Randy Thomas (American football)
Encyclopedia
Randy Thomas is an American football
guard
who is currently a free agent
. He was drafted by the New York Jets
in the second round of the 1999 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Mississippi State
.
Thomas has also been a member of the Washington Redskins
and Miami Dolphins
.
until the tenth grade at Tri Cities High School. He gained special recognition form in the state of Georgia
as a tight end
. Thomas also lettered in basketball
, playing both forward and center, and played baseball
on the prep level, where he was a pitcher.
. He was rated the best JUCO lineman in the state by the Jackson Clarion-Ledger and the fifth-best player overall. He helped Copiah-Lincoln to a 15-5 record during his junior college career, including 8-2 his freshman campaign.Thomas started every game in his two years at Mississippi State after transferring from junior college. He quickly established himself as one of the Bulldogs’ top offensive linemen. Earned 1st-team all-Southeastern Conference
honors and was also an SEC Academic Honor Roll recipient. He started all 12 games at RG, led the team with 90 knockdowns as he showed excellent consistency for an offense that gained 3870 yards.
by the New York Jets
.
He started all 16 games during his rookie season in 1999 and helped Curtis Martin
rush for a team-record 1,464 yards and achieve six 100-yard rushing games. He also kept the Jets sack-free for four games. In 2000, he started all 16 games at right guard and did not miss one snap during the entire season. He played a key role on an offensive line that tied Indianapolis Colts
for fewest sacks allowed during the regular season (20) and helped the Jets offense become one of the most dangerous in the NFL, averaging 337.2 yards per game (12th best in the NFL). The passing offense, which averaged 245.3 yards per game, was sixth best in the league. The offensive line shut out opposing defenses five times in the sack category, the best mark in the league. Thomas played and started 13 games for the New York Jets in 2001, missing three games due to an ankle injury. He helped the squad finish with 2,054 (128.4 avg.) rushing yards, good for fourth in the NFL and second in the AFC. He assisted the team to rush for 125 yards or more in eight contests and helped the team average four yards or more in ten games. Thomas helped allow the team to top the 300 total yard mark seven times during the season and assisted in the offense not allowing a sack in five contests. Thomas was the starting right guard for the New York Jets for all 16 games of the 2002 season, clearing the path for Curtis Martin’s 1,094 rushing yards on the year. He made his 50th career start, in week five against Kansas City and helped open holes for Martin’s 119 yards on the ground. Thomas also helped pave the way for the teams 180 yards rushing and a 41-0 win over the Colts in the AFC Wild Card game.
, where he solidified the right guard position and teamed with right tackle Jon Jansen
to form a formidable right side of the offensive line for the Redskins offense. Thomas along with John Hall
, Laveranues Coles
, and Chad Morton
were officially nicknamed "The Jetskins," a nickname given to them for all leaving the New York Jets
and signing with the Washington Redskins
the same year in 2003. He blocked well for a group of Redskin running backs led by Trung Canidate
's 600 rushing yards and was solid in pass protection for Patrick Ramsey
and Tim Hasselbeck
. He earned a nod as a Pro Bowl third alternate for his efforts. In 2004, he started 15 games at right guard, missing one game due to a severe hamstring injury.
On September 20, 2009, Thomas suffered a severe triceps injury in a game against the St. Louis Rams
, tearing the muscle completely off the bone. The injury will sideline Thomas for the rest of the season, and possibly end his career. He was released on March 4, 2010.
Also Thomas took on world-ranked professional eater Sonya Thomas
(no relation) and was defeated in a shrimp eating contest.
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...
guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was drafted by the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the second round of the 1999 NFL Draft
1999 NFL Draft
The 1999 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 17-18, 1999...
. 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 Mississippi State
Mississippi State Bulldogs football
The Mississippi State Bulldogs football program represents Mississippi State University in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing as a member of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference. Mississippi State has produced 38 All-Americans, 171 All-SEC selections, and 124...
.
Thomas has also been a member of the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
and Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Early years
Thomas did not start playing footballHigh school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
until the tenth grade at Tri Cities High School. He gained special recognition form in the state of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
as a 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...
. Thomas also lettered in basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, playing both forward and center, and played baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
on the prep level, where he was a pitcher.
College career
Prior to his career at Mississippi State, Thomas was an All-America, All-State & all-Region selection as a two-year starter at "tight" guard at Copiah-Lincoln Community CollegeCopiah-Lincoln Community College
Copiah-Lincoln Community College is a comprehensive public community college with its main campus located in Wesson, Mississippi, about south of Jackson, the state capitol and north of New Orleans. The Co-Lin District serves a seven-county area including Adams, Copiah, Franklin County,...
