Syd'Quan Thompson
Encyclopedia
Syd'Quan Thompson is an American football
cornerback
for the Denver Broncos
. Thompson was drafted by the Broncos as the 225th overall selection in the 2010 NFL Draft
. He played college football at California
.
to mother Patrice Thompson. He attended Grant Union High School
where he played football
and earned all-state honors three times. As a junior in 2004, he recorded 950 rushing yards for 18 touchdowns, 15 receptions for 360 yards and four touchdowns, returned five punts, and returned one kickoff for a touchdown. That year, Rivals.com ranked him the number-one junior player in the state, and he received the California Mr. Football Award. As a senior, he recorded more than 70 tackles, two interceptions, 1,000 rushing yards, and 12 touchdowns. He received an invitation to play in the CaliFlorida Bowl. The Sacramento Bee
named him to its all-metro
second team.
Scout.com
rated him the number-five player in its West Hot 100. Rivals.com
rated him the 13th-ranked athlete in the nation and the 21st-ranked player in California. ESPN assessed him as the 11th-ranked cornerback in the nation. PrepStar named him an All-American, as did SuperPrep, which also rated him the 17th-ranked defensive back in the nation and the 13th-ranked player in California. Thompson was rated a four-star prospect by both Scout.com and Rivals.com. He received scholarship offers
from Arizona
, California
, Kansas State
, Oklahoma
, Oregon
, UCLA
, and Washington
.
where he majored in social welfare. He sat out the 2005 season
as a redshirt
. In 2006
, starting
cornerback Tim Mixon
suffered a knee injury before the season, which forced Thompson to fill in that role for the remainder of the season. In the season-opener against Tennessee
, Thompson played with a cast because of a broken wrist and was twice outpaced by All-American wide receiver Robert Meachem
for touchdown receptions. Tennessee won, 35–18. Thompson started all 13 games of the season, and he recorded 60 tackles including 35 solo, two fumble recoveries including one returned for a touchdown against Stanford
, and one interception. The Sporting News
named him to its freshman All-Pac-10 team. In 2007
, Thompson again started all 13 games and recorded 78 tackles including six for loss, ten broken-up passes, and one interception.
, he started in all 13 games at cornerback and as served as the punt returner
. He recorded four interceptions for 128 yards and 18 passes defended. Against Washington State
, he set a school single-game record with 108 interception return yards. In that game, he intercepted one pass and returned it 90 yards, before being caught by Washington State running back Christopher Ivory five yards short of the goal line. California scored on its ensuing possession, but Thompson reported he was teased by his teammates and asserted that he "was good for the first 40 yards, but then my back and my hip started tightening up." Against Colorado State
, he returned a punt 73 yards for a touchdown, for which he was named the Pac-10 Special Teams Player of the Week. Thompson received the team's Andy Smith Award for most playing time, and he was named to the All-Pac-10 first team.
, which is an award bestowed upon the nation's best defensive player with strong character. He has also been declared a preseason All-American by many various publications. In preseason predictions for California, many analysts have named California's secondary a major strength, largely because of Thompson. When asked to name his four most important teammates, California linebacker Worrell Williams included Thompson as the only defensive player. He said, "So what's that tell you? He's going to shut down one side of the field when he's out there."
The NFL Draft Scout, a CBS Sports
affiliate, rated Thompson 15th of its Top 32 seniors for the 2009 season, and wrote, "His straight-line speed, agility, reliable open-field tackling and natural return skills would be earning significantly more attention from the national media if he played in the Big Ten
or SEC
." The NFL Draft Scout assessed him as the best cornerback out of the 226 available for the 2010 NFL Draft
and projected him as a first or second round selection. Following his senior season, Thompson represented Cal at the 2010 Senior Bowl
by the Broncos as the 225th overall selection. He recorded his first NFL interception against the New York Jets
on October 17, 2010. On September 2, 2011, during the Broncos' last preseason game at the Arizona Cardinals
, Thompson suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon
, and will miss the entire 2011
season.
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...
cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
for the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Thompson was drafted by the Broncos as the 225th overall selection in the 2010 NFL Draft
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
. He played college football at California
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
.
