Tom McManus was one of the best football players to ever wear the Wildcat jersey. Tom was a standout linebacker during his time at Wheeling. As a member of the football team, Tom was voted a team captain. In 1986 and 1987, Tom was voted to the MSL All Conference team. Tom was also named to the Daily Herald All Area team. In 1987 Tom was named to the Chicagoland Top 44 team and named to the Champaign News-Gazette All State Team. Besides playing football, Tom was also a member of the track and field team. After high school, Tom continued his football career as a scholarship athlete at Boston College. At BC, Tom was a two-time 1st team Big East selection. He was also a 3rd team All-American and named the top player in New England in 1991. In 2009, Tom was inducted into the Boston College Sports Hall of Fame. Tom then went on to play for five years in the NFL for the Jacksonville Jaguars.