David Thomas (American football)
Encyclopedia
John David Thomas is an American football
tight end
for the New Orleans Saints
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the New England Patriots
in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Texas
.
in Wolfforth, Texas
, and helped Frenship reach the state semi-finals in its division in 2000
. Thomas excelled at linebacker
, running back
and tight end for the Tigers, leading to speculation about what his role would be as a college player. After a heated recruiting battle with Texas Tech University
, the University of Texas secured a commitment from Thomas to play tight end for the Longhorns.
, given to the nation's best tight end, and for the Draddy Trophy
, for academic merit by a student athlete. In both 2004 and 2005 Thomas was named to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team for accomplishments in the classroom. Long a favorite of quarterback
Vince Young
, Thomas played a prominent role in the Longhorn's 41-38 National Championship upset of then #1 USC
in the 2006 Rose Bowl
, hauling in a game-high 10 receptions for 88 yards. He majored in kinesiology
.
in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft
. In the first 14 games of his rookie 2006
season, Thomas had only six receptions for a total of 76 yards, though three of those catches were for first downs (including his first two NFL completions which went for 29 and 11 yards, respectively). His breakout game came against the Jacksonville Jaguars
in Week 16 when, filling in for an injured Benjamin Watson
, Thomas caught five passes for a total of 83 yards, including his first NFL touchdown on a 22-yard pass from Tom Brady
.
Thomas suffered a foot injury during the Patriots' 2007 offseason conditioning program and was placed on the team's Active/Physically Unable to Perform
list for training camp and the preseason. After catching only one pass in one game played for the 2007 season
, Thomas was placed on injured reserve
by the Patriots on October 3, 2007 in what was suspected to be a re-aggravation of the foot injury he suffered before the start of the season.
In 2008
, Thomas started 10 games as part of a two-tight end formation that also included Watson, who started 9 games. Thomas had nine catches during the season for 93 yards, but none after November 2. He was also a healthy inactive in a December 7 game against the Seattle Seahawks
.
on September 5, 2009 in exchange for a seventh-round draft choice in the 2011 NFL Draft
. He had 35 receptions during the 2009 season, a career high.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
for the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was drafted by the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Texas
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
.
Early years
Thomas attended Frenship High SchoolFrenship Independent School District
Frenship Independent School District is a public school district based in Wolfforth, Texas .In addition to Wolfforth , the district serves western portions of Lubbock and southwestern Lubbock County. A small part of Hockley County also lies within the district...
in Wolfforth, Texas
Wolfforth, Texas
Wolfforth is a city in Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,554 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Lubbock Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Wolfforth is located at ....
, and helped Frenship reach the state semi-finals in its division in 2000
2000 in sports
2000 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Hermann Maier, Austria** Women's overall season champion: Renate Götschl, Austria-American football:...
. Thomas excelled at linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
, running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
and tight end for the Tigers, leading to speculation about what his role would be as a college player. After a heated recruiting battle with Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
, the University of Texas secured a commitment from Thomas to play tight end for the Longhorns.
College career
At Texas, Thomas broke school records for receptions, touchdowns, and yards by a tight end, as well as for receptions in a single game. He was also a candidate for the John Mackey AwardJohn Mackey Award
The John Mackey Award is presented annually to college football's most outstanding tight end.The award is given to the collegiate tight end who best exemplifies the play, sportsmanship, academics, and community values of NFL Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey....
, given to the nation's best tight end, and for the Draddy Trophy
Draddy Trophy
The William V. Campbell trophy, formerly the Vincent dePaul Draddy Trophy, is a trophy awarded by the National Football Foundation that is given to the American college football player with the best combination of academics, community service, and on-field performance...
, for academic merit by a student athlete. In both 2004 and 2005 Thomas was named to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team for accomplishments in the classroom. Long a favorite of quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Vince Young
Vince Young
Vincent Paul Young, Jr. , nicknamed "VY", is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He spent the first five seasons of his career with the Tennessee Titans. Young was the third overall draft pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college...
, Thomas played a prominent role in the Longhorn's 41-38 National Championship upset of then #1 USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
in the 2006 Rose Bowl
2006 Rose Bowl
The 2006 Rose Bowl Game, played on January 4, 2006, was a football game that served as the national championship of the 2005-2006 Bowl Championship Series...
, hauling in a game-high 10 receptions for 88 yards. He majored in kinesiology
Kinesiology
Kinesiology, also known as human kinetics is the scientific study of human movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, mechanical, and psychological mechanisms. Applications of kinesiology to human health include: biomechanics and orthopedics, rehabilitation, such as physical and occupational...
.
New England Patriots
Thomas was drafted by the New England PatriotsNew England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by...
. In the first 14 games of his rookie 2006
2006 New England Patriots season
The 2006 New England Patriots season was the 37th season for the team in the National Football League and 47th season overall. They finished with a 12–4 record and a division title before losing to the Indianapolis Colts in the playoffs....
season, Thomas had only six receptions for a total of 76 yards, though three of those catches were for first downs (including his first two NFL completions which went for 29 and 11 yards, respectively). His breakout game came against the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in Week 16 when, filling in for an injured Benjamin Watson
Benjamin Watson
Benjamin Watson is an American football tight end for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 32nd overall in the 2004 NFL draft. He played college football at Georgia.-Early years:Watson attended Northwestern High School in Rock Hill, South...
, Thomas caught five passes for a total of 83 yards, including his first NFL touchdown on a 22-yard pass from Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
.
Thomas suffered a foot injury during the Patriots' 2007 offseason conditioning program and was placed on the team's Active/Physically Unable to Perform
Physically Unable to Perform
Players can be labeled Physically Unable to Perform in the National Football League if they suffer from football-related injuries during the preseason...
list for training camp and the preseason. After catching only one pass in one game played for the 2007 season
2007 New England Patriots season
The 2007 New England Patriots season was the 38th season for the team in the National Football League and 48th season overall. They finished with a perfect 16–0 regular season record but lost to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII....
, Thomas was placed on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
by the Patriots on October 3, 2007 in what was suspected to be a re-aggravation of the foot injury he suffered before the start of the season.
In 2008
2008 New England Patriots season
The 2008 New England Patriots season was the 39th season for the team in the National Football League and 49th season overall. Despite finishing the regular season with an 11–5 record, the Patriots did not qualify for the playoffs—becoming the first 11-win team since the expansion to a 12-team...
, Thomas started 10 games as part of a two-tight end formation that also included Watson, who started 9 games. Thomas had nine catches during the season for 93 yards, but none after November 2. He was also a healthy inactive in a December 7 game against the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
.
New Orleans Saints
Thomas was traded to the New Orleans SaintsNew Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
on September 5, 2009 in exchange for a seventh-round draft choice in the 2011 NFL Draft
2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...
. He had 35 receptions during the 2009 season, a career high.