Anthony Thompson (football)
Encyclopedia
Anthony Thompson is a former professional American football
running back
and a current pastor at the Lighthouse Community Church in Bloomington, Indiana.
at Indiana University
where he won the Maxwell Award
and Walter Camp Award
in 1989. He also won the Chicago Tribune Silver Football
twice, becoming one of only three people to do so. He finished second in Heisman Trophy
voting for the 1989 season. In 1989 he broke the record for career touchdown
s in college with 65 touchdowns. The record stood until 1998 when it was broken by Ricky Williams
. Thompson finished his college career with 5,299 rushing yards. Thompson was a three-year starter
(1983–1985) for Terre Haute North Vigo High School
, where he was a Parade
All-American under coach
Wayne Staley.
On May 9, 2007 Thompson was announced as one of the specially selected inductees of the 2007 class at the College Football Hall of Fame
.
in the second round of the 1990 NFL Draft
. During his NFL career, which ended in 1992 with the Los Angeles Rams
, he played in 37 games and scored six touchdowns.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
and a current pastor at the Lighthouse Community Church in Bloomington, Indiana.
College career
Thompson played college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
where he won the Maxwell Award
Maxwell Award
The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best football player in the United States. The...
and Walter Camp Award
Walter Camp Award
The Walter Camp Player of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football Player of the Year, as decided by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-A head coaches and sports information directors under the auspices of the Walter Camp Football Foundation;...
in 1989. He also won the Chicago Tribune Silver Football
Chicago Tribune Silver Football
The Chicago Tribune Silver Football is awarded by the Chicago Tribune to the college football player determined to be the best player from the Big Ten Conference. The award has been presented annually since 1924, when Red Grange of Illinois was the award's first recipient.The winner of the Silver...
twice, becoming one of only three people to do so. He finished second in Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
voting for the 1989 season. In 1989 he broke the record for career touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s in college with 65 touchdowns. The record stood until 1998 when it was broken by Ricky Williams
Ricky Williams
Errick Lynne "Ricky" Williams, Jr. is an American football running back for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints fifth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft...
. Thompson finished his college career with 5,299 rushing yards. Thompson was a three-year starter
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
(1983–1985) for Terre Haute North Vigo High School
Terre Haute North Vigo High School
Terre Haute North Vigo High School is a public high school located in Terre Haute, Indiana.- Overview :Terre Haute North was opened in the fall of 1971, initially only for grades 10 through 12. The 9th grade was added during the 1993/1994 school year. The school mascot is the Patriot and the...
, where he was a Parade
Parade (magazine)
Parade is an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade has a circulation of 32.2 million and a readership of nearly 70...
All-American under coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
Wayne Staley.
On May 9, 2007 Thompson was announced as one of the specially selected inductees of the 2007 class at the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
.
Pro career
Thompson was selected by the Phoenix CardinalsArizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the second round of the 1990 NFL Draft
1990 NFL Draft
The 1990 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 22–23, 1990...
. During his NFL career, which ended in 1992 with the Los Angeles Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
, he played in 37 games and scored six touchdowns.