Julius Thomas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Julius Thomas

Thomas with the Denver Broncos in 2011
No. 80, 89
Position:	Tight end
Personal information
Born:	(1988-06-27) June 27, 1988 (age 36) Stockton, California, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight:	262 lb (119 kg)
Career information
High school:	Tokay (Lodi, California)
College:	Portland State (2010)
NFL Draft:	2011 / Round: 4 / Pick: 129
Career history
Denver Broncos (2011–2014) Jacksonville Jaguars (2015–2016) Miami Dolphins (2017)
Career highlights and awards
2× Pro Bowl (2013, 2014)
Career NFL statistics
Receptions: 226 Receiving yards: 2,406 Receiving touchdowns: 36
Player stats at PFR

Julius Dewayne Thomas (born June 27, 1988) is a former American football player. He played as a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). Julius also played college football and basketball at Portland State. The Denver Broncos chose him in the 2011 NFL draft. He also played for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Miami Dolphins.

Early Life

Julius Thomas was born to Greg and Toria Thomas. He grew up with his two brothers, Trenton and Marcus. Julius went to Tokay High School in Lodi, California. He later graduated from Portland State University in Portland, Oregon. He earned a degree in Business Administration.

College Career

Julius Thomas was a talented athlete in college. He played both football and basketball for Portland State.

Football Highlights

In 2010, Julius was a First-team All-Big Sky Conference player in football. He had a great season with 29 catches for 453 yards. He also scored two touchdowns for the Portland State football team. Before 2010, he had not played college football.

Basketball Highlights

Julius played basketball for the Portland State team for four seasons. He set school records for the most games played (121) and most wins (78). He also had the best career field goal percentage (.663). His team won one Big Sky regular season championship. They also won two Big Sky tournament championships. He played in two NCAA Tournaments (2008 and 2009). Julius was named to the Big Sky All-Tournament team twice. In his final year, he averaged 10.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. He also set a school record by shooting 67.1% from the field.

Professional Career

Julius Thomas was drafted into the NFL in 2011. He played for three different teams during his career.

Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos picked Julius Thomas in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL draft. He was the 129th player chosen overall. He signed a four-year contract with the Broncos.

2011 and 2012 Seasons

In his first NFL season (2011), Julius played in five games. He had only one catch due to injuries. In 2012, he played in four games but did not record any statistics.

2013 Season: A Breakout Year

Julius Thomas had an amazing season in 2013. He scored his first two career touchdowns in the very first game. This was against the Baltimore Ravens. He caught five passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns. Both touchdowns came from quarterback Peyton Manning. He continued to score touchdowns in many games that season. In Week 5, he had his best game. He caught nine passes for 122 yards and two touchdowns. This helped the Broncos win a high-scoring game against the Dallas Cowboys.

Julius finished the season with 12 touchdown catches. This was the most by any tight end for the Denver Broncos. The Broncos reached Super Bowl XLVIII. Julius had four catches for 27 yards in the game. However, they lost to the Seattle Seahawks.

2014 Season: Another Strong Year

Julius started the 2014 season strong. In the first game, he caught three touchdowns from Peyton Manning. This tied a team record for touchdowns by a tight end in one game. He continued to score touchdowns throughout the season. On October 5, he caught two touchdowns against the Arizona Cardinals. One of these was Peyton Manning's 500th career touchdown pass.

Even though his total catches and yards were a bit lower, Julius scored 12 touchdowns again. This was his second straight season with 12 touchdowns. The Broncos made the playoffs in 2014. They lost to the Indianapolis Colts in the Divisional Round. Julius had six catches for 53 yards in that game.

Jacksonville Jaguars

On March 10, 2015, Julius Thomas signed a five-year contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

2015 Season

In 2015, Julius had a good season with the Jaguars. He caught seven passes for 78 yards and a touchdown against the Houston Texans. On November 19, his five-yard touchdown catch won the game for Jacksonville against the Tennessee Titans. He also had a great game against the San Diego Chargers. He caught nine passes for 116 yards and a touchdown. Overall, he had 45 catches for 455 yards and five touchdowns that season.

2016 Season

Julius started his second season in Jacksonville with a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers. He scored touchdowns in several other games that year. On December 10, 2016, he was placed on injured reserve. This happened after he missed two games due to a back injury. In 2016, he played in nine games. He had 30 catches for 281 yards and four touchdowns.

Miami Dolphins

The Jaguars traded Julius Thomas to the Miami Dolphins in 2017. He signed a new two-year contract with them. He played in 14 games and had 41 catches for 388 yards. He also scored three touchdowns. On December 20, 2017, he was placed on injured reserve. The Dolphins released him on March 14, 2018.

Post Retirement

On August 24, 2018, Julius Thomas announced he was retiring from the NFL. He decided to study for a doctorate degree in psychology. He is now studying clinical health psychology at Nova Southeastern University. In 2019, he joined the player advisory board for the Football Players Health Study Department at Harvard University. In 2021, he started providing clinical psychology and neuropsychological services at Memorial Rehabilitation Institute.

In January 2022, he helped start a company called NESTRE Health and Performance. This company focuses on brain health and athletic performance. He works there as the chief health and performance innovation officer. As of 2024, Julius Thomas is the vice president of the Society for Sports Neuroscience. This society helps scientists and experts further research on athletic performance and brain health.

Career Statistics

Personal Life

Julius Thomas is a Christian.