Marshall University Athletics
Marshall Athletics Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 1994
- Class:
- 1988
When Marshall made its first appearance in the NCAA Division I-AA national championship game in 1987, it flew to Pocatello, Idaho, due in large part to the strong right arm of quarterback Tony Petersen. That arm made him a football and baseball standout in his native Lodi, Calif., and he was drafted as a pitcher by the Kansas City Royals during his time at Delta Community College in his home state, but passed up the baseball career to continue in both sports at Marshall.
Petersen shared Marshall's starting quarterback job as a junior in 1986, then took over full-time in 1987 and, by the time the year was over, he’d set 16 Southern Conference passing records in leading Marshall to the first 10-win season in school history. Petersen completed 340-of-622 passes that year for 4,902 yards and 35 touchdowns. He was named the Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Year and resumed his baseball career that spring, posting a 5-2 record and three saves, and the football/baseball combination led to him being named the Southern Conference Male Athlete of the Year and the West Virginia Amateur Athlete of the Year. Petersen had one season of baseball eligibility remaining and in 1989 helped the Thundering Herd to a second-place finish in the Southern Conference standings by going 4-2 with five saves.
He then became a college quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator, working at Marshall as well as other schools, including Minnesota, Iowa State, South Dakota, Louisiana Tech and East Carolina. Petersen was inducted into the Marshall Athletic Hall of Fame in 1994.