. He was rated the best JUCO lineman in the state by the Jackson Clarion-Ledger and the fifth-best player overall. He helped Copiah-Lincoln to a 15-5 record during his junior college career, including 8-2 his freshman campaign.Thomas started every game in his two years at Mississippi State after transferring from junior college. He quickly established himself as one of the Bulldogs’ top offensive linemen. Earned 1st-team all-Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
honors and was also an SEC Academic Honor Roll recipient. He started all 12 games at RG, led the team with 90 knockdowns as he showed excellent consistency for an offense that gained 3870 yards.
New York Jets
Thomas was drafted in the 1999 NFL Draft1999 NFL Draft
The 1999 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 17-18, 1999...
by the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
He started all 16 games during his rookie season in 1999 and helped Curtis Martin
Curtis Martin
Curtis James Martin, Jr. is a former American football running back. He is an alumnus of Taylor Allderdice High School in Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh...
rush for a team-record 1,464 yards and achieve six 100-yard rushing games. He also kept the Jets sack-free for four games. In 2000, he started all 16 games at right guard and did not miss one snap during the entire season. He played a key role on an offensive line that tied Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
for fewest sacks allowed during the regular season (20) and helped the Jets offense become one of the most dangerous in the NFL, averaging 337.2 yards per game (12th best in the NFL). The passing offense, which averaged 245.3 yards per game, was sixth best in the league. The offensive line shut out opposing defenses five times in the sack category, the best mark in the league. Thomas played and started 13 games for the New York Jets in 2001, missing three games due to an ankle injury. He helped the squad finish with 2,054 (128.4 avg.) rushing yards, good for fourth in the NFL and second in the AFC. He assisted the team to rush for 125 yards or more in eight contests and helped the team average four yards or more in ten games. Thomas helped allow the team to top the 300 total yard mark seven times during the season and assisted in the offense not allowing a sack in five contests. Thomas was the starting right guard for the New York Jets for all 16 games of the 2002 season, clearing the path for Curtis Martin’s 1,094 rushing yards on the year. He made his 50th career start, in week five against Kansas City and helped open holes for Martin’s 119 yards on the ground. Thomas also helped pave the way for the teams 180 yards rushing and a 41-0 win over the Colts in the AFC Wild Card game.
Washington Redskins
Thomas came to the Redskins for the 2003 season2003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...
, where he solidified the right guard position and teamed with right tackle Jon Jansen
Jon Jansen
Jonathan Ward Jansen is an American football offensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He previously played for the Detroit Lions and Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the second round of the 1999 NFL Draft...
to form a formidable right side of the offensive line for the Redskins offense. Thomas along with John Hall
John Hall (American football)
John Hall is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League. He kicked for Port Charlotte High School and played college football at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. While at Wisconsin, Hall played and won three bowl games...
, Laveranues Coles
Laveranues Coles
Laveranues Leon Coles is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State University....
, and Chad Morton
Chad Morton
Chad Akio Morton is a former American football running back and kick/punt returner in the National Football League...
were officially nicknamed "The Jetskins," a nickname given to them for all leaving the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and signing with the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
the same year in 2003. He blocked well for a group of Redskin running backs led by Trung Canidate
Trung Canidate
Trung Jered Canidate is a U.S. former American football running back in the NFL. Drafted out of Arizona, Canidate was selected with the 31st overall pick of the 2000 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams.-Pre-draft:...
's 600 rushing yards and was solid in pass protection for Patrick Ramsey
Patrick Ramsey
Patrick Allen Ramsey is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins 32nd overall in the 2002 NFL Draft...
and Tim Hasselbeck
Tim Hasselbeck
Timothy Thomas "Tim" Hasselbeck is an American ESPN analyst and former professional American football quarterback for the New York Giants, Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles, and Buffalo Bills....
. He earned a nod as a Pro Bowl third alternate for his efforts. In 2004, he started 15 games at right guard, missing one game due to a severe hamstring injury.
On September 20, 2009, Thomas suffered a severe triceps injury in a game against the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
, tearing the muscle completely off the bone. The injury will sideline Thomas for the rest of the season, and possibly end his career. He was released on March 4, 2010.
Miami Dolphins
Thomas signed with the Dolphins on August 18, 2010. He was released on August 25, after re-injuring his arm.Personal
During the 2004 offseason, Thomas opened up a Rib joint in suburban Atlanta called RT's. The restaurant specializes in southern-style barbecue ribs.Also Thomas took on world-ranked professional eater Sonya Thomas
Sonya Thomas
Sonya Thomas , also known by her nickname The Black Widow, is a top-ranked Korean-born American competitive eater from Alexandria, Virginia. Thomas joined the International Federation of Competitive Eating in 2003 and quickly rose to the top of the ranks, beating competitive eaters such as Ed...
(no relation) and was defeated in a shrimp eating contest.