Todd Thomas (American football)
Encyclopedia
Todd Thomas was a gridiron football
player. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs
in the fifth round of the 1981 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at North Dakota
.
in 1977 and was a letterman in football and basketball. In football, he was a tackle as well as the team's long snapper.
at North Dakota
and also served as the long snapper
. Thomas was named to the first team All-American squad in 1980. He was inducted into the University of North Dakota Letterwinners Association Hall of Fame in 2000.
drafted Thomas in the fifth round (124th overall) in the 1981 NFL Draft
. He played in 15 regular season games for the 1981 Chiefs as their long snapper
.
During a game against the Miami Dolphins
on December 13, Thomas incurred a dislocated shoulder.
He was placed on injured reserve on December 15 through the remainder of the 1981 season. On September 6, 1982 the Chiefs released him.
as a center
/guard
. On August 14, 1984, he was placed on the injured reserve list with a herniated disc.
of the United States Football League
on October 15, 1982. He played in 18 games during their 1983 Inaugural Season and was frequently used as a blocking tight end
.
traded Thomas to the Arizona Wranglers
for linebacker
Don Goode
. Thomas played in five games for the Wranglers as a tackle
/tight end
, and then was released in May 1984.
claimed Thomas off waivers from the Arizona Wranglers
on May 18, 1984. He was assigned jersey number 74 (his former high school and college number) and played tackle
.
Gridiron football
Gridiron football , sometimes known as North American football, is an umbrella term for related codes of football primarily played in the United States and Canada. The predominant forms of gridiron football are American football and Canadian football...
player. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
in the fifth round of the 1981 NFL Draft
1981 NFL Draft
The 1981 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 28–29, 1981...
. 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 North Dakota
University of North Dakota
The University of North Dakota is a public university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA. Established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of North Dakota, UND is the oldest and largest university in the state and enrolls over 14,000 students. ...
.
Early years
Thomas graduated from Cedarburg High SchoolCedarburg High School
Cedarburg High School is a public, co-educational high school located in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, USA. The high school is part of the Cedarburg School District and has an enrollment of 1117 students.-Curriculum:...
in 1977 and was a letterman in football and basketball. In football, he was a tackle as well as the team's long snapper.
College career
He played tackleTackle (American football)
Tackle is a playing position in American and Canadian football. Historically, in the one-platoon system a tackle played on both offense and defense. In the modern system of specialized units, offensive tackle and defensive tackle are separate positions....
at North Dakota
University of North Dakota
The University of North Dakota is a public university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA. Established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of North Dakota, UND is the oldest and largest university in the state and enrolls over 14,000 students. ...
and also served as the long snapper
Long snapper
In American football and Canadian football, the term long snapper refers to a player who is a specialized center during punts, field goals, and extra point attempts. His job is to snap the ball as quickly and accurately as possible....
. Thomas was named to the first team All-American squad in 1980. He was inducted into the University of North Dakota Letterwinners Association Hall of Fame in 2000.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City ChiefsKansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
drafted Thomas in the fifth round (124th overall) in the 1981 NFL Draft
1981 NFL Draft
The 1981 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 28–29, 1981...
. He played in 15 regular season games for the 1981 Chiefs as their long snapper
Long snapper
In American football and Canadian football, the term long snapper refers to a player who is a specialized center during punts, field goals, and extra point attempts. His job is to snap the ball as quickly and accurately as possible....
.
During a game against the 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...
on December 13, Thomas incurred a dislocated shoulder.
He was placed on injured reserve on December 15 through the remainder of the 1981 season. On September 6, 1982 the Chiefs released him.
Philadelphia Eagles
After two seasons in the USFL, Thomas returned to the NFL in 1984 with the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
as a center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
/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....
. On August 14, 1984, he was placed on the injured reserve list with a herniated disc.
New Jersey Generals
Thomas signed with the New Jersey GeneralsNew Jersey Generals
The New Jersey Generals were a franchise of the United States Football League established in 1982 to begin play in the spring and summer of 1983. The team played three seasons from 1983-85, winning 31 regular-season games and losing 25 while going 0-2 in postseason competition...
of the United States Football League
United States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
on October 15, 1982. He played in 18 games during their 1983 Inaugural Season and was frequently used as a blocking 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...
.
Arizona Wranglers
On February 14, 1984, the New Jersey GeneralsNew Jersey Generals
The New Jersey Generals were a franchise of the United States Football League established in 1982 to begin play in the spring and summer of 1983. The team played three seasons from 1983-85, winning 31 regular-season games and losing 25 while going 0-2 in postseason competition...
traded Thomas to the Arizona Wranglers
Arizona Wranglers
The Arizona Wranglers were a professional American Football team in the United States Football League in the mid 1980s. They played at Sun Devil Stadium on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe, a suburb of Phoenix.-Founding:...
for 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...
Don Goode
Don Goode
Donald Ray Goode , was an NFL linebacker from 1974-1981. He went to Booker T. Washington High School. He played college football at the University of Kansas and was selected in the 1st round by the San Diego Chargers in the 1974 NFL Draft...
. Thomas played in five games for the Wranglers as a tackle
Tackle (American football)
Tackle is a playing position in American and Canadian football. Historically, in the one-platoon system a tackle played on both offense and defense. In the modern system of specialized units, offensive tackle and defensive tackle are separate positions....
/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...
, and then was released in May 1984.
Pittsburgh Maulers
The Pittsburgh MaulersPittsburgh Maulers
The Pittsburgh Maulers competed in the 1984 season of the United States Football League. Their most prominent player was first pick overall in the 1984 USFL draft, running back Mike Rozier of Nebraska, who won the Heisman Trophy, collegiate football's most prestigious individual award.They were...
claimed Thomas off waivers from the Arizona Wranglers
Arizona Wranglers
The Arizona Wranglers were a professional American Football team in the United States Football League in the mid 1980s. They played at Sun Devil Stadium on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe, a suburb of Phoenix.-Founding:...
on May 18, 1984. He was assigned jersey number 74 (his former high school and college number) and played tackle
Tackle (American football)
Tackle is a playing position in American and Canadian football. Historically, in the one-platoon system a tackle played on both offense and defense. In the modern system of specialized units, offensive tackle and defensive tackle are separate positions....
.