NCAA RECORD HOLDER CELEBRATES HIS SON'S FOOTBALL ACHIEVEMENTS ON TOM THOMPSON APPRECIATION DAY, MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2026
/Texas Football Icon, Author, Motivational Speaker and Respected Fitness Researcher, Dr. Emmet C. (Tom) Thompson II, Honored Today by His Hometown of Coppell, Texas, for Amazing Achievements in College Football
Thompson Also Celebrates His Son, Jon Rawles Thompson, and His Outstanding Accomplishments from 2nd Season Playing for Dr. Thompson's Alma Mater, Austin College, Where He Made His NCAA Record-Breaking Kick in 2009
NCAA record holder, author, college football coach, motivational speaker, and respected researcher Dr. Emmet C. (Tom) Thompson II's hometown of Coppell, Texas celebrates his amazing achievements in college football during Tom Thompson Appreciation Day every year on January 12. (Roark Photography photo)
COPPELL, Texas (January 12, 2026) - Every year on January 12, the small family-oriented town of Coppell, Texas, located in the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex, celebrates the amazing achievements in college football of one of its most celebrated citizens on Tom Thompson Appreciation Day.
On November 14, 2009, at the age of 61, Dr. Emmet C. (Tom) Thompson II—author, college football coach, motivational speaker, and respected researcher—broke two NCAA records and cemented himself in college football history.
Despite having not played football in over 40 years, that day he became the oldest football player in NCAA history and the oldest NCAA football player ever to score a point.
This year, the Texas football icon and his family are also celebrating the burgeoning football career of his son, Jon Rawles Thompson, a sophomore running back, who recently completed playing in his second season for the Kangaroos football team at Austin College, where Dr. Thompson made his NCAA record-breaking kick, and where he serves as a member of the coaching staff.
Jon Rawles Thompson's sophomore season recently culminated in triumph at the first Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship Weekend.
According to the school's newspaper, in the Austin College Kangeroos' final game of the season, he "came up with a huge fourth down conversion from Austin College's own side of the field with under two minutes left, allowing the 'Roos to run out the clock and secure the win" against against Centenary College. With the win, the Kangeroos wrapped up the year with a 3-6 record and a fifth place finish in the conference.
"I'm just thrilled to have the opportunity to coach alongside my son. Jon Rawles has had a strong sophomore season on the team, capped off by his game-clenching run for a fourth down in a recent bowl game in his conference," says Dr. Thompson. "His mother and I are so proud of him—he has worked very hard for this opportunity."
“I’m also proud and humbled to be honored by Coppell, Texas. This is the hometown everyone wishes they grew up in,” says Thompson of Coppell, which has been rated the No. 1 Best Place to Live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and the No. 1 Best Place to Live in Texas by Niche.com. “It’s a great place to live and raise a family."
Jon Rawles Thompson, sophomore running back, just completed playing in his second season on the football team at Austin College, where his father, NCAA record holder, Dr. Emmet C. (Tom) Thompson II, made his NCAA record-breaking kick and is a member of the coaching staff. Pictured running for a fourth down conversion in the winning play of the Austin College Kangeroos' final game of the 2025 season: Jon Rawles Thompson. (Dr. Tom Thompson photo)
When Dr. Thompson kicked his way into the record books in 2009, he scored the PAT (Point After Touchdown) in the second quarter of the game between Austin College and Trinity University.
That kick made history and put tiny Austin College on the sports media map, thrusting both Thompson and his coach, Texas football legend Ronnie Gage, into the national media spotlight, with coverage by outlets including CBS and NBC News and Sports, ABC and Fox News, ESPN, Associated Press, CNN, MSNBC, Sports Illustrated, TXFBLife, and more.
To watch Thompson's interview with KTEN News in Sherman, Texas, click here.
"If you have a God-given dream, it doesn't matter how old you are; He will fulfill it," says Thompson. "However, it may not happen in the way you expect. I envisioned myself as a college football player at ages 18, 19, or 20, and I would have been content with that. But now I realize that I wouldn't have been able to help anyone in that role."
Dr. Thompson has detailed his remarkable accomplishments in his inspiring autobiography, Kick Start: A Story of Overcoming Life's Obstacles to Inspire You to Kick Start Your Future(Carpenter's Son Publishing),
His latest book is The Life Coach: Small-Town Lessons on Faith, Family and Football (Clovercroft Publishing), which he co-authored with Coach Ronnie Gage and Alice Sullivan.
For more information on Dr. Thompson, Coach Gage, and The Life Coach, visit 91kick.com, or follow on Facebook (facebook.com/91kick or https://www.facebook.com/coachronniegage#), Instagram (instagram.com/91kick).
Dr. Emmet C. (Tom) Thompson II's latest book, The Life Coach, is a collaboration with Texas football coaching legend Ronnie Gage and Alice Sullivan. (Cover image courtesy of Clovercroft Publishing)
About Tom Thompson:
Dr. Emmet C. (Tom) Thompson II, D.S.L., M.S., M.A., entered the health and fitness industry after a 20-year career in commercial real estate. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from LeTourneau University, a Master of Science degree in Kinesiology from the University of North Texas, a Master of Arts in Law and a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Organizational Leadership from Regent University, a Doctor of Strategic Leadership degree from Regent University, and a Master of Arts degree in Teaching from Austin College.
A former Board of Advisors member of the American Council on Martial Arts, Thompson is an American-born Tae Kwon Do grandmaster, holding the rank of 10th degree black belt. Thompson is also a Brand Ambassador for Evil Cowboy Hot Sauce, an heirloom Texas hot sauce company.
On November 14, 2009, Dr. Emmet C. (Tom) Thompson II kicked his way into the record books. At age 61, he became the oldest football player in NCAA history and the oldest NCAA football player to score a point when he kicked the PAT (Point After Touchdown) in the second quarter of the game between Austin College and Trinity University.
Thompson wrote his name in the record books, then went on to literally write the book on motivation for older adults who are approaching their golden years, as well as anyone seeking a career change, to seize their future with both hands. Thompson detailed his remarkable accomplishments in his motivational and autobiographical book, Kick Start: A Story of Overcoming Life's Obstacles to Inspire You to Kick Start Your Future (Carpenter's Son Publishing), which he co-wrote with Alice Sullivan, and Get a Kick Out of Life: Expect the Best of Your Body, Mind, and Soul at Any Age (Clovercroft Publishing), co-written with Christopher P. Neck, (Mastering Self Leadership), along with Alice Sullivan (Kick Start).
Thompson, who is an active researcher in the fields of motivation and change, has also co-authored numerous articles in peer reviewed academic journals, as well as the book Fit To Lead: The Proven 8-Week Solution for Shaping Up Your Body, Your Mind, and Your Career (St. Martin's Press), which he co-authored with Christopher P. Neck and Charles C. Manz (respected pioneers in the field of self leadership, and co-authors of Mastering Self Leadership: Empowering Yourself for Personal Excellence) and Tedd L. Mitchell (former Chancellor of the Texas Tech University system, former CEO of the Cooper Clinic, and former health editor for USA Weekend).
Thompson and his wife Teresa live in Coppell, Texas.
Thompson’s latest book is The Life Coach: Small-Town Lessons on Faith, Family, and Football (Clovercroft Publishing), which he co-authored with Texas football coaching legend Ronnie Gage and Alice Sullivan.
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