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 37) 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). Before playing professional football, he played both 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.

About Julius Thomas

Julius Thomas was born to Greg and Toria Thomas. He has two brothers, Trenton and Marcus. He went to Tokay High School in Lodi, California. Later, he earned a degree in Business Administration from Portland State University in Portland, Oregon.

College Sports Career

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

College Football Highlights

Thomas started playing college football in 2010. He was named a First-team All-Big Sky Conference player. That season, he caught 29 passes for 453 yards. He also scored two touchdowns for the Portland State football team. It's interesting because he had not played college football before 2010.

College Basketball Highlights

Thomas played basketball for the Portland State basketball team for four seasons. He set school records for the most games played (121). He also had the most career wins (78). His shooting percentage was also a school record (.663). He helped his team win one Big Sky regular season championship. They also won two Big Sky tournament championships. He played in two NCAA Tournaments (in 2008 and 2009). He was chosen for the Big Sky All-Tournament team twice. In his final year, he averaged 10.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. He also shot a school-record .671 from the field.

Professional Football Career

Julius Thomas had an exciting career in the NFL. He played for three different teams.

Playing for the Denver Broncos

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

First Seasons (2011-2012)

In his first NFL season in 2011, Thomas had only one catch. He dealt with several injuries that year. He played in five games. His only catch was in September against the Cincinnati Bengals. In 2012, he played in four games but did not record any statistics.

Breakout Year (2013)

Julius Thomas had a fantastic 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 the next few games. In Week 5, he had his best game of the season. He caught nine passes for 122 yards and two touchdowns. This helped the Broncos win a high-scoring game against the Dallas Cowboys. Later in the season, he caught a touchdown pass from Peyton Manning. This pass set a new record for the most touchdown passes in a single season for Manning.

Thomas finished the 2013 season with 12 touchdown catches. This was the most by any tight end for the Denver Broncos. The Broncos made it to Super Bowl XLVIII. Thomas had four catches in the game, but they lost to the Seattle Seahawks.

Another Strong Season (2014)

Thomas continued his great play in 2014. In the first game, he caught three touchdown passes from Peyton Manning. This tied a team record for the most touchdowns by a tight end in one game. One of his scores was Peyton Manning's 500th career touchdown pass. He tied another record by having nine touchdowns in the first five games of the season.

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

Playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars

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

2015 Season with Jaguars

In 2015, Thomas had a good season with the Jaguars. He caught seven passes for 78 yards and a touchdown against the Houston Texans. He also caught a game-winning touchdown pass against the Tennessee Titans. He had a big game against the San Diego Chargers, with nine catches for 116 yards and a touchdown. He finished the season with 45 catches for 455 yards and five touchdowns.

2016 Season with Jaguars

Thomas started his second season in Jacksonville with a touchdown catch against the Green Bay Packers. He scored touchdowns in several other games that season. In December 2016, he was placed on injured reserve because of a back injury. He played in nine games that year, catching 30 passes for 281 yards and four touchdowns.

Playing for the Miami Dolphins

The Jaguars traded 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 and three touchdowns. In December 2017, he was placed on injured reserve. The Dolphins released him in March 2018.

Life After Football

On August 24, 2018, Julius Thomas announced he was retiring from the NFL. He decided to go back to school to get a doctorate degree in psychology. He is studying clinical health psychology at Nova Southeastern University. In 2019, he joined the player advisory board for the Football Players Health Study 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, Thomas is the vice president of the Society for Sports Neuroscience. This group helps scientists and experts learn more about sports performance and brain health.

NFL Career Statistics

Personal Life

Julius Thomas is a Christian.