Thurman Thomas facts for kids
Thomas at ESPN The Weekend in 2010
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| No. 34 | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
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| Born: | May 16, 1966 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 200 lb (91 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Willowridge (Houston) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Oklahoma State (1984–1987) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1988 / Round: 2 / Pick: 40 | ||||||||||||
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Pro Football Hall of Fame
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College Football Hall of Fame
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Thurman Lee Thomas (born in 1966) is a former American football player. He was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. Most of his career was with the Buffalo Bills.
Thomas played college football for the Oklahoma State Cowboys. The Bills picked him in the second round of the 1988 NFL draft. He played for the Bills for 12 seasons. His final NFL year was with the Miami Dolphins in 2000.
During his time with the Bills, Thomas was a key player in their "K-Gun" offense. This offense used fast, no-huddle plays. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl five times. He was also named NFL MVP in 1991. Thomas helped his team reach the Super Bowl four times in a row from 1991 to 1994. The Bills, however, lost each of those games. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007. He also joined the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008.
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Early Life and High School Football
Thurman Thomas was born in Houston, Texas. He grew up playing football in Missouri City, Texas. He played for Missouri City Junior High School. Later, he played for Willowridge High School.
In the 1982–83 season, Thomas led his Willowridge team to a Texas Class 4A State Title. This was a big achievement for his high school team.
College Football Career
Thomas went to Oklahoma State University for college. He played alongside another famous running back, Barry Sanders. Thomas ran for 4,595 yards and scored 43 touchdowns during his college career. He also had 21 games where he rushed for over 100 yards.
In his senior year, he was considered for the Heisman Trophy. This award goes to the best college football player. He was named a first-team All-American in 1985 and 1987.
Leading the Big Eight Conference
Thomas led the Big Eight Conference in rushing yards and scoring in 1985 and 1987. He was also named the conference's Offensive Player of the Year in both seasons. In 1985, he rushed for 1,553 yards, which was the fourth-best in the country.
He had a knee injury between his sophomore and junior years. This caused him to miss some games in 1986. But he came back strong in his senior year. He rushed for 1,613 yards, ranking third nationally. Thomas holds the record for most rushing attempts in Oklahoma State history.
Sun Bowl Victory and Hall of Fame
In the 1987 Sun Bowl, Thomas had an amazing game. He ran for 157 yards and scored four touchdowns. Oklahoma State won the game 35–33 against West Virginia.
When he left Oklahoma State, Thomas was the school's all-time leading rusher. His jersey number, 34, was retired by the university. He chose this number to honor football legends Earl Campbell and Walter Payton. In 2008, Thomas was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Professional Football Career
A knee injury caused Thomas to be picked later in the 1988 NFL draft. The Buffalo Bills selected him in the second round, as the 40th overall pick. Seven other running backs were chosen before him.
Thomas became a key part of the Bills' offense. He played with quarterback Jim Kelly and wide receiver Andre Reed. This powerful trio helped the Bills reach four straight Super Bowls.
Buffalo Bills Highlights
Thomas led the AFC in rushing yards three times (1990, 1991, and 1993). In his first three seasons, he had 12 games where he rushed for at least 100 yards. The Bills won every one of those games.
He was named to the All-Pro team in 1990 and 1991. He also played in five straight Pro Bowls from 1989 to 1993. In 1991, he was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player. That year, he gained over 2,000 all-purpose yards. He was only the eleventh player in NFL history to do this.
Thomas holds the Buffalo Bills' all-time rushing record with 11,938 yards. He also has the team record for total yards from scrimmage with 16,279 yards. He is the only player in NFL history to lead the league in total yards from scrimmage for four years in a row.
He is one of only eight running backs to have over 400 receptions and 10,000 rushing yards. Other players include Walter Payton and Marshall Faulk. Thomas is also one of five running backs to rush for over 1,000 yards in eight straight seasons.
Thomas set NFL playoff records for most career points (126) and touchdowns (21). He also had nine consecutive playoff games with a touchdown. In total, he rushed for 1,442 yards and caught 76 passes for 672 yards in his 21 playoff games.
Super Bowl Appearances
Super Bowl XXV
Thomas played exceptionally well in Super Bowl XXV. He rushed for 135 yards and scored a touchdown. He also caught five passes for 55 yards. Many thought he should have won the Super Bowl MVP award. However, the Bills lost the game 20-19. Their kicker, Scott Norwood, missed a field goal in the final seconds.
Some sports writers believed Thomas had the best performance, even though his team lost. He had more yards and catches than the New York Giants running back, Ottis Anderson, who won the MVP.
Super Bowl XXVI
Thomas had a memorable moment in Super Bowl XXVI. Before the game, his helmet was moved from its usual spot. This happened so the stage could be set up for the national anthem. A trainer eventually found the helmet. But Thomas missed the Bills' first two offensive plays. He ended up with only 13 rushing yards and one touchdown in the game.
Super Bowl XXVII
In Super Bowl XXVII, Thomas scored the first points for his team. He had a two-yard touchdown run. However, he was limited to just 19 rushing yards and four catches. The Bills lost to the Dallas Cowboys 52–17. Thomas was still recovering from a hip injury from an earlier playoff game. He also lost a fumble that led to a Dallas touchdown.
Super Bowl XXVIII
Thomas had another tough Super Bowl performance in this game. The Bills lost to the Cowboys again, 30–13. He scored the Bills' only touchdown. But he was limited to 37 rushing yards. He caught seven passes for 52 yards. However, he lost two fumbles that led to ten points for Dallas.
Miami Dolphins and Retirement
Thomas signed with the Miami Dolphins in 2000. The Bills had released him to manage their team salary cap. On November 12, 2000, he suffered a knee injury against the San Diego Chargers. This injury ended his NFL career. In his only season with the Dolphins, he rushed for 136 yards.
After deciding to retire, Thomas signed a special one-day contract with the Bills on February 27, 2001. This allowed him to retire as a Buffalo Bill.
Hall of Fame Induction
Thurman Thomas was first eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006. He was chosen for induction on February 3, 2007. Thomas joined his former teammates, quarterback Jim Kelly and wide receiver James Lofton, in the Hall of Fame.
His jersey number, 34, was retired by the Bills on October 29, 2018. This was done to honor his great achievements.
Personal Life
Thurman Thomas is married to Patti Mariacher. She is from Buffalo and was on the Oklahoma State University golf team. They have four children: Olivia, Angel, Annika, and Thurman III.
Thomas is involved in several businesses. These include sports, energy, and construction. In 2014, he was named vice chair of the New York State Tourism Advisory Council.
He has also been active in community work. He started the Thurman Thomas Foundation in 1992. He has spoken about mental health and the effects of concussions from his football career.
See also
In Spanish: Thurman Thomas para niños
