Michael Thomas (wide receiver, born 1993) facts for kids
Thomas in 2018
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||
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| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | March 3, 1993 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 212 lb (96 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Taft (Woodland Hills, California) |
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| College: | Ohio State (2012–2015) | ||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2016 / Round: 2 / Pick: 47 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2023 | |||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||
Michael William Thomas Jr. (born March 3, 1993) is an American professional football player. He is a wide receiver, which means he catches passes from the quarterback. Michael played college football for Ohio State University. The New Orleans Saints picked him in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft.
Michael Thomas holds an amazing record for the most catches (receptions) in a single NFL season, with 149 in 2019. He was the best at catching passes in both the 2018 and 2019 seasons. In 2019, he also led the league in receiving yards, meaning he gained the most distance after catching the ball. Because of his amazing performance, he was named the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2019.
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Early Life and High School Football
Michael Thomas grew up in Woodland Hills, California. He went to Taft High School. In his final year of high school, he was a star player on the football team. He caught 86 passes for an incredible 1,656 yards and scored 21 touchdowns.
Experts who rank young players thought Michael was a top talent. He decided to play college football at Ohio State University. Before joining Ohio State, he spent a year at Fork Union Military Academy.
College Football Career
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Michael started playing for Ohio State in 2012 as a first-year student. He played in 11 games that season. In 2013, he took a "redshirt" year, which means he practiced with the team but didn't play in any games. This allowed him to gain more experience without using up a year of his college playing eligibility.
In 2014, Michael became a starting wide receiver. He led his team with 54 catches for 799 yards and nine touchdowns. He helped Ohio State win the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship against Oregon. In that championship game, he caught four passes for 53 yards.
In 2015, his final college season, Michael had 56 catches for 781 yards and nine touchdowns. After this successful season, he decided to enter the 2016 NFL draft to play professional football.
College Awards and Honors
Michael Thomas earned several awards during his time in college:
- He was a champion in the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship (2014 season).
- He won the Fiesta Bowl (2015 season).
- He also won the Sugar Bowl (2014 season).
- He was a Big Ten champion (2014 season).
- He was named Third-team All-Big Ten in 2015.
Professional Football Career
2016 Season: A Strong Start
The New Orleans Saints picked Michael Thomas in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He was the sixth wide receiver chosen that year. The Saints signed him to a four-year contract.
Michael became a starting wide receiver for the Saints right away. In his first NFL game, he had six catches for 58 yards. He scored his first NFL touchdown on September 26, 2016. Later that season, he had his first game with over 100 receiving yards. He also caught two touchdowns in a game against the Los Angeles Rams.
In his first year, Michael set new records for a rookie player for the Saints. He had the most catches, receiving yards, and touchdowns for a rookie. He was also named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team.
2017 Season: Becoming a Star
In his second year, Michael became the Saints' main receiver. He had an amazing season with 104 catches for 1,245 yards and five touchdowns. His 104 catches were the third-most in the entire NFL. He also set an NFL record for the most catches in his first two seasons.
Michael played in his first playoff game in January 2018. He had eight catches for 131 yards in a win against the Carolina Panthers. He was chosen for his first Pro Bowl, which is an honor for top players. Other players in the NFL ranked him 81st among the best players of 2018.
2018 Season: Record-Breaking Catches
Michael started the 2018 season by setting a Saints team record. He caught 16 passes in one game! This was the most catches by any player in a single game that year. He also set an NFL record for the most catches in the first two games of a season.
In Week 9, he had an incredible game against the Los Angeles Rams. He caught 12 passes for a team-record 211 yards, including a 72-yard touchdown. After scoring, he did a memorable celebration that resulted in a penalty. For this great game, he was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week.
Michael finished the 2018 season leading the league with 125 catches. He also had 1,405 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. He broke the Saints' record for most receiving yards in a season. He was chosen for his second Pro Bowl and was named First-team All-Pro, meaning he was one of the best players at his position in the league. He was ranked 13th among the top NFL players of 2019.
2019 Season: NFL Offensive Player of the Year
Before the 2019 season, Michael signed a big contract extension with the Saints. This made him the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL at that time.
He continued his amazing performance in 2019. He had many games with over 100 receiving yards and multiple touchdowns. In Week 14, he set a new Saints record for receiving yards in a single season.
In Week 16, Michael broke an NFL record! He made his 144th catch of the season, passing the old record for most catches in a single season. He finished the season with an incredible 149 catches, 1,725 yards, and nine touchdowns.
For his outstanding season, Michael was named to the Pro Bowl and earned First Team All-Pro honors again. On February 1, 2020, he won the Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award. He was the first wide receiver to win this award since 1993. Other NFL players ranked him 5th among the top players of 2020.
2020 Season: Injuries and Return
The 2020 season was tough for Michael due to injuries. He got a high ankle sprain early in the season. He missed several games because of this injury.
He returned to play later in the season. In Week 11, he had his first game of the season with over 100 receiving yards. He was placed on injured reserve in December because of his ankle injury but came back for the playoffs. In a playoff game against the Chicago Bears, he caught five passes for 73 yards and scored his first touchdown of the season. He was ranked 72nd among the top NFL players of 2021.
2021 Season: More Injury Challenges
Michael continued to face challenges with his ankle injury in 2021. He had surgery on his ankle and was unable to play for the entire season.
2022 Season: Brief Return
Michael returned to play in Week 1 of the 2022 season. He caught five passes for 57 yards and scored two touchdowns in a comeback win. He had another good game in Week 2. However, in Week 3, he got a foot injury and was placed on injured reserve, ending his season early.
2023 Season: Final Season with Saints
In 2023, Michael played in ten games. He suffered a knee injury in Week 11 and was placed on injured reserve again. He finished the season with 39 catches for 448 yards and one touchdown. On March 13, 2024, the Saints released Michael Thomas, meaning he was no longer part of the team.
NFL Records and Achievements
Michael Thomas holds several impressive NFL records:
- Most catches by a player through his first five seasons: 510
- Most catches by a player in a single season: 149
- Most consecutive games with 4 or more catches: 43
- Fewest games to reach 300, 400, and 500 career catches.
He also holds many records for the New Orleans Saints team:
- Most catches in a single game: 16
- Most receiving yards in a single game: 211
- Most catches, receiving yards, and touchdowns in a season by a rookie.
- Most catches and receiving yards in a single season for the team.
Personal Life
Michael Thomas is the nephew of Keyshawn Johnson, who was also a famous NFL wide receiver. Michael is a Christian.
Images for kids
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Thomas in 2018
