Tom Telesco

Tom Telesco (born December 12, 1972) is a professional American football executive. He is the General Manager of the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He was hired on January 9, 2013, making him the youngest general manager in Chargers history.

Telesco was the Vice President of Football Operations with the Indianapolis Colts from 1998 to 2012, the last six years of which he was also the team’s Director of Player Personnel.^[1]

College football and education

Tom Telesco grew up in Hamburg, New York and attended St. Francis High School where he graduated in 1991.

Telesco played wide receiver at John Carroll University in Ohio and he was a starter for the school's football team in the Ohio Athletic Conference where he won the championship with the school team in 1994. He graduated in 1995 with a degree and a Bachelor of Business Management^[2]

Experience

Telesco worked as a college summer intern for the Buffalo Bills (1991–94).^[1] In 1995, Telesco began his NFL career as a Scouting Assistant for the Carolina Panthers. He served in that role for two seasons before becoming an Area Scout in 1997.

Telesco joined the Colts as an Area Scout from 1998-2000. He served as a Pro Scout from 2001-03 before being elevated to the team’s Director of Pro Scouting (2004–05). At the conclusion of the 2005 campaign, Telesco moved into the Director of Player Personnel role.^[3]

Telesco’s tenure with the Colts was one of the most successful eras of the franchise’s history and his arrival in 1998 also coincided with Peyton Manning's arrival in Indianapolis. From 1998-2012, the Colts went 154-86 and appeared in the playoffs 12 times, winning eight division titles, while finishing second four times. Those 12 postseason appearances included a victory over Chicago in Super Bowl XLI following the 2006 season and a loss to New Orleans in Super Bowl XLIV after the ’09 season. Indianapolis’ 154 wins from 1998-2012 were the second-most in the NFL during that span after New England's 168 wins.

San Diego Chargers

On January 9, 2013, Chargers President Dean Spanos chose Tom Telesco as the team’s new general manager. Telesco was hired after long time Chargers GM A.J. Smith was fired in 2013. He inherited a team that had not made the playoffs since 2009 and been underachieving due to injuries and poor depth.^[4] Telesco, 40, is the youngest general manager in Chargers history and one of the youngest general managers in the NFL.^[5] The new GM said the Chargers will be a draft-driven organization that will use free agents to supplement the roster.^[2]

Personal life

Telesco is married to Larah, and they have three children: daughter Elena and sons Thomas and Nicholas. Telesco is a friend of David Caldwell, another NFL General Manager. The two knew each other from their days at St. Francis High School, John Carroll University as well as when they were Colts executives. When he was playing for the Blue Streaks football team he was also teammates with Chris Polian and Greg Roman. The 1995 squad also included Josh McDaniels, Nick Caserio and London Fletcher.^[6]

References