Former Arizona Cardinals head coach Vince Tobin died at age 79. He coached the team from 1996-2000, took them to the playoffs for the first time since the team moved to Arizona in 1998 and led them to their first playoff victory in 50 years.
Both former players and those who currently cover or previously covered the NFL gave thoughts and memories about Tobin, who was universally known as a kind man.
Jake Plummer, former starting quarterback for the Cardinals during Tobin’s tenure, tweeted this:
Coach Tobin gave me my 1st opp 2 lead a group of men&I’ll b 4ever grateful 4 the confidence he instilled n me then & blessed daily by those lessons as I pursue life,❤️purpose&happiness. RIP coach Tobin! I get knocked down, but I get up again, nothings ever going to keep me down. https://t.co/Kaj8i6KiwC
— Jake Plummer (@snakestakes) July 3, 2023
From The Athletic’s Dan Pompei:
Vince Tobin, really solid man, really solid coach. He always stayed true to himself, and was a salt-of-the-earth kind of human. Rest in peace.
— Dan Pompei (@danpompei) July 3, 2023
Vic Lombardi said this:
Deepest sympathies to coach Tobin’s family. One of the nicest men I’ve ever come across in pro sports. Used to host the Vince Tobin Show way back when in Phoenix. He absolutely hated doing media. But he did it with a smile on his face.
RIP to a great man! https://t.co/VFy8a0xRYU
— Vic Lombardi (@VicLombardi) July 3, 2023
Former Cardinals receiver Frank Sanders remembered what must have been one of Tobin’s commonly shared statement.
Men…. “When you get knocked down, You gotta get back up again”. God Bless you VT and Thank you!!!
— Frank Sanders (@franksanders81) July 3, 2023
Former Cardinals running back Thomas Jones, drafted by them in the first round:
Rest in peace Coach Vince Tobin. Thank you for drafting me in the 2000 NFL Draft & and helping make my NFL dream come true. Gone but never forgotten…🙏🏿
— Thomas Q. Jones (@thomasqjones) July 3, 2023
Write Paul Domowitch shared something from an interview he had with Tobin.
Spoke for about an hour last summer with Vince Tobin for the book I’m writing on Sam Mills. Vince was the Philadelphia Stars DC when Sam played for them. He was the one who convinced HC Jim Mora that Sam, who was inducted into the HOF last year, was plenty big enough to play LB.
— Paul Domowitch (@pdomo) July 3, 2023
Former reporter Lee Shappell tweeted this:
Vince Tobin was a nice guy who gave the Cardinals a flicker of hope with a playoff win at Dallas amid a long stretch of ineptitude.
He always treated me well during the years I covered the team for the paper.
My condolences to his family. https://t.co/iJonsMxOmf— Lee Shappell (@LeeShappell) July 3, 2023
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