Lyle Thompson facts for kids

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Lyle Thompson

Lyle Thompson in 2015

Born

September 9, 1992 (age 32)
Nedrow, New York

Nationality

Haudenosaunee

Height

6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)

Weight

180 pounds (82 kg)

Shoots

Right

Position

Attack / Forward

NCAA team

Albany (2015)

NLL draft

1st overall, 2015
Georgia Swarm

NLL team

Georgia Swarm

MLL draft

1st overall, 2015
Florida Launch

MLL teams

Florida Launch
Chesapeake Bayhawks

PLL team

Cannons

NCAA team

UAlbany

Pro career

2015–present

Career highlights

PLL:

Eamon McEneaney Attackman of the Year (2022)
2x 1st Team All-Pro (2021, 2022)
Welles Crowther Humanitarian Award (2021, 2022)

NLL:

2017 NLL Championship
2017 NLL Championship MVP
NLL MVP (2017)
6× Sportsmanship Award (2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024)
First Team All-Pro (2019)
Second Team All-Pro (2018)
All-Rookie Team (2016)

International Box:

2× Silver Medal (2015, 2019)
1st Team All-World (2015)

International Field:

3× Bronze Medal (2014, 2018, 2023)
1st Team All-World (2014)

MLL:

2019 MLL Championship
MLL MVP (2019)

NCAA:

2× Tewaaraton Trophy (2014, 2015)
2× Lt. Raymond Enners Award (2014, 2015)
2× Jack Turnbull Award (2014, 2015)
3× USILA All-American (2013, 2014, 2015)

Medal record

Men's lacrosse

Representing Haudenosaunee
World Lacrosse Championship
Third	2014 Denver
Third	2018 Netanya
Third	2023 San Diego
World Indoor Lacrosse Championship
Runner-up	2015 Onondaga
Runner-up	2019 Langley

Lyle Thompson (born September 9, 1992) is a famous Haudenosaunee professional lacrosse player from the Onondaga Nation. His native name is Deyhahsanoondey, which means He's Flying Over Us. He is known for being one of the greatest and most creative lacrosse players of all time.

Lyle plays both indoor and outdoor lacrosse. For outdoor lacrosse, he plays the attack position for the Cannons Lacrosse Club in the Premier Lacrosse League. For indoor lacrosse, he is a forward for the Georgia Swarm in the National Lacrosse League. He also plays for the Haudenosaunee national team in international games.

Many people consider Lyle one of the best lacrosse players ever. He is famous for his amazing stick skills, creativity, and ability to see the whole field. A famous coach, John Danowski, said that Lyle is so good he "transcends the sport," meaning he changes how people think about lacrosse.

Lyle and his brothers helped make the traditional Indigenous American style of lacrosse popular. This style is more free and creative. It uses many different ways to handle the stick, pass, and shoot. They have inspired many young players, especially in Indigenous communities.

He also started a company called 'Thompson Brothers Lacrosse' with his brothers. The company teaches lacrosse, works on community projects, and reminds people of the sport's Indigenous roots. Lyle is also a humanitarian, which means he works to help people. He has won awards for his work helping others.

Early Life and Family
High School Career
College Career at UAlbany
Professional Lacrosse Career
- Outdoor Lacrosse (MLL and PLL)
- Indoor Lacrosse (NLL)
  - 2019 Discrimination Incident
International Competitions
Personal Life and Beliefs
Statistics
Awards
See also

Early Life and Family

Left to right: Jeremy, Miles, Lyle, and Jerome "Hiana" Thompson in 2015

Lyle grew up on the Onondaga Nation in New York. He is one of five children. His father, Jerome Thompson Sr., was a Mohawk ironworker, and his mother, Doloris Thompson, is from the Onondaga Nation. His three older brothers, Jeremy, Jerome (“Hiana”), and Miles Thompson, are also professional lacrosse players.