Early life
Thompson was born on February 7, 1987 in Sacramento, CaliforniaSacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
to mother Patrice Thompson. He attended Grant Union High School
Grant Union High School (Sacramento, California)
Grant Union High School is a public high school in Sacramento, California, United States.-Notable alumni:*Don Doll, American football player*Gene Filipski, American football player*David Kilson, American football player*Leron Lee, American football player...
where he played football
High 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....
and earned all-state honors three times. As a junior in 2004, he recorded 950 rushing yards for 18 touchdowns, 15 receptions for 360 yards and four touchdowns, returned five punts, and returned one kickoff for a touchdown. That year, Rivals.com ranked him the number-one junior player in the state, and he received the California Mr. Football Award. As a senior, he recorded more than 70 tackles, two interceptions, 1,000 rushing yards, and 12 touchdowns. He received an invitation to play in the CaliFlorida Bowl. The Sacramento Bee
The Sacramento Bee
The Sacramento Bee is a daily newspaper published in Sacramento, California, in the United States. Since its creation in 1857, the Bee has become Sacramento's largest newspaper, the fifth largest newspaper in California, and the 25th largest paper in the U.S...
named him to its all-metro
Sacramento metropolitan area
The Greater Sacramento area, or officially Sacramento–Arden Arcade–Yuba City, CA-NV Combined Statistical Area, is a combined statistical area consisting of several metropolitan statistical areas and seven counties in Northern California and one in Western Nevada. These are Sacramento, Yolo, El...
second team.
Scout.com
Scout.com
Scout.com is an integrated sports publishing company that produces both an Internet and print product. Scout has more than 2.1 million visitors...
rated him the number-five player in its West Hot 100. Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
rated him the 13th-ranked athlete in the nation and the 21st-ranked player in California. ESPN assessed him as the 11th-ranked cornerback in the nation. PrepStar named him an All-American, as did SuperPrep, which also rated him the 17th-ranked defensive back in the nation and the 13th-ranked player in California. Thompson was rated a four-star prospect by both Scout.com and Rivals.com. He received scholarship offers
Athletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
from Arizona
Arizona Wildcats football
The Arizona Wildcats football team is the football team of the University of Arizona, located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level.-Early years:...
, California
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
, Kansas State
Kansas State Wildcats football
The Kansas State Wildcats football program is the intercollegiate football program of the Kansas State University Wildcats. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
, Oregon
Oregon Ducks football
The Oregon Ducks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University of Oregon located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. Known as the Ducks, the...
, UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
, and Washington
Washington Huskies football
College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by...
.
2005–2007 seasons
Thompson enrolled at the University of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
where he majored in social welfare. He sat out the 2005 season
2005 California Golden Bears football team
The 2005 California Golden Bears football team represented the University of California, Berkeley in the college football 2005-2006 season. They played their home games at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, California and were coached by Jeff Tedford....
as a redshirt
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
. In 2006
2006 California Golden Bears football team
The 2006 California Golden Bears football team represented the University of California, Berkeley in the college football 2006-2007 season. They played their home games at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, California and were coached by Jeff Tedford....
, starting
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
cornerback Tim Mixon
Tim Mixon
Timothy Mixon is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was originally signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at California....
suffered a knee injury before the season, which forced Thompson to fill in that role for the remainder of the season. In the season-opener against Tennessee
2006 Tennessee Volunteers football team
The 2006 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the college football season of 2006–2007. Tennessee entered the 2006 season coming off an 5–6 record in 2005...
, Thompson played with a cast because of a broken wrist and was twice outpaced by All-American wide receiver Robert Meachem
Robert Meachem
Robert Meachem is an American football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Saints 27th overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tennessee....
for touchdown receptions. Tennessee won, 35–18. Thompson started all 13 games of the season, and he recorded 60 tackles including 35 solo, two fumble recoveries including one returned for a touchdown against Stanford
2006 Stanford Cardinal football team
The 2006 Stanford Cardinal football team represented Stanford University in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. In head coach Walt Harris's second season at Stanford, the Cardinal won only one game, ending the season with a 1–11 record, the school's worst since a winless 1960 season....
, and one interception. The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
named him to its freshman All-Pac-10 team. In 2007
2007 California Golden Bears football team
The 2007 California Golden Bears football team represented the University of California, Berkeley in the college football 2007-2008 season. They played their home games at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, California and were coached by Jeff Tedford....
