Tom Perdue was a champion in football and All-American in baseball.

Former Ohio State defensive end Tom Perdue passed away on Tuesday, September 15. Perdue played football and baseball for Ohio State. He was a starter and co-captain on the 1961 national champion football team. Perdue earned All-American honors in baseball and played in the minors for the Reds and White Sox. He was inducted into Ohio State's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987.

Off the field Perdue, at one time, owned a small store in Wellston, Ohio. He coached a few seasons at Wellston high school. Perdue was also a Bible scholar and wrote 8 books.

Excerpts from Mr. Perdue's obituary:

Thomas Henry Perdue, age 74, of North Carolina, passed away Wednesday, September 16, 2015 at the Vidant Medical Center in Greenville, NC. He was born January 18, 1941 in Huntington, WV to the late Henry Edward Perdue and Rita Smith Perdue.

Tom was raised in Huntington and graduated from Vinson High School in 1957. A gifted athlete, Tom played baseball and football at The Ohio State University, earning All-American honors as a hard hitting outfielder in 1960. His .469 batting average that year is still a school record. Tom was co-captain of the 1961 national championship football team, as determined by the Football Writers Association of America, and was named to the Academic All-American team as a defensive end.

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Tom settled into a business career in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. In 1976, the family...traded in sunny Florida for a Christmas tree farm in Washington, GA, and the restoration of a beautiful 1890s farmhouse. Tom returned to Ohio in the late 80s, taking a position as athletic director at the University of Rio Grande.

Above all else, Tom was a student and teacher of the Bible. He loved the Lord with all his heart, and throughout his life, he shared that love with family and friends, colleagues and acquaintances.

Go here for more information on Mr. Perdue. VintonCountyBuck adds more to Tom Perdue's story in the comment section.

A special thanks to thirtytrap for the hot tip.