Rockford University

Tom Clinton participated in four sports while he was a student-athlete at Rockford. Clinton’s main sport was basketball, but he was also a member of the baseball, cross country, and track and field teams. From the fall of 1966 through the spring of 1970, Clinton was one of the main factors behind the continued improvement of the Rockford men’s basketball program. The Regents showed steady improvement each year, and during Clinton’s senior season Rockford won its first ever Northern Illinois Iowa Conference Championship.

To this day, Clinton remains one of the best men’s basketball players in school history. Clinton is a member of a trio of elite clubs within the Rockford University men’s basketball program. He is one of 22 players with 1,000 points, one of 15 players with 500 rebounds, and one of 12 players with 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in the program’s 61-year history. Clinton is currently Rockford’s fifth all-time leading scorer with 1,591 points and the sixth all-time leading rebounder with 764 rebounds. Early in his career when Clinton was the focal point of the Rockford offense, he also garnered individual honors as he was named an NAIA District #20 All-Star for the 1976–1977 season. He still holds the Rockford University single game school record for made field goals as he drained 20 shots on February 3, 1967, against Iowa Wesleyan. Clinton finished his career averaging 15.6 points and 7.5 rebounds in 102 games played.  

Career: 1966-70