HE MET ELVIS!!!! For those of you who know me, you know that I am an ELVIS fan. However even with that call to fame (in my book its a call to fame), Dr. Tom Thompson is quite accomplished. Most people will think he named the book Get a KICK out of Life because he is known for being a kicker for the Austin College at the age of 61. I suspect Tom personally does get a kick out of life. He is intentional and enjoys life to its fullest.
In Get a Kick out of Life, Tom broke it into three areas; Physical, Mental and Soul. He also explains what he calls a quality of life goal versus a bucket list. .
I forgot to mention that he is a Tae Kwon Do Grandmaster, holding a 9th degree black belt. AND HE MET ELVIS!!!!!
To get the full effect, watch my interview with Tom from CBA Unite in Nashville.
https://www.facebook.com/morethanareview/videos/1760839040664606/
Get a Kick Out of Life: Expect the Best of Your Body, Mind, and Soul at Any Age
On November 14, 2009, Dr. Emmet C. (Tom) Thompson II kicked his way into the record books. At age 61, he 
became the oldest football player in NCAA history and the oldest NCAA football player to score a point when he kicked the PAT (Point After Touchdown) in the second quarter of the game between Austin College and Trinity University. It was a dream come true–many years in the making. “Like many people, I grew up feeling as though I couldn’t catch a break,” muses Tom.
“With obstacles and setbacks from a very early age, I struggled to find meaning and purpose. As an adult with no real plan, my self-absorbed lifestyle led to divorce, financial stress, and physical injuries. But in time, I found my faith, my purpose, and my soulmate. If my story says anything, it is that it is never too late to re-imagine what you want your life to be.”
With degrees in Business Management, Kinesiology, Organizational Leadership, Strategic Leadership, and Teaching, Dr. Thompson’s purpose is to encourage people of all ages to live healthy and fulfilled lives, to discover and reach their full potential, and to develop a deeper faith in the process. Divided into three sections–Body, Mind, and Spirit–Get a Kick out of Life includes tips on goal setting and intentionality, physical fitness and nutrition, finding your purpose, developing deeper relationships with family and friends, and offers suggestions for ditching the “bucket list” for something even better.
Dr. Tom Thompson
On November 14, 2009, Dr. Emmet C. (Tom) Thompson kicked his way into the record books. At age 61, he became the oldest football player in NCAA history. And the oldest NCAA football player to score a PAT (point after touchdown). In addition to the notoriety that came with his accomplishment, he has become a standard-bearer for a generation that is redefining the entire concept of “retirement age.”
Tom’s late-in-life college football career earned him worldwide media coverage. Its noteworthy to mention this unprecedented accomplishment was neither the beginning nor the end of his claim to fame.
During his remarkable life, Dr Tom Thompson:
- became a 9th degree black belt Tae Kwon Do grandmaster
- has worked out with Chuck Norris,
- partied with Elvis,
- borrowed money from the mob (and lived to tell about it),
- married a beauty queen
- had a personal encounter with God.
While he has earned his share of success and accolades, Tom is the first to admit that he’s experienced more than his share of spectacular failures along the way–professionally, financially and personally.
Born into an affluent and privileged, yet dysfunctional family, Tom was married and divorced four times before meeting and marrying Teresa, to whom he has been happily married for more than 25 years.
Then, at age 45, he had an epiphany. Tom made and lost several fortunes in the volatile Texas real estate market and the physical fitness industry. The serial entrepreneur found himself restless and in need of a change. Heeding the advice of some wise mentors, Thompson headed back to school to complete the undergraduate degree he had abandoned as a young man. To his surprise and delight, he discovered that by consistently setting and reaching small achievable goals, he was able to create great momentum for larger, more challenging goals.
The result:
Thompson not only completed his undergraduate studies, but at an age when most people are contemplating retirement, he joined a college football team and made sports history. He also went on to earn multiple advanced degrees, including his doctorate and two master’s degrees, in Kinesiology, Organizational Leadership, Strategic Leadership, and Teaching. He now lectures to both lay and academic groups. Additionally, he has co-authored numerous articles in peer-reviewed academic journals and is the author of several books.
Get a Kick Out of Life:
Specifically his new motivational book, Get a Kick Out of Life: Expect the Best of Your Body, Mind and Soul at Any Age which is co-written with Christopher P. Neck, Ph.D., a respected pioneer in the field of self leadership (Mastering Self Leadership: Empowering Yourself for Personal Excellence) and Alice Sullivan (co-author of Thompson’s autobiography, Kick Start).
The new book, released in October 2017 from Clovercroft Publishing, builds on Thompson’s background and reputation as an NCAA football record holder, physical fitness expert, and academic researcher, and expands on his research in the fields of motivation and change to deliver its potent, life-affirming message.
“It’s never too late to live your best life,” Thompson declares in Get a Kick Out of Life. “You can harness the power of the body, mind, and soul to live your most fulfilling life yet!”
Thompson believes his purpose in life is to encourage people of all ages to live healthy and fulfilled lives, to discover and reach their full potential, and to develop a deeper faith in the process.
“The boomer generation that is approaching retirement age is more educated, healthier, and motivated than any previous generation in American history,” says Thompson. “They have a tremendous amount of work experience and life skills that can provide a multitude of opportunities. If my story says anything, its that its never too late to re-imagine what you want your life to be.”
Thompson’s other books include:
Fit To Lead: The Proven 8-week Solution for Shaping Up Your Body, Your Mind, and Your Career (St. Martin’s Press), which he co-authored with Christopher P. Neck, Ph.D., and Charles C. Manz, Ph.D., (respected pioneers in the field of self leadership, and co-authors of Mastering Self Leadership: Empowering Yourself for Personal Excellence), Tedd L. Mitchell, M.D. (president of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, former CEO of the Cooper Clinic and former health editor for USA Weekend), and Janet Tornelli-Mitchell, M.D. Thompson co-authored his inspirational and motivational autobiography, Kick Start, with Alice Sullivan.
Dr. Tom Thompson is an author, businessman, motivational speaker, and a respected researcher in the fields of motivation and change. In addition, he is an.assistant football coach and adjunct professor at Austin College, He recently joined the team at Evil Cowboy Hot Sauce as Brand Ambassador for the tasty Texas condiment. Tom and his wife, Teresa, reside in Coppell, Texas, and have three children–Eric, Rachel and Jon Rawles.