| No. 54 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Linebacker | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born | (1963-03-23)March 23, 1963 (age 62) Barnesville, Georgia, U.S. | ||||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||
| Weight | 211 lb (96 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school | Mary Persons (Forsyth, Georgia) | ||||
| College | Tennessee | ||||
| NFL draft | 1985: 1st round, 24th overall pick | ||||
| Career history | |||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||
| |||||
Alvin Toles (born March 23, 1963) is an American former professionalfootball player who was alinebacker for theNew Orleans Saints in theNational Football League (NFL) from 1985 until 1988, when a knee injury ended his career. He playedcollege football at theUniversity of Tennessee, initially as afullback before switching to linebacker his junior year. He was the Saints' 1st-round pick in the1985 NFL draft.
Toles played high school football atMary Persons High School inForsyth, Georgia, under long-time coach Dan Pitt. Playing as a fullback, he rushed for 1,663 yards during his senior season in 1980,[1] leading the Bulldogs to the Class AA state championship and a 15–0 season.[2] He rushed for 149 yards and 2 touchdowns in the Bulldogs' 34–6 victory overDuluth in the title game.[3] He earned All-State honors, and was named the "All-Middle Georgia Player of the Year" by theMacon Telegraph.[1] He was ranked among the top 33 recruits in the state ofGeorgia by theAtlanta Constitution.[2]
Toles joined the Tennessee Volunteers in 1981, part of a signing class that includedReggie McKenzie,Raleigh McKenzie,Johnnie Jones,Alan Cockrell andCarl Zander.[2] Playing as a fullback during his freshman year, he rushed for 220 yards on 47 carries while splitting time with junior Doug Furnas.[4] During his sophomore year in 1982, he rushed for 135 yards on 46 carries.[5]
With 250-pound sophomore Sam Henderson poised to take over the starting slot at fullback at the start of the1983 season, Toles switched to linebacker at the request of head coachJohnny Majors.[6] In spite of never having played defense, Toles had a breakout season, registering a team-leading 135 tackles (72 solo), including 8 tackles-for-loss (1 less than All-American teammateReggie White).[7] In the Vols' season-opening loss againstPittsburgh, Toles had 19 tackles, one of which broke thecollarbone of Panthers quarterback John Cummings.[6] In Tennessee's loss toAuburn, he had 17 tackles, including 4 tackles-for-loss.[6] He also had 18 tackles (8 solo) againstAlabama, 14 tackles (8 solo) againstGeorgia Tech, and 20 tackles (7 solo) againstOle Miss.[8] In Tennessee's 30–23 victory overMaryland in the 1983Florida Citrus Bowl, Toles stuffed Terrapins running backRick Badanjek at the 1-yard line to prevent a touchdown on the opening drive, and he had a fumble recovery and an interception — both of which led to scores — in the fourth quarter.[9] He finished the game with 6 tackles, and he was named the game's "Outstanding Defensive Player."[8]
Toles was expected to have a big year as a senior in 1984, but broke his ankle during the game against Auburn and missed the rest of the season.[10] In just four games, he had 43 tackles (26 solo), broke up a pass and recovered a fumble.[11] He finished his career at Tennessee with 178 tackles (98 solo), 8 of which were for a loss, to go along with the 355 yards rushing on 93 carries he had amassed while playing fullback.[12]
Toles was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the first round (24th overall pick) in the1985 NFL draft, one of three Vol linebackers (the others beingCarl Zander andReggie McKenzie) to be drafted that year.[13] He played 55 games over four seasons for the Saints, much of it onspecial teams as he competed withSam Mills andVaughan Johnson for playing time at linebacker.[14] In the Saints' 24–22 loss toSan Francisco on October 25, 1987, Toles returned a blocked punt for a touchdown, temporarily giving the Saints the lead.[15] During the Saints' 14–10 victory over theLos Angeles Rams on November 13, 1988, he suffered a serious knee injury.[16] He was waived by the Saints in 1990.[17]
Toles' son,Andrew Toles, was aprofessional baseball player.[18]His daughter, Morgan Toles, is a former Seminole basketball standout.