Big skies, corn stocks and football fields: That's
where it all started for CWRU Team Physician Thomas C. McLaughlin.
Those were his surroundings growing up in Hastings,
Neb. McLaughlin's father, was a Nebraska high school head football
coach until his son entered fifth grade. Then the elder McLaughlin
also moved up a grade to become Hastings College's skipper.
Upon graduation from Hastings High in 1957, the
younger McLaughlin left the Midwest for the East and become
a Harvard man. He received a bachelor's degree from the Ivy
League school in 1961 and was a center on the varsity football
team.
"Going to Harvard from Nebraska was quite a culture
shock," he said. "It took a while to get use to a smaller sky,
clouds and the weather changes. The one thing that was familiar
to me was the football field. And I knew if I really needed
a big sky, I would have to go to the sea coast."
Frequently McLaughlin went back to Nebraska to
see his dad, who went with and without good medical care throughout
his coaching career. His dad coached three or four sports a
year for over 30 years. Tally that up, and it equals around
100 seasons. The elder McLaughlin had one losing season in that
time, and during it, something became very clear to his son.
"Although in a perfect world coaching might have
been what I wanted to do, with that act to follow, it would
probably be pretty tough to be successful," said the younger
McLaughlin. "Plus my mom was not interested in me being a coach,
so I tried to figure out something I could do that would help
a coach. I felt being a team physician was important."
It was no surprise when McLaughlin entered the
University of Rochester's medical school, he immediately signed
on to be a trainer with the football team. After the first two
years, he no longer had the time because his schedule was such
that he couldn't commit to the team. But he did find time to
finish his medical degree. He received it from Rochester in
1965.
After receiving his degree, McLaughlin arrived
in Cleveland to begin his internship in general surgery (1966-67)
and then do his residency in orthopedic research and surgery
(1969-73) at University Hospitals of Cleveland. During that
time, he also spent two years (1967-69) in the Air Force during
the Vietnam War as a partially trained surgeon stationed in
the states.
He began his stint as CWRU's team physician and
as a member of the CWRU medical school faculty in the spring
of 1973. Since then, he has only missed one Spartan football
game, home or away. It was in 1988 when his father was inducted
posthumously into the Nebraska College Football Hall of Fame.
His mother wanted him to be by her side when she accepted on
her husband's behalf.
"I was concerned about not being at CWRU's game.
Everyone in sports is superstitious," said McLaughlin. "If they
lost the game, I did not want them to blame it on me. It turned
out they didn't lose the game."
Last December McLaughlin suffered a frightening
set back. In a routine check up his doctor ultimately found
a 75 percent blockage in an artery of his heart. Fortunately,
due to the early diagnosis, McLaughlin did not suffer any permanent
damage. He had quadruple bypass surgery to correct the problem.
"Had there been a clot or something there at that
time it would have all been over," said McLaughlin. "Instead,
I got a new fuel injection system and a new motor, and it runs
faster than it did before."
McLaughlin, 63, has been with the University for
37 years now. This season marks 30 on the sideline as CWRU's
team physician, and he has no plans to give up his place. If
a fan is trying to spot him at a game, he or she can look for
a fitted blue baseball cap with a white Spartan logo, near the
action.
"I will keep doing it as long as I enjoy it,"
said McLaughlin. "Football is the sport I enjoy the most. I
tend to end up coaching occasionally on the sideline, it's in
my blood."
