Duane Julius Thomas was born on June 21,1947 and is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins.
21 Facts About Duane Thomas
2.
Duane Thomas played college football at West Texas State University.
3.
Duane Thomas continued his success at West Texas State University in Canyon, playing fullback alongside Mercury Morris, while running through defenses for Joe Kerbel's teams.
4.
Duane Thomas ended his college career with 396 carries for 2,376 yards.
5.
Duane Thomas was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the 1970 NFL draft.
6.
In playoff wins over Detroit and San Francisco, Duane Thomas rushed for 135 and 143 yards, becoming the first rookie with two 100-yard rushing playoff games.
7.
Duane Thomas returned to the Cowboys, but decided to keep silent all season long, refusing to speak to teammates, management, or the media.
8.
In October 1971, Duane Thomas scored the first touchdown in the new Texas Stadium playing against the Patriots.
9.
That same season, Duane Thomas led the league in rushing touchdowns and total touchdowns.
10.
Duane Thomas was reportedly voted as the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player by an overwhelming margin.
11.
Duane Thomas had boycotted the media throughout the season as well, and Larry Klein, editor of Sport, which presented the award, didn't know how Duane Thomas would act at a banquet in New York.
12.
Duane Thomas began his stint with the Chargers by earning a 20-day suspension for failing to report to the team, and matters deteriorated from there.
13.
Duane Thomas never played a game for the Chargers, as the team placed him on the reserve list, making him ineligible for the rest of the 1972 season.
14.
On July 20,1973, the Chargers traded Duane Thomas to defending NFC champion Washington in exchange for the Redskins' first draft choice in the 1975 NFL draft and their second draft choice in 1976.
15.
Duane Thomas played with the Washington Redskins in 1973 and 1974, rushing for a total of 442 yards under head coach George Allen.
16.
Duane Thomas signed with the British Columbia Lions in 1977 and was placed on waivers after just a couple of weeks.
17.
In March 1979, Duane Thomas was signed by the Green Bay Packers, but was waived before the season started.
18.
Duane Thomas finished his NFL career with 2,038 rushing yards, 453 carries and 21 touchdowns.
19.
Duane Thomas caught 38 passes for 297 yards and 3 touchdowns.
20.
Duane Thomas was called by the Green Bay Packers and went there to try out, but they used him mainly as a blocking back during that preseason and he did not make the team.
21.
In 2006, Duane Thomas was one of three Cowboys, along with Bob Lilly and Roger Staubach, interviewed for 1971 Cowboys edition of America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions, the NFL Network anthology series chronicling each Super Bowl champion.