William Thomas (linebacker)

Infobox NFLretired


name=William Thomas
|caption=
position=Linebacker
number=51, 59
birthdate=birth date and age|1968|8|13
Amarillo, Texas
debutyear=1991
finalyear=2001
draftyear=1991
draftround=4
draftpick=104
college=Texas A&M
teams=
* Philadelphia Eagles (1991-1999)
* Oakland Raiders (2000-2001)
stat1label=Sacks
stat1value=37
stat2label=Interceptions
stat2value=27
stat3label=Touchdowns
stat3value=2
nfl=THO404941
highlights=
* Pro Bowl (x2) (1995, 1996)
* 20/20 Club
HOF=
CollegeHOF= William Harrison Thomas (born August 13, 1968 in Amarillo, Texas) is a former American football linebacker for the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles (1991 – 1999) and Oakland Raiders (2000 – 2001) franchises.

Thomas attended Palo Duro High School and later played college football at Texas A&M University. After college, the Philadelphia Eagles selected Thomas in the fourth round, 104th overall in the 1991 NFL Draft. He will later played for the Eagles in nine NFL seasons. His most notable seasons were in 1995 and 1996 which he was selected as a member of the NFC's Pro Bowl team. After his Eagles contract expired, Thomas signed with the Oakland Raiders which were head coached by former Eagles assistant, Jon Gruden.

In his last NFL game, Thomas played in the January 19, 2002 AFC divisional playoff game between the Oakland Raiders and the New England Patriots in a snowstorm which endured through the entire game. The Patriots were behind in the game 13-3 in the fourth quarter. However, it would later change after the Patriots quarterback Tom Brady dropped the football which was originally ruled to be a Brady fumble was reversed by referee Walt Coleman as an incomplete pass based upon the "tuck rule". After review, Coleman ruled that, because Brady's arm was moving forward when he lost the football, he was deemed to have been in the act of throwing when he lost control of the ball. The Patriots retained the football and eventually won the game. In 2005, now then-head coach Jon Gruden reminisced the game as "the last game [cornerback] Eric Allen ever played and the last game [linebacker] William Thomas ever played."

William Thomas ended his career with 37 sacks and 27 interceptions and is a member of the 20/20 Club. He was also known as an exceptional pass-coverage linebacker during his career.

Thomas will join the coaching staff at La Salle University as a volunteer assistant.

William Thomas's sports agent was Leigh Steinberg.

References

*cite news
first=
last=
author=Ira Kaufman
url=http://bucs.tbo.com/bucs/MGBLVY747HE.html
title=All A Matter Of Tuck
publisher=The Tampa Tribune
pages=
page=
date=December 14, 2005
accessdate=
*cite news
first=
last=
author=Lance Lahnert
url=http://www.amarillo.com/stories/112300/spo_thomas.shtml
title=Thomas has made a 'commitment to excellence'
publisher=Amarillo Globe-News
pages=
page=
date=November 23, 2000
accessdate=
*cite web
author=
year=
url=http://www.nfl.com/draft/history/teams/PHI
title=Draft History (Philadelphia Eagles)
format=
work=
publisher=NFL.com
accessdate=December 21
accessyear=2005

External links

*pro-football-reference|id=ThomWi00|name=William Thomas
*nfl player|id=4391|name=William Thomas