Toomay was selected in the sixth round of the 1970 NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys, the 153rd overall pick. At the beginning of his career, he was an undersized defensive end, used mostly in substitution situations. In his third season in 1972, with the imminent retirement of George Andrie, Toomay became the starter at right defensive end, although he was limited with a broken hand. The NFL didn't start recognizing quarterback sacks as an official statistic until ; however, the Cowboys have their own records, dating back before the 1982 season. According to the Cowboys' stats, Toomay is unofficially credited for leading the team in 1973 with a total of 8 sacks. He also had one interception and recovered one fumble. Toomay was considered a character and an intellectual during his time with the team. He was a member of the "Zero Club" which prided itself on performing behind the scenes. Their first rule, "Thou Shalt Not Seek Publicity," kept their members out of the limelight. Although Toomay remained a starter in 1974, he shared playing time with Ed "Too Tall" Jones, the first overall selection of the 1974 NFL draft. That year Toomay was used mainly on running downs. During his five seasons with Dallas, Toomay was a productive and durable player and was a part of two Super Bowl teams: runners-up in V and champions in VI.
Buffalo Bills
On July 19, 1975, after playing out his option in Dallas, Toomay was a free agent and signed with the Buffalo Bills. Dallas received a second round draft choice in 1977, that was eventually used in a deal package to draft running backTony Dorsett. Toomay was the Bills' defensive MVP in 1975, but was involved in different controversial official calls, including being called for elbowing head lineman Jerry Bergman, which contributed to a loss against the Miami Dolphins, that ended Buffalo's playoff chances. At the end of the year, he was left unprotected for the 1976 NFL expansion draft. Through the years, there has been speculation that the publishing of his insider view in the book The Crunch, was the main reason behind this decision. In a Sports Illustrated "Where Are They Now?" article in 2014 about the winless 1976 Bucs, Toomay said of his book that it was "in retrospect, the kind of book you write AFTER your career is over, not while you're still playing."
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected him from the Bills roster in the 1976 NFL expansion draft and he was the starter at right defensive end for their winless inaugural season, and he registered 49 tackles and 3 sacks. In a "worst to first" deal, the Bucs traded him to the reigning Super Bowl champion Oakland Raiders in July 1977, in exchange for a draft choice.
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders credited Toomay with a team leading 14½ sacks in 1977. In 1978, he was credited with 5 sacks after seeing little playing time. Often used in obvious passing situations, he was known by fans as "Third down Pat." He was released in August 1979, then returned and played that season, then retired, after having problems with his knee.
Personal life
Toomay published a series of books, including the novel, On Any Given Sunday. He also played the part of an assistant coach to Y. A. Tittle in the Oliver Stone film of 1999, Any Given Sunday. His father John was, played professional basketball in the late 1940s, and was a two-star general in the U.S. Air Force.
