Hall Call Ep 017 - Al Toon 02 - 27 - 20 by Hall Call

A gifted athlete from Newport News, Virginia, 2020 Virginia Sports Hall of Fame inductee Al Toon studied animal movements as a child to help him improve his skills as an athlete. That strategy worked, as Toon’s abilities led him to become an All BIG10 performer in both track and football, at the University of Wisconsin, and an All-Pro wide receiver in the NFL with the New York Jets.

Originally cut from his JV football team, Toon began to focus on track where he excelled in the long jump, triple jump, high jump, and hurdles, dreaming of representing the United States in the Olympics. While a hamstring injury put an end to his track career, his professional career was far from over. The 1985 first round NFL draft pick would become one of the most complete wide receivers in the NFL during his 8-year career. One of only two players to catch 500 or more passes in under 110 games, Toon played a violent game with a thinking man’s disposition. Toon joined the Hall Call Podcast to reflect on his career, and career that has brought him to the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.