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Retired Detroit Lions Punter Joins the USA Team
USA Staff
Tom Skladany, a retired NFLPA member and Pro Punter with the Detroit Lions, is also an avid fisherman and now the first retired professional athlete to join the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance.
Skladany began playing football in Pittsburgh, Penn., in his early teens only because his school didn’t have soccer. He had played soccer in Baltimore from age four to 12. Because he loved to kick, punting came very natural and landed Skladany a scholarship to Ohio State University.
Skladany was the first punter to receive a scholarship to Ohio State, and though Coach Woody Hayes was skeptical about giving a scholarship to a punter, it turned out to be a good investment for the Buckeyes. Skladany made All-American three times while at Ohio State and led the nation twice in punting. He was also the first punter to be named team captain, during his senior year.
Following a college football career laden with impressive statistics, Skladany was drafted by the Cleveland Browns, and was traded to the Detroit Lions where he played for six years, before an injury ended his professional football career.
But that wasn’t the end of all competition for Skladany, who is also a diehard bass fisherman.
"We had a 23-year run where we would go down to Florida with 50 guys to fish for monster bass," Skladany said. "The name of our group was WE BASS LTD - We Entertain Bass And Slippery Shiners Like Total Derelicts."
Skladany helped plan the annual event for many years, bringing buddies from Columbus, Ohio, and across the country together to compete for the biggest bass.
"It was just a blast with prizes, trophies, sponsors and merchandise," Skladany said. "We were the largest wild shiner tournament in the city for 20 some years."
While football came with a lot of pressure, fishing provides Skladany a way to kick back and simply enjoy the outdoors. "It’s the most relaxing, fun filled day you can have, even if you don’t catch anything," he said. "It’s about being in nature with birds, snakes, frogs, alligators, blue sky and a cold beer."
As a retired union member and a fisherman, joining the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance was as natural a fit as football for Skladany. When he learned about the union-dedicated hunting and fishing club from former Ohio State teammate and USA regional coordinator Don Coburn, his response was, "Yeah, I’ll join in a second."
Considering that most of his former teammates at the Detroit Lions hunted and fished during off season, Skladany was surprised to learn that he is the first retired professional athlete to join the USA team.
"We need to get 20-30 guys from each sport in the USA," Skladany said. "Most of them fish - it’s just a blast."