Following Haudenosaunee tradition, Lyle and his brothers were each given a wooden lacrosse stick when they were born. For the Onondaga people, lacrosse is more than just a game; it has deep cultural and spiritual meaning. Lyle and his brothers spent countless hours playing lacrosse in their backyard, often coached by their father.

When they were young, their house did not have electricity or running water for a few years. This meant they didn't have TV or video games, so they spent even more time outside playing lacrosse.

Lyle's family has a long history with lacrosse. His father and grandfather both played. His father, Jerome Sr., played for the Akwesasne Thunder and won two national championships in Canada. He also played for the Iroquois Nationals international team in 1990.

High School Career

Lyle played high school lacrosse for five years, starting when he was in eighth grade. He played for two different schools: Salmon River High School and LaFayette High School. Even as a sophomore, he was considered the best high school player in the country.

While playing for Salmon River as an eighth-grader, he hurt his collarbone. Even with his arm in a sling, he went to practice and learned to play with one hand. This helped him develop incredible one-handed stick skills, which he is now famous for.

Throughout high school, he was a top player, scoring many goals and assists. He was named an All-American in his senior year.

College Career at UAlbany

Lyle went to the University at Albany and played for the Albany Great Danes. He and his brothers chose Albany because they wanted to build a new legacy, instead of going to a traditional lacrosse school like Syracuse.

Lyle is thought to be the best lacrosse player in the university's history and one of the greatest college players ever. An ESPN expert called him the best passer in NCAA history.

Freshman and Sophomore Years (2012-2013): In his first year, he played midfield. In his second year, he moved to the attack position and scored an amazing 113 points.

Junior Year (2014): In 2014, Lyle, his brother Miles, and their cousin Ty Thompson formed an attack line called the "Thompson Trio." They broke many college records and are considered one of the best attack lines in history. That year, Lyle and Miles became the first Native American players to share the Tewaaraton Trophy, the highest award in college lacrosse.

Senior Year (2015): Lyle won the Tewaaraton Trophy again, this time by himself. He became one of only two players to win the award twice. He also set a new record for the most career points in NCAA Division I history with 400 points.

Professional Lacrosse Career

Lyle Thompson plays in two professional leagues: one for outdoor lacrosse and one for indoor lacrosse. He is known as one of the best players in both versions of the sport.

Outdoor Lacrosse (MLL and PLL)

Lyle was the #1 draft pick in the 2015 Major League Lacrosse (MLL) draft. He first played for the Florida Launch and later for the Chesapeake Bayhawks, where he won an MLL championship in 2019.

In 2021, he joined the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) to play for the Cannons Lacrosse Club. The president of the PLL said that getting Lyle to join the league was a major goal. In 2022, Lyle set a league record for the most points in a single season.

Lyle decided to take a break from the PLL in 2023 and 2024 to spend more time with his family and community.

Indoor Lacrosse (NLL)

Lyle Thompson during an NLL game

Lyle was also the #1 pick in the 2015 National Lacrosse League (NLL) draft. He plays for the Georgia Swarm alongside his brother Miles. In 2017, he had an incredible season, leading the Swarm to their first NLL championship. He was named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) and the Championship MVP.

In 2017, Lyle, Miles, Jeremy, and Jerome set a Guinness World Record for the "Most siblings to compete in the same professional lacrosse game."

2019 Discrimination Incident

In a game in 2019, a public address announcer made a disrespectful comment about Lyle's traditional Haudenosaunee braid. Lyle's braid is an important part of his cultural heritage. The announcer's comment was hurtful because, in the past, Indigenous children were often forced to cut their hair to erase their culture.

Lyle and his teammates spoke out against the comment. The announcer was fired, and the league promised to provide training to its employees about the Native American roots of lacrosse. The announcer later apologized for his words.

International Competitions

Lyle represents the Haudenosaunee Nation in world championships for both indoor (box) and outdoor (field) lacrosse.

Indoor Lacrosse: He helped his team win silver medals at the World Indoor Lacrosse Championships in 2015 and 2019.
Outdoor Lacrosse: He helped his team win bronze medals at the World Lacrosse Championships in 2014, 2018, and 2023.

