Thomas Rawls facts for kids
Rawls with the Seattle Seahawks in 2015
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| No. 34, 31 | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | August 3, 1993 Flint, Michigan, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 215 lb (98 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Flint Northern (Flint) | ||||||||||||
| College: |
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| Undrafted: | 2015 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Thomas Tyrell Rawls, born on August 3, 1993, is a former professional football player. He played as a running back in the National Football League (NFL). The Seattle Seahawks signed him in 2015, even though he was not chosen in the NFL draft. This means he was an undrafted free agent. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines and Central Michigan Chippewas.
Rawls holds some impressive records for the Seahawks. He has the most rushing yards by a rookie running back in a single game (209 yards). He also gained the most rushing yards by an undrafted rookie in his first six games (711 yards). In a playoff game during the 2016–17 season, he set a Seahawks record for most yards in a postseason game (161).
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Early Life and High School Football
Thomas Rawls grew up in Flint, Michigan, and went to Flint Northern High School. His coaches gave him the nickname "The Train" because of how he ran. As a running back, he was very good at gaining yards. In his senior year, he ran for 1,585 yards and scored 19 touchdowns. He averaged more than 10 yards every time he carried the ball.
One amazing game saw him rush for 458 yards and eight touchdowns against Bay City Western. This broke a record in Flint that was previously held by Heisman Trophy winner, Mark Ingram II. Rawls was chosen for the All-State team and was named the Most Valuable Player in his league. He received offers to play college football from several universities.
Rawls was also a talented athlete in track & field at Flint Northern. He ran the 100-meter dash in 10.8 seconds at a regional meet in 2010. His fastest time in the 100-meter dash was 10.7 seconds.
College Football Career
Playing for Michigan
Rawls decided to play for the University of Michigan in February 2011. He hoped to break the rushing records set by his favorite player, Mike Hart, at Michigan. He wanted to make a big impact as a freshman running back.
As a freshman in 2011, Rawls played in 10 games. He had his best game against Minnesota, rushing for 73 yards. Experts thought he would do even better in 2012. However, he didn't play much in the 2012 and 2013 seasons. In 2013, he only carried the ball three times all season.
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Playing for Central Michigan
In January 2014, Rawls moved to Central Michigan University for his senior year. He joined the Chippewas team. On September 6, 2014, Rawls had a great game against Purdue, rushing for 155 yards and two touchdowns. He told reporters that he liked the pressure of the game, which made him run even harder.
Rawls had two incredible games where he carried the ball 40 times each. He rushed for 229 yards against Ohio and then a career-high 270 yards against Northern Illinois. The Chippewas' offense often relied on Rawls to help set up their passing plays. Even though he played in only seven of the team's 13 games, Rawls finished the season with 1,103 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. After his college career, many thought he might be picked in the later rounds of the 2015 NFL draft.
Professional Football Career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
215 lb (98 kg) |
30+3⁄4 in (0.78 m) |
9+1⁄2 in (0.24 m) |
4.46 s | 1.63 s | 2.62 s | 4.37 s | 7.10 s | 35.5 in (0.90 m) |
9 ft 8 in (2.95 m) |
15 reps | |
| All values from NFL Combine and Pro Day | ||||||||||||
Time with the Seattle Seahawks
2015 Season Highlights
After the 2015 NFL draft, Thomas Rawls signed with the Seattle Seahawks on May 2, 2015. He started as a backup player. However, after some changes to the team, Rawls earned a spot on the main roster. He began as a backup to star running back Marshawn Lynch.
Rawls got his first real chance to play on September 27, 2015. He rushed for 104 yards, helping the team when Lynch was injured. This was the first time a Seahawks running back other than Lynch had gained 100 yards since 2012.
On October 11, 2015, Rawls continued to fill in for Lynch. He rushed for 169 yards, including a 69-yard touchdown run, against the undefeated Cincinnati Bengals. Later, on November 22, 2015, Rawls started his third game against the San Francisco 49ers. He had an amazing performance, running for 209 yards on 30 carries and gaining 255 total yards with 2 touchdowns. This was the first time a Seahawk had rushed for over 200 yards since Shaun Alexander in 2006.
Rawls broke the Seahawks' rookie record for rushing yards in a single game (209 yards) that day. He also made NFL history as the first player to have over 250 total yards, a rushing touchdown, and a receiving touchdown in the same game. He continued his great rookie season with touchdowns against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings. His performance against the Vikings earned him the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week award.
Unfortunately, Rawls's successful rookie season ended early on December 13, 2015. He suffered a fractured ankle during a game against the Baltimore Ravens. He had rushed for 44 yards before his injury. For the season, Rawls finished with 830 rushing yards and 4 rushing touchdowns, plus 1 receiving touchdown. He was chosen for the PFWA All-Rookie Team for 2015.
2016 Season
In Week 2 of the 2016 season, Rawls left a game after hurting his leg. He finished the loss with -7 yards on 7 carries against the Los Angeles Rams. He helped the Seahawks win a game against the Carolina Panthers on December 4, with a final score of 40–7. Rawls finished the 2016 regular season with 349 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. He set a Seahawks record for most yards in a postseason game (161) on January 7, 2017, against the Detroit Lions in a 26–6 victory.
2017 Season
Rawls's performance was not as strong in the 2017 season. The Seahawks' offensive line struggled, and the team's running game was inconsistent. He finished the season with 157 rushing yards on 58 carries. He also caught nine passes for 94 receiving yards.
Other NFL Teams
On March 30, 2018, Rawls signed with the New York Jets. However, he was released from the team on September 1, 2018.
Later that year, on September 19, 2018, Rawls signed with the Cincinnati Bengals. He played in one game for the Bengals before being released on October 9, 2018.
On January 9, 2019, Rawls signed a contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was released by the team on August 30, 2019, before the start of the regular season.
Images for kids
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Rawls with the Seattle Seahawks in 2015
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Rawls with Michigan in October 2012
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Rawls (#34) with the Seahawks in 2015