, Thompson again started all 13 games and recorded 78 tackles including six for loss, ten broken-up passes, and one interception.
2008 season
In 20082008 California Golden Bears football team
The 2008 California Golden Bears football team represented the University of California, Berkeley in the college football 2008-2009 season. They played their home games at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, California and are coached by Jeff Tedford...
, he started in all 13 games at cornerback and as served as the punt returner
Punt returner
Punt returner is a position on special teams in American football.-Description:The role of a punt returner is to catch the ball after it is punted and to give his team good field position by returning it. Before catching the punted ball, the returner must assess the situation on the field while...
. He recorded four interceptions for 128 yards and 18 passes defended. Against Washington State
2008 Washington State Cougars football team
The 2008 Washington State Cougars football team represented Washington State University in the college football season of 2008-2009. The team's head coach was Paul Wulff. It played its home games at Martin Stadium in Pullman, Washington...
, he set a school single-game record with 108 interception return yards. In that game, he intercepted one pass and returned it 90 yards, before being caught by Washington State running back Christopher Ivory five yards short of the goal line. California scored on its ensuing possession, but Thompson reported he was teased by his teammates and asserted that he "was good for the first 40 yards, but then my back and my hip started tightening up." Against Colorado State
2008 Colorado State Rams football team
The 2008 CSU Rams football team represents Colorado State University in the college football 2008-2009 season. They play their home games at Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium in Fort Collins, CO and were led by first year coach Steve Fairchild...
, he returned a punt 73 yards for a touchdown, for which he was named the Pac-10 Special Teams Player of the Week. Thompson received the team's Andy Smith Award for most playing time, and he was named to the All-Pac-10 first team.
2009 season
Thompson is on the watch list for the 2009 Lott TrophyLott Trophy
The Lott IMPACT Trophy is presented annually to the college football Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year. IMPACT is an acronym for: integrity, maturity, performance, academics, community, and tenacity. The award purports to equally recognize the personal character of the winning player as well as...
, which is an award bestowed upon the nation's best defensive player with strong character. He has also been declared a preseason All-American by many various publications. In preseason predictions for California, many analysts have named California's secondary a major strength, largely because of Thompson. When asked to name his four most important teammates, California linebacker Worrell Williams included Thompson as the only defensive player. He said, "So what's that tell you? He's going to shut down one side of the field when he's out there."
The NFL Draft Scout, a CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
affiliate, rated Thompson 15th of its Top 32 seniors for the 2009 season, and wrote, "His straight-line speed, agility, reliable open-field tackling and natural return skills would be earning significantly more attention from the national media if he played in the Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
or SEC
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...
." The NFL Draft Scout assessed him as the best cornerback out of the 226 available for the 2010 NFL Draft
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
and projected him as a first or second round selection. Following his senior season, Thompson represented Cal at the 2010 Senior Bowl
2010 Senior Bowl
The 2010 Under Armour Senior Bowl was an all-star college football exhibition game featuring players from the 2009 college football season, and prospects for the 2010 Draft of the professional National Football League , as well as for the United Football League's inaugural draft.The game was played...
Professional career
Thompson was drafted in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL Draft2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
by the Broncos as the 225th overall selection. He recorded his first NFL interception against 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...
on October 17, 2010. On September 2, 2011, during the Broncos' last preseason game at the Arizona Cardinals
2011 Arizona Cardinals season
The 2011 Arizona Cardinals season will be the franchise's 92nd season in the National Football League and the 24th season in Arizona. For Ken Whisenhunt, this will be his fifth season as the head coach of the Cardinals; he has compiled an overall record of 32–32 in the regular season and 4–2 in...
, Thompson suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon , also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendo calcaneus, is a tendon of the posterior leg. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneus bone.- Anatomy :The Achilles is the tendonous extension of 3 muscles in the lower leg:...
, and will miss the entire 2011
2011 NFL season
The 2011 NFL season, the 92nd regular season of the National Football League, began on Thursday, September 8, 2011 with the Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers defeating the New Orleans Saints 42–34 at Lambeau Field and will end with Super Bowl XLVI, the league's championship game, on...
season.