College of Marin

Tom Elliott always lived the way he preached, “to finish what you start.” A native of Illinois, Tom and his family moved to Marin County when he was eight years old. He played football for Tamalpais High School and won the NBL Championship his sophomore year.

He played with Jim McGowan who remembers “Tom was pretty big for a sophomore, and also very aggressive, he played hard and it was obvious he would go on to be a fine football player.”

Tom enrolled at College of Marin in 1956, where he played as both an offensive and defensive lineman.  The 6-4, 220 pound Elliot often played every single down in a game despite several nagging injuries.  “He wore them like a badge of courage” according to his son Tom, Jr. One such game Elliott played the entire time despite suffering a broken nose and dislocated shoulder.

In his first season, Elliott and the College of Marin team won the Golden Valley Championship and was a major contributor on both sides of the ball. He was named to the All-Conference and All Northern California teams that year before being selected for a spot on the All American Junior College team.

After two outstanding years at College of Marin, Elliott transferred to UC Davis where he continued to play at a high level. He also began competing in Rugby where he played prop.

After graduating from Davis, Elliott began a career in seafood importing, but he continued to play and coach rugby for the Olympic Club in San Francisco.

He passed away in 2014, and is survived by his three children.