Tolar, whose 5-foot-6, 220-pound frame made him a standout figure in the old American Football League, was voted by fans to one of two running back slots on the Oilers' 30th Anniversary Dream Team. Heisman Trophy winner Earl Campbell was the other running back elected. The team was comprised of 25 stars from Houston's first three decades of pro football. Tolar was inducted in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 1991. Pro Football Hall of Fame fullback Larry Csonka, in a 1993 interview with broadcaster Bob Costas, said his hard-charging, physical style of play traced back to his days as a boy watching Tolar run the ball on television for the Oilers. Tolar carried several nicknames, including "Tank" and "The Human Bowling Ball," throughout his playing days. With Houston, he played with such stars as Pro Football Hall of Fame member George Blanda, All-Pro receiver and fellow Northwestern State alum Charlie Hennigan, and former LSU Heisman Trophy winner Billy Cannon. In the offseason, he developed a friendship with internationally-known oil well firefighter Red Adair, who hired Tolar in 1962 to work alongside him around the world. Tolar was named to AFL All-Star teams in 1961-1963 and was described in the 1965 Oilers' media guide as "the solid favorite of Houston pro football fandom and one of the AFL's most colorful and exciting performers ... the bearer of more nicknames than any half-dozen players in the league." He helped Houston win AFL titles in 1960 and 1961 with a runner-up finish in 1962, when his teammates voted him "Most Valuable Offensive Player" after he was one of only three AFL runners to gain over 1,000 yards (1,012 on an AFL record 244 carries). Tolar retired as the AFL's No. 10 all-time rusher with 3,288 yards and he had 1,266 yards on 175 pass receptions, while being noted as a devastating blocker for the league's most prolific offense. Tolar won back-to-back All-State honors at Natchitoches High School and ran for a state-record 1,897 yards and 23 touchdowns in his senior season. After signing with LSU, he transferred to Northwestern in his hometown and was twice the Gulf Star Conference "Most Valuable Player" for the Demons. At Northwestern, he set scoring records for single-season points (79), career rushing touchdowns (29) and career rushing yards per game (75.7) that stood for more than 40 years. He still ranks fourth all-time at NSU in career scoring (182 points) and eighth in career rushing yards (2,194) while leading the GSC in scoring and rushing three years in a row. He led the Demons to GSC football championships in 1957 and 1958, and was part of the Demons' 1956 and 1957 GSC track and field championship teams. Despite his fireplug build, Tolar ran the 100-yard dash in under 10 seconds, long jumped over 23 feet and could jump high enough to dunk a basketball. "He was a 5-foot-6 ballet dancer, the only guy I know who could run six inches off the ground and run a 9.5 100-yard dash," said Hennigan. He was picked in the 1959 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers and was the last player cut by coach Buddy Parker. He and Hennigan were among those who succeed in making the Oilers' roster after attending tryout camps before the AFL's inaugural season in 1960. "He was the heart of the whole dadgum team," said Oilers' offensive guard Hogan Wharton in a 1991 interview. "He had amazing strength and plenty of moves. He'd carry people six or seven yards." Tolar was a December 1954 graduate of Natchitoches High and a May 1959 graduate of Northwestern State. He is a member of the NSU Graduate N Club Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.
