Blair Lamar Thomas was born on October 7,1967 and is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League for the New York Jets, New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys, Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers.
25 Facts About Blair Thomas
1.
2.
Blair Thomas played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions, earning first-team All-American honors in 1989.
3.
Blair Thomas broke Lenny Moore's school record of 8.0 yards per carry with an 8.4-yard average.
4.
Blair Thomas suffered a serious right knee injury during an informal workout prior to the Citrus Bowl at the end of the season.
5.
Blair Thomas was named the MVP in the Senior Bowl after rushing for 137 yards on only 11 carries.
6.
Blair Thomas finished second on the Nittany Lions' all-time rushing list with 3,301 yards and 21 touchdowns, just 97 yards shy of the Penn State record set by Curt Warner.
7.
Blair Thomas was the first player in school history to rush for more than 1,300 yards in two seasons.
8.
Blair Thomas earned his Bachelor of Science in recreation and parks management at Penn State University in 1989.
9.
Blair Thomas was selected by the New York Jets in the first round of the 1990 NFL draft.
10.
Blair Thomas was given the number 32, which no Jet had worn since the retirement of Emerson Boozer in 1975, with the expectation of developing into a great player.
11.
Blair Thomas posted 620 rushing yards on only 123 carries, leading the NFL rookies in yards-per-carry and the AFC rookies in rushing yardage.
12.
Blair Thomas missed three games with groin and hip injuries, and the last four with a sprained knee.
13.
Blair Thomas was used in a three-man running back rotation with Johnson and Baxter.
14.
Blair Thomas was hardly used in the last 6 games of the season, rushing for only 58 yards.
15.
Blair Thomas appeared in 11 games, rushing for 221 yards and one touchdown in 59 carries.
16.
Blair Thomas became an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
17.
Blair Thomas is widely considered another in a long line of Jets draft disappointments, surpassing 100 yards rushing in just 2 games, while rushing for only 2,000 yards and five touchdowns in his four seasons with the team.
18.
Blair Thomas sprained his ankle on the second play of the first preseason game, which forced him to be declared inactive for seven of the first 11 games of the season.
19.
Blair Thomas appeared in 4 games, rushing for 67 yards and one touchdown in 19 carries.
20.
Blair Thomas started in the season finale against the New York Giants and rushed for 63 yards.
21.
Blair Thomas appeared in 7 games, tallying 22 carries for 90 yards and no touchdowns.
22.
Blair Thomas served as running backs coach at Temple University for eight seasons, from 1998 to 2005.
23.
Blair Thomas played a key role in the development of Chicago Bears fullback Jason McKie, and Jacksonville Jaguars running back Stacey Mack.
24.
Blair Thomas was responsible for recruiting in Philadelphia, Eastern Pennsylvania, and Southern New Jersey.
25.
Blair Thomas was the team's NFL liaison and summer football camp coordinator.