WVU Sports Hall of Fame

Inducted: 2003

Written by Shelly Poe

The late Tommy Allman was a star fullback for the Mountaineers from 1950-54. A Charleston, W.Va., native, he earned all-Southern Conference honors three consecutive years and was named NEA third team All-America. Winner of the 1953 Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the Southern Conference's toughest and most proficient in that skill, Allman was captain of WVU's 1953 Sugar Bowl team. He played in the Senior Bowl and Chicago all-star games, and was drafted by the NFL's Baltimore Colts.

He played for the Colts and Green Bay Packers before being drafted into the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Following his discharge, Allman played for the Vancouver B.C. Lions of the Canadian Football League before returning to Morgantown. He was the 1984 recipient of the Morgantown Touchdown Club's Proficiency Award and a member of WVU's all-time team.

Allman, married to the former Donna Woydak, had five children: Tommy, Mark Allan, Tina, Timberly and Michele. He was a top sales representative for companies such as Pennzoil, Long Airdox, Hewitt Robbins and Fidelity Union, as well as operating his own antique business.

He was instrumental in the formation of a WVU Letterman's Club, and helped organize the Art Lewis Memorial Fund and Sugar Bowl reunions. Allman died June 22, 1996, at age 64.