"Fast" Freddie Solomom passes away

Freddie Solomon

If you are a football fan born after 1985, you may not know who this guy is. He wasn't a "Hall of Famer" and he wasn't a perennial All-Pro.

But for a few years in the mid to late 70's and early 80's, Freddie Solomon was a pretty darn good wide receiver.

Solomon passed away on Monday after a long battle with colon and liver cancer.

His story from TampaBay.com RIGHT HERE

If you were a sports fan/geek growing up in Central Florida during the above mentioned time period, you knew who Freddie Solomon was.

He was the ulta-fast Quarterback at the University of Tampa (pre-Universtiy of South Florida) who made them into at least a regional power for a couple of years.

He was a local guy who got drafted by the Miami Dolphins. And though he didn't excel in Miami, he became a solid role player for the San Francisco 49ers in the early 80's. Because of his work, he got 2 Super Bowl rings to show for his efforts.

And he saved his best contributions for last.

Solomon spent his retirement years working for and with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office's outreach program, affecting and influencing the life of kids all over the Tampa Bay area.

And really, athletic accolades aside, it sounds like Solomon had a pretty darn fulfilling life.

There's nothing wrong with that.

Some video of Solomon catching a long TD pass from Joe Montana: