Anthony Thomas (American football) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Anthony Thomas

Thomas warms up before a game in 2006
No. 28, 32, 35
Position:	Running back
Personal information
Born:	(1977-11-07) November 7, 1977 (age 47) Winnfield, Louisiana, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:	225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
High school:	Winnfield (LA)
College:	Michigan
NFL Draft:	2001 / Round: 2 / Pick: 38
Career history
As player:
Chicago Bears (2001–2004) Dallas Cowboys (2005) New Orleans Saints (2005) Buffalo Bills (2006–2007)
As coach:
West Virginia Wesleyan (2011) Running backs coach West Virginia Wesleyan (2012) Special teams coordinator & assistant head coach
Career highlights and awards
NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (2001) PFWA All-Rookie Team (2001) National champion (1997) Third-team All-American (2000) First-team All-Big Ten (2000) Second-team All-Big Ten (1999) Big Ten Freshman of the Year (1997)
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards: 3,891 Rushing average: 3.7 Rushing Touchdowns: 23 Receptions: 113 Receiving yards: 756 Receiving touchdowns: 1
Player stats at PFR

Anthony “A-Train” Thomas, born on November 7, 1977, is a former American professional football player. He played as a running back for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Before joining the NFL, he played college football for the Michigan Wolverines. He played from 1997 to 2000. During his time there, he broke the team's career rushing record. He gained a total of 4,472 yards over four years.

In his senior year, Anthony Thomas rushed for 1,733 yards. He also scored 18 touchdowns. He was chosen as a first-team All-Big Ten running back. The Chicago Bears picked him in the second round of the 2001 NFL draft. As a rookie in 2001, he rushed for over 1,100 yards. He scored seven touchdowns. This earned him the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. He played for the Bears from 2001 to 2004. Later, he played for the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints in 2005. He finished his career with the Buffalo Bills from 2006 to 2007.

Early Life and High School Sports

Anthony Thomas was born in Pineville, Louisiana, in 1977. He grew up in Winnfield, Louisiana. He went to Winnfield Senior High School. There, he was a star athlete. He played basketball, track, and football.

On the football field, he was amazing. He rushed for a total of 7,594 yards. He scored 682 points for the Winnfield Tigers. He also set a state record with 106 career touchdowns. He played both running back and placekicker. He was named a first-team All-American. Experts rated him as the second-best running back in the country.

College Football Career

Anthony Thomas started playing for the University of Michigan in 1997. While playing there, he got the famous nickname "A-Train." This nickname was given to him by sports announcer Brent Musburger.

Becoming a National Champion

As a freshman, he was part of the undefeated 1997 Michigan Wolverines football team. This team won the national championship. He was the team's second-best running back that year. He rushed for over 100 yards in two games. He gained 122 yards against Baylor and 129 yards against Iowa. Overall, he had 549 rushing yards and 219 receiving yards. He was named the 1997 Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Both coaches and media members chose him for this honor.

Leading the Wolverines in Rushing

After his first year, Thomas led the Wolverines in rushing for three years in a row. He gained 893 yards in 1998. He rushed for 1,297 yards in 1999. In 2000, he had an impressive 1,733 rushing yards. His 1,733 yards in 2000 is still the second-highest single-season total in Michigan history.

During the 2000 season, Thomas had nine games where he rushed for over 100 yards. This included 228 yards against Illinois. He also gained 199 yards against Northwestern. He rushed for 182 yards against both UCLA and Auburn. He was named a second-team All-Big Ten player in 1999. In 2000, he was chosen as a first-team All-Big Ten player. He was also a team captain and the most valuable player for the 2000 Michigan team.

Breaking Michigan Records

Anthony Thomas's 4,472 career rushing yards broke the Michigan record. This record was previously held by Jamie Morris. Later, Mike Hart broke Thomas's record. Thomas also broke Tyrone Wheatley's modern Michigan record for touchdowns. He scored 56 touchdowns. This record was later broken by Blake Corum. He still holds Michigan records for rushing yards per game in 2000. He averaged 144.4 yards per game that year. He also holds the record for six games in a season with at least 150 rushing yards.

Professional NFL Career

In April 2001, the Chicago Bears drafted Anthony Thomas. He was the 38th player chosen overall in the 2001 NFL draft.

Rookie of the Year with the Bears

On October 21, 2001, Thomas set two Bears rookie records. He rushed for 188 yards. He also averaged 8.55 yards per carry. This happened in a 24–0 win against the Cincinnati Bengals. In the last game of the season, he set another rookie record. He had 33 carries. He also gained 160 yards and scored a touchdown. This helped the Bears win against Jacksonville.

With 1,183 rushing yards in the 2001 season, Thomas helped the Bears. They finished with a 13–3 record. They also won the NFC Central championship. In January 2002, he received the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

Later Years with the Bears

Thomas continued as the Bears' main running back for two more years. He rushed for 721 yards in 2002. In 2003, he gained 1,024 rushing yards. In 2004, Thomas Jones became the Bears' lead running back. Thomas's playing time was reduced. He gained 404 yards on 122 carries that year.

Moving to Other Teams

In May 2005, Thomas signed a one-year contract with the Dallas Cowboys. He was expected to be the backup running back. He played in six games for the 2005 Cowboys. He gained only 80 yards on 36 carries. The Cowboys released him in November 2005. This was because he wasn't as effective. Also, Marion Barber III emerged as a strong backup.

The New Orleans Saints quickly signed him. They had lost their main running back, Deuce McAllister, to an injury. Thomas played in only four games for the Saints. He gained 12 yards on seven carries.

On April 28, 2006, Thomas signed with the Buffalo Bills. In 2006, he played in 16 games for the Bills. He gained 378 yards on 107 carries. The next year, he played in 10 games. He gained 89 yards on 36 carries. He was placed on injured reserve in early December 2007.

NFL Career Statistics

Coaching and Hall of Fame

After his playing career, Anthony Thomas became a coach. In 2011, he was the running backs coach at West Virginia Wesleyan College. The next year, in 2012, he was promoted. He became the special teams coordinator and assistant head coach.

In 2015, Anthony Thomas was chosen for a special honor. He was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. This recognized his amazing achievements in sports.

See also

• Michigan Wolverines football statistical leaders