Ken Thomas (American football)
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
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| Born: | February 11, 1960 Hanford, California, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Died: | November 13, 2002 (aged 42) Independence, Missouri, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 211 lb (96 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Hanford | ||||||||||||
| College: | San Jose State | ||||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1983 / round: 7 / pick: 173 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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Ken Thomas (February 11, 1960 — November 13, 2002) was a professional American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at San José State University.
Early life
[edit]Thomas was born and grew up in Hanford, California and attended Hanford High School, where he competed in football, track and basketball.[1] Thomas was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in 2010.[2]
College career
[edit]Thomas was named All-Pacific Coast Athletic Association in 1979 and 1981, when he was also a second-team NEA All-America selection.[3] Thomas tied the school record with 14 interceptions and holds the record for interceptions returned for touchdowns in a season (3) and for a career (5).[4] Thomas also ran track at SJSU and was named an All-American 1981 as a member of the Spartans' 400-meter relay team that finished fifth at the NCAA championships.[2]
Professional career
[edit]Thomas was selected in the seventh round of the 1983 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs.[5][6][7] He was moved to running back in the preseason and rushed for 55 yards on 15 carries and caught 28 passes for 236 yards and one touchdown.[8] Thomas injured his knee in a preseason game in 1984 and spent the season on injured reserve and 1985 on the physically unable to perform list before ultimately retiring.[9]
Personal life
[edit]Thomas's older brother, Jewerl Thomas, also played football at SJSU and in the NFL. Thomas died in 2002.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ "Thomas changes spots again". Spartan Daily. August 30, 1982.
- ^ a b c "Trio to join HHS grid hall". Hanford Sentinel. June 18, 2010.
- ^ Murray Olderman (November 28, 1981). "NEA's 1981 All-America football team". Mattoon (IL) Journal Gazette. p. 14. Retrieved June 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "San Jose State University Football 2017 Media Guide" (PDF).
- ^ "1983 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
- ^ McMullen, Matt (April 7, 2020). "A Historical Look at the Chiefs' Seventh-Round Draft Picks". Chiefs.com.
- ^ "The Greatest Kansas City Chiefs, By the Numbers: #35". arrowheadpride.com. August 20, 2009.
- ^ Stallard, Mark (2001). "KC Chiefs All-Time Roster". Kansas City Chiefs Encyclopedia. Sports Publishing LLC. p. 303. ISBN 9781582612751.
- ^ "The Kansas City Chiefs waived 10 players Monday, including..." United Press International.