Personal Life and Beliefs

Lyle follows the traditional Haudenosaunee religion. For him, lacrosse is a spiritual practice played to entertain the Creator. He has said, "It isn't just a game... it's about having fun and playing with the right mindset and using the game as medicine."

He is also a talented artist and designed the logo for his family's company, 'Thompson Brothers'. He is married to Amanda Longboat, and they have five children. They live on the Six Nations reservation in Canada.

Statistics

College statistics


Season	GP	G	A	Pts	PPG
2015	19	52	69	121	6.37
2014	18	51	77	128 ^(a)	7.11
2013	17	50	63	113	6.65
2012	16	22	16	38	2.38
Totals	70	175	225 ^(b)	400 ^(c)	5.71

^(a) 1st in Division I for points in a single season.

^(b) 2nd most career assists in Division I history.

^(c) 2nd most career points in Division I history.

NLL career statistics

Lyle Thompson		Regular Season									Playoffs
Season	Team	GP	G	A	Pts	LB	PIM	Pts/GP	LB/GP	PIM/GP	GP	G	A	Pts	LB	PIM	Pts/GP	LB/GP	PIM/GP

2016	Georgia Swarm	18	27	33	60	81	14	3.33	4.50	0.78	1	4	2	6	8	0	6.00	8.00	0.00
2017	Georgia Swarm	18	45	71	116	126	8	6.44	7.00	0.44	4	6	15	21	20	0	5.25	5.00	0.00
2018	Georgia Swarm	18	46	40	86	123	6	4.78	6.83	0.33	1	1	2	3	10	0	3.00	10.00	0.00
2019	Georgia Swarm	18	43	62	105	94	6	5.83	5.22	0.33	1	3	4	7	7	0	7.00	7.00	0.00
2020	Georgia Swarm	12	27	33	60	87	4	5.00	7.25	0.33	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
2022	Georgia Swarm	17	47	55	102	107	8	6.00	6.29	0.47	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
2023	Georgia Swarm	18	46	60	106	113	2	5.89	6.28	0.11	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
		119	281	354	635	731	48	5.34	6.14	0.40	7	14	23	37	45	0	5.29	6.43	0.00
Career Total:		126	295	377	672	776	48	5.33	6.16	0.38

GP–Games played; G–Goals; A–Assists; Pts–Points; LB–Loose balls; PIM–Penalty minutes; Pts/GP–Points per games played; LB/GP–Loose balls per games played; PIM/GP–Penalty minutes per games played.

MLL career statistics

Source:

Lyle Thompson		Regular Season											Playoffs
Season	Team	GP	G	2PG	A	Pts	Sh	GB	Pen	PIM	FOW	FOA	GP	G	2PG	A	Pts	Sh	GB	Pen	PIM	FOW	FOA
2015	Florida Launch	8	22	0	16	38	53	17	0	0	0	0	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
2016	Florida Launch	9	14	0	18	32	50	18	0	0	0	0	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
2017	Chesapeake Bayhawks	6	19	1	8	28	54	17	0	1	0	0	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
2018	Chesapeake Bayhawks	3	7	0	3	10	23	5	0	1	0	0	1	4	0	1	5	7	3	0	0	0	0
2019	Chesapeake Bayhawks	15	46	0	27	73	137	35	1	1	0	0	2	5	0	3	8	14	5	0	0	0	0
2020	Chesapeake Bayhawks	5	14	0	5	19	37	12	0	0	0	0	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
		46	122	1	77	200	354	104	1	3	0	0	3	9	0	4	13	21	8	0	0	0	0
Career Total:		49	131	1	81	213	375	112	1	3	0	0

GP–Games played; G–Goals; 2PG–2-point goals; A–Assists; Pts–Points; Sh–Shots; GB–Ground balls; Pen–Penalties; PIM–Penalty minutes; FOW–Faceoffs won; FOA–Faceoffs attempted

PLL statistics