Thomas Nettles Obituary
Tom Nettles always looked at challenges as opportunities.
From his days as an undersized youth on the St. Patrick’s School playground teams in North Park, to a career of playing multiple sports, Nettles was a star.
Tom was born at Mercy Hospital in San Diego and passed away at Sharp Hospital after a long illness.
Nettles got his start playing second base in the Mike Morrow Little league at Morley Field in Balboa Park.
There were years of membership in the Junior Golf Association at Balboa Municipal, where Tom earned his share of trophies.
He played competitive high school golf at Hoover High, often barefoot, and usually was the team’s low scorer.
Tom had played basketball at St. Augustine High and transferred to Hoover as a senior, becoming a starting point guard on the annually powerful team coach by the legendary Charlie Hampton, who also mentored Tom in the San Diego City College program.
Intrepid and confident, Tom continued to play golf and found another sport. He picked up a javelin for the first time and competed for San Diego City College.
Tom also was on championship teams in the Old Mission Beach Athletic Club’s annual Over-the-Line tournament.
Tom served as a president of the Sigma Chi fraternity at San Diego State, played on the golf team, and graduated in 1969, majoring in social science and physical education.
He also decided to turn out for coach Don Coryell’s football squad during a 1966-68 era in which the Aztecs posted a record of 30-1-1.
Nettles had never played more than neighborhood flag or touch football.
His foray on the gridiron produced some stunning results.
Tom caught 62 passes for 1,227 yards and 14 touchdowns and set a national collegiate record of 36 receiving yards in a 68-7 win over a Southern Mississippi team that had battled legendary coach Bear Bryant’s powerful Alabama in a three-point loss the week before.
Tom was selected by the American Football League Kansas City Chiefs in the seventh round in 1969 and played two seasons in the Canadian Football League for the Edmonton Eskimos.
Tom was a touring golf professional and qualified for the U.S. Open in 1975.
He also taught geography and physical education and helped coach football and soccer teams at San Diego City College.
It was during this time that Nettles embarked on a career in broadcasting at San Diego radio stations KOGO and KPRI. He was a color commentator on Aztecs football radio broadcasts with KOGO’s Ron Reina from 1974-80.
Tom moved to San Francisco and was a sports anchor for KRON Channel 4, the nation’s sixth-largest television market, from 1981-87.
After a couple of years at KTTV Channel 11 in Los Angeles, Tom was named executive director of the San Diego Hall of Champions sports museum in 1993.
Tom was inducted into the Aztecs’ Hall of Fame in 1993, and he also worked as a reporter and anchor for the Golf Channel for 10 years.
Thomas Wayne Nettles is survived by his sister, Terry Meaney (Michael), and brother, Pat Nettles, and nieces Corey and Meagan, and nephews Thomas, Patrick, Jack, and John.
A celebration of life is planned later.