Blair Thomas
Encyclopedia
Blair Lamar Thomas is a former professional American football
player and coach. He played running back
for six seasons in the National Football League
. He was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame
in 2011.
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. In three seasons at Frankford, he rushed for 3,941 yards and tied a Public League career record with 59 touchdown
s.
n and a two-year starter for head coach Joe Paterno
. He finished second on the Nittany Lions’s all-time rushing list with 3,301 yards and 21 touchdown
s, just 97 yards shy of the Penn State record set by Curt Warner
. He was also the first player in school history to rush for more than 1,400 yards in two seasons (1987,1989). Thomas was the Most Valuable Player
of the 1989 Holiday Bowl
, setting a record with 35 carries for 186 yards. He was also the Most Valuable Player
of the Senior Bowl
.
He earned his Bachelor of Science
in recreation and parks management at Penn State University in 1989.
by the New York Jets
in the first round (second overall) of the 1990 NFL Draft
. His NFL
playing career spanned six seasons. Despite leading NFL rookie
s in yards-per-carry and AFC
rookie
s in total yardage, he is widely considered another in a long line of Jets draft disappointments. Thomas rushed for only 2,000 yards and five touchdown
s in his four seasons with the Jets.
Thomas suffered a series of nagging injuries beginning in 1992 and was released by the Jets following the 1993 season. He began the 1994 season with the New England Patriots
, but finished it with the Dallas Cowboys
. He then signed with the Atlanta Falcons
in 1995, but was released shortly after. He concluded his NFL career with the Carolina Panthers
.
s coach at Temple University
for eight seasons, from 1998-2005. He played a key role in the development of Chicago Bears
fullback
Jason McKie
, and Jacksonville Jaguars
running back
Stacey Mack
. Thomas was responsible for recruiting Philadelphia
and Eastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey. He was also the team’s NFL liaison and summer football camp coordinator.
Thomas also serves as a volunteer instructor for Football University. In 2008, Thomas and several other ex-NFLers, conducted a youth football camp in Barrow, Alaska
. Barrow is so remote it is only accessible by airplane, and the local high school asked Football University for help with the difficult task of building a football program from scratch there.
with his wife Lisa. He has three children. Thomas and former Philadelphia Eagles
wide receiver
Kenny Jackson
are partners in chain of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
-area sports bars called KoKoMos. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/19/AR2007051901125.html
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...
player and coach. He played 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...
for six seasons in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame
Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame
The Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame is a nonprofit organization established in 1962. It is the only community-based hall of fame in the United States...
in 2011.
High school
Thomas was an all-state football player at Frankford High SchoolFrankford High School
Frankford High School is a public high school in the School District of Philadelphia. It is located at Oxford Avenue and Wakeling Street in the Frankford section of Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States....
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. In three seasons at Frankford, he rushed for 3,941 yards and tied a Public League career record with 59 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.
College
A member of Penn State University's 1986 National Championship team, Thomas was a 1989 All-AmericaAll-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n and a two-year starter for head coach Joe Paterno
Joe Paterno
Joseph Vincent "Joe" Paterno is a former college football coach who was the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions for 46 years from 1966 through 2011. Paterno, nicknamed "JoePa," holds the record for the most victories by an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision football coach with...
. He finished second on the Nittany Lions’s all-time rushing list with 3,301 yards and 21 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, just 97 yards shy of the Penn State record set by Curt Warner
Curt Warner
Curtis Edward Warner is a former professional American football running back. A two-time All-American at Penn State University, Warner was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft...
. He was also the first player in school history to rush for more than 1,400 yards in two seasons (1987,1989). Thomas was the Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
of the 1989 Holiday Bowl
1989 Holiday Bowl
The 1989 Holiday Bowl was a college football bowl game played December 30, 1989 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. It was part of the 1989 NCAA Division I-A football season...
, setting a record with 35 carries for 186 yards. He was also the Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
of the Senior Bowl
Senior Bowl
The Senior Bowl is a post-season college football exhibition game played in Mobile, Alabama which showcases the best NFL Draft prospects of those collegiate players who have completed their eligibility. First played in 1950 in Jacksonville, Florida, the game moved to Mobile's Ladd Peebles Stadium...
.
He earned his Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in recreation and parks management at Penn State University in 1989.
Professional
Thomas was draftedNFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
by the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the first round (second overall) 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...
. His NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
playing career spanned six seasons. Despite leading NFL rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
s in yards-per-carry and AFC
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
s in total yardage, he is widely considered another in a long line of Jets draft disappointments. Thomas rushed for only 2,000 yards and five 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 his four seasons with the Jets.
Thomas suffered a series of nagging injuries beginning in 1992 and was released by the Jets following the 1993 season. He began the 1994 season with the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
, but finished it with the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
. He then signed with the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1995, but was released shortly after. He concluded his NFL career with the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
.
Coaching career
Thomas served as running backRunning 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...
s coach at Temple University
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
for eight seasons, from 1998-2005. He played a key role in the development of Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
Jason McKie
Jason McKie
Jason A. McKie is an American football fullback who currently a free agent. He was signed as a undrafted free agent out of Temple University by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2002....
, and Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
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...
Stacey Mack
Stacey Mack
Stacey Lamar Mack is a former American football running back for the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans of the NFL. He was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Temple University by the Jaguars in 1999. Stacey was also a star running back for the Mississippi Junior College Southwest...
. Thomas was responsible for recruiting Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
and Eastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey. He was also the team’s NFL liaison and summer football camp coordinator.
Thomas also serves as a volunteer instructor for Football University. In 2008, Thomas and several other ex-NFLers, conducted a youth football camp in Barrow, Alaska
Barrow, Alaska
Barrow is the largest city of the North Slope Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is one of the northernmost cities in the world and is the northernmost city in the United States of America, with nearby Point Barrow being the nation's northernmost point. Barrow's population was 4,212 at the...
. Barrow is so remote it is only accessible by airplane, and the local high school asked Football University for help with the difficult task of building a football program from scratch there.
Personal
Thomas resides in King of Prussia, PennsylvaniaKing of Prussia, Pennsylvania
King of Prussia is a census-designated place in Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 19,936. The community took its name in the 18th century from a local tavern named the King of Prussia Inn, which was named after...
with his wife Lisa. He has three children. Thomas and former Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Kenny Jackson
Kenny Jackson
Kenny Jackson is a former professional American football player. He played wide receiver for eight seasons in the National Football League with the Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Oilers and was twice named a collegiate All-American at Penn State University .-Early years:Jackson grew up in South...
are partners in chain of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
-area sports bars called KoKoMos. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/19/AR2007051901125.html
External links
- "Prepare for the worst, Jets fans" ESPN The MagazineESPN The MagazineESPN The Magazine is a bi-weekly sports magazine published by the ESPN sports network in Bristol, Connecticut in the United States. The first issue was published on March 11, 1998....
, April 26, 2007 - King of Prussia’s Blair Thomas returns to coaching at Football U, The King of Prussia Courier, July 3, 2008