can be reserved by emailing info@nationalqbclub.com.
About the Legacy Recognition Award™
The Legacy Recognition Award™ is a national award presented annually to a person who stands fast in his or her community to meet the needs of the community. The award is not exclusive to football quarterbacks, players or coaches, but the characteristics of great leadership are present in recipients of the award since its inception in 1985. Previous recipients include names like Ross Perot (1986), General Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr. (1992), Warrick Dunn (2005), Jim Kelly (2018), Ken Stabler (2018), Bill Shover (2019) and Tom Flores (2020). In each of these cases, the men that their communities have come to know and love and the works of their leadership, dedication and generosity are sincere and inspirational. The Legacy Recognition Award™ is not just a celebration of good works in the past but a call to action for hope and confidence for future generations unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of what has been provided.
About the National Quarterback Club
The National Quarterback Club is guided by a comprehensive mission, a clear vision, and consistent values. Through its various award programs, the club recognizes outstanding athletes for their qualities and achievements on and off the playing field, and serve as a model for comprehensive excellence in athletic achievement, academic success, and greater social affinity.
In 1985, the National Quarterback Club began a tradition of hosting annual fundraising events to honor the National Quarterback of the Year in professional, collegiate and high school ranks. Annual awards dinners have been hosted in great sports cities such as Washington D.C., Miami, Tampa Bay, Jacksonville, Charlotte, Green Bay, Denver, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Houston and Scottsdale, Arizona.