Blair Thomas facts for kids
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | October 7, 1967 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 202 lb (92 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Frankford (Philadelphia) | ||||||||||
| College: | Penn State | ||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1990 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| As coach: | |||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
Blair Lamar Thomas (born October 7, 1967) is a former professional football player. He was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played for teams like the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys. Before joining the NFL, he was a star player for the Penn State Nittany Lions. He was even named an All-American in 1989.
Contents
Blair Thomas's Football Journey
Early Life and High School Success
Blair Thomas grew up in Philadelphia. He went to Frankford High School. In his senior year, he was an amazing running back. He ran for 1,551 yards and scored 24 touchdowns. His team won the Public League title. He also earned All-state honors.
During his three years at Frankford, he set a new record. He rushed for 3,941 yards. He also tied the record for career touchdowns with 59.
College Career at Penn State
Thomas earned a football scholarship to Penn State University. As a freshman in 1985, he played a small role. He had 14 carries for 42 yards.
Becoming a National Champion
In 1986, as a sophomore, he was a key backup running back. His team won the National Championship. He gained 504 yards and scored 5 rushing touchdowns. He even broke a school record. He averaged 8.4 yards per carry.
Leading the Nittany Lions
In 1987, Thomas became the main starter. He led the team with 1,414 rushing yards. He also scored 11 rushing touchdowns. He caught 23 passes for 300 yards. He scored 2 receiving touchdowns too. He had a huge game against the University of Notre Dame. He ran for 214 yards on 35 carries.
He got a serious knee injury before the 1988 Citrus Bowl. He spent all of 1988 recovering.
Strong Comeback and Bowl MVP
As a senior in 1989, he returned from his injury. He finished strong, rushing for over 100 yards in six straight games. He ended the season with 1,341 yards. In the Holiday Bowl, he set a bowl record. He rushed for 186 yards. He was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the game. He also won MVP at the Senior Bowl.
He finished his college career with 3,301 rushing yards. This placed him second on Penn State's all-time list. He was the first player there to rush for over 1,300 yards in two seasons. In 2011, he was honored. He was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.
Professional NFL Career
New York Jets (1990–1993)
The New York Jets picked Blair Thomas second overall in the 1990 NFL draft. They hoped he would be a star player. As a rookie, he was part of a group of running backs. He rushed for 620 yards on 123 carries. He led all NFL rookies in yards per carry.
In 1991, his carries increased to 189. He led the team with 728 rushing yards. He scored 3 touchdowns. He had his best game against the Chicago Bears. He rushed for 125 yards.
Injuries limited him in 1992. He played only 9 games. In 1993, the Jets got another running back. Thomas played less often. He finished his time with the Jets with 2,000 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns.
New England Patriots (1994)
In 1994, Thomas signed with the New England Patriots. He hurt his ankle early in the preseason. This caused him to miss many games. He played in 4 games, rushing for 67 yards. He was released in November.
Dallas Cowboys (1994)
Later in 1994, the Dallas Cowboys signed him. He was a backup for star player Emmitt Smith. In the last game of the season, he started and rushed for 63 yards. In a playoff game, he stepped in for an injured Smith. He rushed for 70 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Cowboys won that game. He did not re-sign with the team after the season.
Atlanta Falcons (1995)
He signed with the Atlanta Falcons in June 1995. However, he was released in August before the season started.
Carolina Panthers (1995)
In November 1995, the Carolina Panthers signed him. He played in 7 games. He had 22 carries for 90 yards. He was not re-signed after the season.
NFL Career Statistics
| Year | Team | GP | Rushing | Fumbles | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FD | Fum | Lost | |||
| 1990 | NYJ | 15 | 123 | 620 | 5.0 | 41 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1991 | NYJ | 16 | 189 | 728 | 3.9 | 25 | 3 | 41 | 0 | 0 |
| 1992 | NYJ | 9 | 97 | 440 | 4.5 | 19 | 0 | 25 | 2 | 2 |
| 1993 | NYJ | 11 | 59 | 221 | 3.7 | 24 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994 | DAL | 2 | 24 | 70 | 2.9 | 11 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| NE | 4 | 19 | 67 | 3.5 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1995 | CAR | 7 | 22 | 90 | 4.1 | 13 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 64 | 533 | 2,236 | 4.2 | 41 | 7 | 89 | 2 | 2 | |
Coaching Career and Community Work
After his playing career, Thomas became a coach. He was a running backs coach at Temple University. He coached there for eight seasons (1998-2005). He helped develop players like Jason McKie and Stacey Mack. He also helped recruit new players.
Thomas also volunteers as an instructor for Football University. In 2008, he helped with a youth football camp. This camp was in Barrow, Alaska, a very remote place. He helped them build a football program from scratch.
Personal Life
Blair Thomas lives in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. He lives there with his wife, Lisa. They have three children: Preston, Keisha, and Blair. Thomas is also a business partner. He owns a chain of sports bars called KoKoMos.
