Ricky Thomas facts for kids
| Position: | Cornerbacks coach | ||
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| Personal information | |||
| Born: | March 29, 1965 London, England |
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| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||
| Weight: | 245 lb (111 kg) | ||
| Career information | |||
| High school: | Niceville (FL) | ||
| College: | Alabama | ||
| Undrafted: | 1987 | ||
| Career history | |||
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| As coach: | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||
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Ricky L. Thomas (born March 29, 1965) is a former American football player and a very experienced coach. He played college football at the University of Alabama. After a short time playing in the National Football League (NFL), he became a coach.
Ricky Thomas coached football for over 30 years. He worked with high school, college, and NFL teams. He even won a Super Bowl championship ring with the Indianapolis Colts. After his coaching career ended in 2018, he returned to The McCallie School. This is a place where he used to be a head coach. Today, he is the Dean of Community and Brotherhood at the school.
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Ricky Thomas's Early Life and Playing Days
Ricky Thomas was born in London, England, on March 29, 1965. He grew up in the United States. He went to Niceville High School in Florida.
After high school, he played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He was a defensive back, which is a player who helps stop the other team from scoring. In 1987, he had a brief chance to play in the NFL. He played one game for the Seattle Seahawks.
Coaching Career Highlights
Ricky Thomas spent most of his career coaching football. He coached at many different levels. This gave him a lot of experience in the sport.
High School and Early College Coaching
Ricky Thomas started his coaching journey in 1988. He coached defensive backs at Marion Military Institute. From 1992 to 1996, he was the head coach at The McCallie School. This is a high school in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
He also had a short time as a strength and conditioning assistant at the University of Kentucky in 1996. In 1997, he coached defensive backs at Gardner–Webb University.
Coaching in the NFL
Ricky Thomas spent many years coaching in the NFL. He worked for two well-known teams.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: From 1997 to 2001, he coached tight ends for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
- Indianapolis Colts: He then moved to the Indianapolis Colts. He coached there from 2002 to 2011. He was an offensive assistant and also coached tight ends. While with the Colts, he achieved a major success. He helped the team win Super Bowl XLI. This is one of the biggest achievements in American football.
Later College Coaching Roles
After his time in the NFL, Ricky Thomas returned to college coaching.
- In 2012, he coached defensive ends for Georgia State University.
- From 2013 to 2016, he coached cornerbacks for the University of Nevada.
- His last coaching job was from 2017 to 2018. He coached defensive backs at Southwest Minnesota State University.
Life After Coaching
In 2018, Ricky Thomas decided to stop coaching. He went back to The McCallie School. This is the same high school where he was a head coach years ago.
Today, Ricky Thomas holds an important role at the school. He is the Dean of Community and Brotherhood. In this job, he helps build a strong and positive environment for students.
