Thomas Dudley Harmon (September 28, 1919 – March 15, 1990), nicknamed "Old 98",[1] was an American football player, military pilot, actor, and sports broadcaster.

In April 1943, he was the sole survivor of the crash of a bomber he piloted in South America en route to North Africa.

He later pursued a career in sports broadcasting and was the play-by-play announcer for the first televised Rose Bowl in the late 1940s and worked for CBS from 1950 to 1962.

[7] He played on the freshman football team that fall,[12] while the varsity compiled a 4–4 record in its final season under head coach Harry Kipke.

[13] In November 1937, the Associated Press published a story that Tulane coach Bill Bevan had tried to lure Harmon to transfer to that school, where his older brother was a student-athlete.

[15] He majored in English and speech at Michigan, aspiring to become a sports broadcaster, and, as a junior and senior, hosted a 15-minute program on the university radio station on Fridays.

[18] With Crisler as the coach, Harmon in the backfield, and consensus All-American Ralph Heikkinen at the guard position, the Wolverines lost only one game, 7–6 to Minnesota, and improved their record to 6–1–1.

[17] Harmon began to draw national press coverage in the fourth game of the 1938 season, as he led a second-half comeback against Yale.

The United Press described the game-winning drive: Michigan seemed to be fighting for a hopeless cause and the hand crawled around the clock toward the end of the game.

[21] At the end of the 1938 season, Harmon, described as "Michigan's sophomore sensation", won first-team honors on the United Press All-Big Ten Conference team.

[18] The Associated Press called it one of the most amazing individual performances seen in the Big Ten since the days of Red Grange, describing Harmon "[d]arting, dodging and twisting up and down the chalk lines like a ballet dancer".

[27] In Michigan's fourth game, a 27–7 victory over Yale, Harmon scored three touchdowns, kicked three extra points, and gained 203 yards on 18 carries.

The 1940 Michigan team compiled a 7–1 record, losing to national champion Minnesota by one point, and finished the season ranked number three in the final AP poll.

The Associated Press wrote that Harmon found California's defense "about as strong as a wet paper bag", noted that Harmon was "as hard to snare as a greased pig", and opined that the only reason Michigan's point total was not higher was that "Michigan's first-string players ran themselves into a complete state of exhaustion.

The United Press reported that the "smooth-gaited" Harmon "thrilled the spectators for more than three periods with brilliant dashes", and left the game in the fourth quarter to "tremendous applause" from the fans in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

[42] In Michigan's fifth game, Harmon played all 60 minutes and was responsible for both touchdowns in a 14–0 victory over a previously unbeaten Penn team featuring the country's second-leading scorer, Frank Reagan.

In a display of sportsmanship and appreciation, the Ohio State fans in Columbus gave Harmon a standing ovation at game's end.

[63][64] However, Harmon declined to sign with the Bears, initially stating that he was through playing football and instead planned to pursue a career in radio and the movies.

[68] His film appearances included two Paramount Martin and Lewis comedies as a sports announcer, That's My Boy (1951) and The Caddy (1953).

[76] Harmon applied to enlist as a cadet in the United States Army Air Corps in early November 1941.

He was commissioned as a second lieutenant and a twin-engined bomber pilot and assigned to Williams Field in Arizona in October 1942.

In October of that year, while escorting bombers on a low-level mission over Jiujiang, Harmon's P-38 was shot down over the Yangtze River by a Japanese Zero during a dogfight.

[84] In November 1944, Harmon's account of his war service was published by Thomas Y. Crowell Company under the title, "Pilots Also Pray".

[93] In October 1945, Harmon was hired to do a Saturday evening sports-feature program to be broadcast on the Mutual Radio Network.

[94] Harmon later recalled that his return to the playing field was reluctant and made necessary by a $7,000 tax bill he received for his prewar earnings.

[96] Harmon believed that his talents did not fit with the T-formation offense run by the Rams, and having broken his nose 13 times, he retired for good from his playing career after the 1947 season.

[16] Harmon attributed his successful career in radio and television to the early education he received from his drama teacher, Mary Gorrell, at Horace Mann high school.

By 1965, his company, Tom Harmon Sports, was generating annual gross revenue of $1 million and had six full-time employees.

[9] In August 1944, Harmon married actress and model Elyse Knox in a ceremony at St. Mary's student chapel at the University of Michigan.

[86] The couple had three children: On March 15, 1990, Harmon suffered a heart attack at the Amanda Travel Agency in West Los Angeles after winning a golf tournament at Bel Air Country Club.