Tommy Code

{{Short description|American football player and coach (1873–1956)}}

{{Infobox college coach

| name = Tommy Code

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1873|4|13}}

| birth_place = California, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1956|1|28|1873|4|13}}

| death_place = San Francisco, California, U.S.

| alma_mater =

| player_years1 = 1892–1895

| player_team1 = Stanford

| player_positions = Quarterback

| coach_years1 = 1896

| coach_team1 = Oregon Agricultural

| overall_record = 1–2

| bowl_record =

| tournament_record =

| championships =

| awards =

| coaching_records =

}}

Thomas Kimball Code (April 13, 1873 – January 28, 1956) was an American college football player at Stanford University and football coach at Oregon State University, then known as Oregon Agricultural College.

Career

Code grew up in San Francisco, where he attended Lowell High School.{{cite web|url=http://www.lowellalumni.org/history_19century.shtml|title=19th Century Lowellites: The Early History of Lowell High School|publisher=Lowell Alumni Association|accessdate=September 10, 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110405142211/http://www.lowellalumni.org/history_19century.shtml|archivedate=April 5, 2011}} He went on to play college football at Stanford where he was the quarterback in the first Big Game against Cal.{{cite web|url=http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/stan/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/09FB-history.pdf|title=Stanford Football Media Guide|accessdate=September 10, 2010|page=186}}{{cite news|url=http://www.thelowell.org/archivepdfs/08.07.1988%20thru%2005.25.1990.pdf|title=Back in Time|last=Hymans|first=Jacques|date=October 14, 1988|accessdate=September 10, 2010|work=The Lowell|page=20}}{{cite news|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courant/access/807599922.html?dids=807599922:807599922&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Nov+16%2C+1928&author=&pub=Hartford+Courant&desc=Hoover+Sees+Classmates+Of+Stanford|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103194829/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courant/access/807599922.html?dids=807599922:807599922&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Nov+16,+1928&author=&pub=Hartford+Courant&desc=Hoover+Sees+Classmates+Of+Stanford|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 3, 2012|title=Hoover Sees Classmates of Stanford|date=November 16, 1928|publisher=Hartford Courant|accessdate=September 10, 2010}}

In 1896, the 23-year old Code became the fourth head coach of Oregon Agricultural College (today's Oregon State University) in the program's first four seasons. According to a local news account, Code arrived in Corvallis to coach the team on Monday, September 28.[https://www.newspapers.com/article/corvallis-gazette-times-coach-code-form/125724487/ "Among the Students,"] Corvallis Gazette, vol. 33, no. 229 (Oct. 2, 1896), p. 3. Code would only coach the Aggies for a period of two weeks, after which he was sent home to California as what was deemed an "unnecessary expense," with OAC professor Fulton and halfback Brady Burnett taking over the actual coaching duties.[https://www.newspapers.com/article/corvallis-gazette-times-on-the-gridiron/125663721/ "On the Gridiron,"] Corvallis Gazette, vol. 33, no. 35 (Nov. 13, 1896), p. 3. During the 1896 season, the Aggies compiled a record of 1–2.{{cite web|url=http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/orst/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/09-mg-sec10.pdf|title=Oregon State Football Media Guide|accessdate=September 10, 2010|page=90}}{{cite news|work=The Sunday Oregonian|date=October 30, 1927|page=73|title=19 Coaches Listed on Aggies Record}}