Pierre Thomas (American football)

Infobox NFLactive


name=Pierre Thomas
currentteam=New Orleans Saints
currentnumber=23
currentposition=Running back
birthdate=birth date and age|1984|12|18
birthplace=Lynwood, Illinois
heightft=5
heightin=11
weight=210
debutyear=2007
debutteam=New Orleans Saints
college=Illinois
undraftedyear=2007
pastteams=
* New Orleans Saints (2007-present)
nfl=THO085535

Charles Pierre Thomas Jr. (born December 18, 1984) is an American football running back for the New Orleans Saints in the National Football League.

Early years

Pierre attended Thornton Fractional South High School from 1999-2003 in Lansing, Illinois where he led the Rebels to the state semi-finals in his senior year. He was recruited by the University of Illinois.

College

For the Fighting Illini, Pierre started as a true freshman, and kept the job for the whole of his college career. As a freshman, he was the team's second-leading rusher with 233 yards on 43 carries. He also caught three passes for 12 yards and returned seven kicks for 134 yards and had two total touchdowns. In 2004, as a sophomore, Pierre won the team Most Valuable Player award. He earned honourable mention All Big 10 Conference while leading the conference in all-purpose yards (151.4 per game) and became the 31st player in Illinois history to rush for more than 1,000 career yards (1,126). The next year Pierre was again voted Team MVP and voted team captain. He led the team in rushing for the second straight year with 664 yards on 127 carries, scoring five touchdowns. He also caught 28 passes for 225 yards and a touchdown. Thomas finished the season ranked 13th on the all-time Illinois rushing list. He caught a career-long 52-yard pass at University of California and finished the game with more than 200 all-purpose yards after rushing for 57, 59 yards receiving and 92 yards in kickoff returns. He had seven games with more than 100 all-purpose yards and scored the game-winning touchdown in overtime of Illinois' season opener against Rutgers. As a senior, he ended his season ranking seventh on the Illini career rushing list with 2,393 yards and third on the Illini career all-purpose yardage list with 4,099. He ranks second on the Illini career kickoff return yardage list with 1,328, needing just 56 to break Clinton Lynch's record. Pierre declared for the 2007 NFL Draft.

Pro career

Thomas was expected to go undrafted and he did. Shortly after the draft, Pierre signed a contract as an undrafted free agent with the New Orleans Saints [http://fightingillini.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/050107aac.html] .Thomas was predicted to be a camp body (someone who is there to make up the numbers at training camp) for the Saints but ended up having a stellar preseason and beating out Antonio Pittman, a player the Saints had traded up to take in the fourth round of the draft, to make the Saints final 53 player roster. He is number 4 on the depth chart, but now that starter Deuce McAllister has been confirmed to be out for the season Thomas may get his chance in the spotlight. Thomas recorded his first NFL touchdown on October 14th, 2007 in a game against the Seattle Seahawks, a botched-punt fumble recovery which set the tone for the Saints first win of the season. Thomas scored his first rushing touchdown on October 23, 2007, in a tackle-breaking 24-yard run through the Atlanta Falcons defense. On December 30, 2007, in the Saints' season finale, injuries had taken regular starters Deuce McAllister (out for the season after the 3rd game of the season against the Tennessee Titans), Reggie Bush, and Aaron Stecker out of the game [http://www.nola.com/sportsflash/index.ssf?/base/sports-14/1198821853315880.xml&storylist=saints] .It was up to Pierre to carry the ball for the Saints. He proved he was up to the task and even though the Saints lost, Pierre made history that day. Not only did Pierre get his first NFL start in his hometown at Chicago's Soldier Field against the Chicago Bears; he became the first Saints player to gain over 100 yards both rushing and receiving in the same game [http://blog.nola.com/saintsbeat/2007/12/bitter_end.html] .

External links

* [http://www.neworleanssaints.com/Team/Roster/People/Pierre%20Thomas.aspx New Orleans Saints bio]

References