Adalius Thomas

Infobox NFLactive


currentteam=New England Patriots
|width=
Caption=
currentnumber=96
currentposition=Linebacker
birthdate=birth date and age|1977|7|18
birthplace=Equality, Alabama
heightft=6
heightin=2
weight=270
debutyear=2000
debutteam=Baltimore Ravens
highlights=
* 1999 Liberty Bowl MVP
* Super Bowl XXXV Champion
* 2x Pro Bowl selection (2003, 2006)
* 2x All-Pro selection (2003, 2006)
* Led NFL in non-offensive touchdowns in 2005
college=Southern Mississippi
draftyear=2000
draftround=6
draftpick=186
pastteams=
*Baltimore Ravens (2000-2006)
*New England Patriots (2007-"present")
statweek=4
statseason=2008
statlabel1=Tackles
statvalue1=461
statlabel2=Sacks
statvalue2=47.0
statlabel3=INTs
statvalue3=7
nfl=THO013777

Adalius Donquail Thomas (pronEng|ah-DAY-lus) (born July 18, 1977 in Equality, Alabama) is an American football linebacker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. His cousin Justin Tuck plays defensive end for the New York Giants.cite web|url=http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/2005draft/Tuck,Justin-DE-Notre%20Dame.htm|title=Justin Tuck, DE, Notre Dame|author=|publisher=USA Today|accessdate=2008-01-18|date=2005-05-18] cite web|url=http://www.nj.com/giants/roadtrip/index.ssf/2008/01/ny_giants_justin_tuck_has_root.html|title=NY Giants' Justin Tuck has roots in Alabama|author=Manahan, Kevin|publisher=NJ.com|accessdate=2008-04-02|date=2008-01-30]

Early years

Thomas attended Central Coosa High School in Rockford, Alabama and was a letterman in football and basketball. In football, as a senior, he was named as a Class 4A All-State selection by the Birmingham News and as an Honorable Mention Class 4A All-State selection by the Montgomery Adviser. In basketball, as a senior, he led his team to the State Title and was named the Alabama Class 4A Player of the Year.

College career

Adalius Thomas attended The University of Southern Mississippi, where he was a star defensive end for head coach Jeff Bower. Thomas led one of the top defenses in college football, notching Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year honors his junior and senior years. The Golden Eagles won three Conference USA championships (1996, 1997, and 1999) in his four years in Hattiesburg, losing only two conference games and winning two Liberty Bowls.

Thomas was named a Freshman All-American by the Sporting News in 1996, leading the Golden Eagles to an 8-3 record and a share of the Conference USA title. Southern Miss fished 9-3 in Thomas' sophomore season, en route to a Conference USA Championship and a victory in the Liberty Bowl. Thomas was named to the All-Conference first team.

Statistically speaking, Thomas' best season came in 1998, when he tallied 71 tackles, in addition to a conference-high 12.5 sacks and 20 tackles-for-loss. Thomas was named a first team All-American and tied for Defensive Player of the Year. Thomas earned third-team All-American and Defensive Player of the Year honors as a senior, in addition to being named the MVP of the 1999 Liberty Bowl. He was also named as a finalist for the Conerly Trophy.

Thomas was also a power forward on the Golden Eagles' basketball team in the 1995-96 and 1996-97 seasons, making him the first player in USM history to play both football and basketball.

Professional career

Adalius Thomas was a sixth round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 2000 (186th overall). Competing with Peter Boulware and Michael McCrary for playing time, Thomas made only 89 tackles in his first three years. In 2003, Thomas was recognized for his special teams play and was selected to his first Pro Bowl. That year, he registered 34 tackles (23 of them on special teams) 8 passes defended, 4 sacks and a forced fumble.

Thomas was a backup linebacker until 2004, when he finally began to shine. That year he amassed 72 tackles, 4 forced fumbles, 5 passes defended, an interception and 8 sacks. In 2005, Thomas enjoyed his finest year to date. With Boulware relegated to situational pass-rush duty, Thomas was named the starting left outside linebacker, where he accumulated 84 total tackles and 9 sacks. In the absence of Ray Lewis, Thomas stepped up as the leader of the Ravens Squad, becoming the first ever player to play 5 defensive positions (DE, OLB, MLB, Safety, and CB) in one game (a feat he recorded three times).

Thomas finally got recognition in 2006, where he helped a Ravens defense that was ranked #1 overall, and finished 13-3 getting the #2 seed in the playoffs (ultimately losing to the Colts). He also earned his 2nd Pro Bowl bid to the 2007 Pro Bowl. In the game he returned a Marc Bulger fumble for a touchdown.

On March 3, 2007, [ [http://www.patriots.com/team/index.cfm?ac=playerbio&bio=30839 Adalius Thomas - Official New England Patriots Biography ] ] Adalius Thomas signed a 5-year contract with the New England Patriots worth $35 million, including $20 million in guaranteed money.

tats

In seven NFL seasons, Thomas has recorded 261 solo tackles, 38.5 sacks, forced 13 fumbles and recorded 6 interceptions. He was selected to play in the Pro Bowl two times, in 2003 and 2006.

References

External links

* [http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/stats?playerId=2317 ESPN Player Profile]
* [http://www.profootball-reference.com/players/ThomAd00.htm Profootball-reference.com Stats]
* [http://www.adalius96.com Adalius Thomas Official Website]
* [http://www.patriots.com/team/index.cfm?ac=playerbio&bio=30839 Adalius Thomas biog on patriots.com]