Rodney Thomas (defensive back)
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| Position: | Defensive back | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | December 21, 1965 Los Angeles, California, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 190 lb (86 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Chaffey (Ontario, CA) | ||||||||
| College: | BYU | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1988: 5th round, 126th pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Rodney Lamar Thomas (born December 21, 1965) is an American former professional football defensive back who played 46 games in the National Football League from 1988 to 1991. Thomas spent three seasons with the Miami Dolphins and one with the Los Angeles Rams. He played college football at BYU.
Early life and college
[edit]Thomas was born in Los Angeles and played high school football at Chaffey High School in Ontario, California. He attended college at Brigham Young University, where he started for the football team as a sophomore; he was the only sophomore starter on the 1985 team.[1][2] Thomas was named to the all-Western Athletic Conference first team in his junior year.[3] In his senior season, Thomas injured his ankle in a game against TCU, causing him to miss multiple games.[4] He returned an interception for a touchdown in the final regular-season game against rival Utah.[5] Thomas was named to the all-WAC second team following the 1987 season.[6]
Professional career
[edit]Thomas was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 1988 NFL draft. He struggled in his first year in the NFL; he played in twelve games and started in one, but he was replaced in his sole start after a poor performance.[7][8] In the 1989 season, the Dolphins used Thomas as a dimeback alongside Don McNeal.[9] Thomas became a free agent after the 1990 season and signed with the Los Angeles Rams, where he played in three games.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ Knoell, Dorothy (November 28, 1985). "Rodney Thomas Solidifying '85 Cougar Secondary". The Daily Herald. p. 9A. Retrieved February 2, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Knoell, Dorothy (September 4, 1986). "Despite losses, defensive backs should be solid". The Daily Herald. p. 33A. Retrieved February 2, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Dunn, Marion (November 26, 1986). "Knight, Buck lead Provo contingent on All-WAC". The Daily Herald. p. 7. Retrieved February 2, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Knoell, Dorothy (September 21, 1987). "Several Cougars hurt in TCU loss". p. 9. Retrieved February 2, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Harmon, Dick (November 22, 1987). "WHEW! Cougars slip past Utes, 21-18". The Daily Herald. p. 17. Retrieved February 2, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "All-WAC Teams". Albuquerque Journal. Associated Press. November 26, 1987. p. 2F. Retrieved February 2, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Lee, Victor (July 21, 1989). "Thomas finds lessons strike (vocal) chord". The Palm Beach Post. p. 1C. Retrieved February 2, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Lee, Victor (July 21, 1989). "Thomas year older, wiser (continued)". The Palm Beach Post. p. 7C. Retrieved February 2, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Bricker, Charles (November 19, 1989). "What can Shula get for a dime? Solid coverage". South Florida Sun Sentinel. p. 7C. Retrieved February 2, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Rodney Thomas a Ram". Merced Sun-Star. March 22, 1991. p. B1. Retrieved February 2, 2025.