Our Day Of Thanksgiving

Two weeks ago tonight several new members were added to the Twin County Hall of Fame.  Today  we give thanks to one of those members who even today more than 40 years after his departure from Rocky Mount we can watch him at his craft.  Friday night will be the last night of the high school football show WRAL's "Football Friday " for this year anchored by Rocky Mount native Tom Suiter.

Tom grew up just across the street from Rocky Mount High School but he never attended high school here but at 12 years old followed his father's footsteps  to Christ School in Arden.  Tom was multi talented on the sports fields of Christ School and even today some 46 years after his departure he still holds the single game scoring record of 48 points in basketball, that is right even after the famous Plumlee brothers played there Rocky Mount's Tom Suiter still holds the single game scoring record.

Off to Erskine College where Tom would become sports editor of his school newspapers by his senior year.  Tom's first paid job was the PA announcer for the old Rocky Mount  Leafs bringing down a salary of six dollars a game perched on the old press box at the old Municipal Stadium  while home for summer vacation in 1969.  Tom ran many a mile around the old dirt track behind Rocky Mount high school during summer vacations since the track was right across the street.

Tom realized as a junior at Christ Church that he wanted a job in sports. Never in his wildest dreams could he ever imagine that WRAL would become his home in 1971.  Spent many a weekend on the sports desk waiting for his time to become the sports anchor.  By the 1980's Tom help create one of the most watched sports show in the history of high school sports, "Football Friday".  Every NFL football players wants the spot light on "Monday Night Football" every high school football player in North Carolina that can receive the WRAL signal wants his 15 seconds on "Football Friday".

Many of us thought Tom retired from WRAL  in 2008  but we still see him with the "Extra Effort Award" and during the fall Football Friday..   Every Saturday Tom scans the high school football schedules of Wake County schools first then heads in all direction deciding on what games can be covered with 13 Photographers.   That's why you might see Rocky Mount- Nash Central game paired up with Hunt at Northern Nash.

So by 7pm Friday Tom has already written his lead in for every game like "Let's head to Rocky Mount where the Gryphons at 7-3 play at Northern Nash 4-6 but still has a shot at the playoffs".  Once each photographer finishes the first half of their first game they send Tom their highlights and Tom picks his plays normally four or five that make it to TV.  By the time he has finished the first batch the second games are in and here we go trying to get them all ready for 11:35.  If you take notice most of the highlights start with Wake County Schools and the schools further away are processed for the last part of the show.

Tom Suiter turns 66 next June and no one can predict the future.  I asked Tom if there was a chance retirement  when it comes might be in Rocky Mount?  "Raleigh is only an hour away.  Before I went off to Prep school Rocky Mount was a place of good friends,  nobody ever locked a door, people gave a hello greeting and came right on in. "

If you think about it Tom Suiter's style  as a sportscaster is just like when he grew up in Rocky Mount.  Every Friday night he tells us to come on in and everyone in the viewing area comes over to Tom's house to enjoy a Friday night of football.

Thank you Tom Suiter you have made Rocky Mount thankful that you call Rocky Mount home and whenever you decide it is time to unplug your mic we will always remember your favorite phrase "let' s go to the video tape"'.