Thurman Thomas
Teams
Buffalo Bills (1988-1999)
Miami Dolphins (2000)
Playoffs
Appearances - 11 (1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993,1995,1996,1998,1999,2000)
Conf Champ Games - 5 (1988,1990,1991,1992,1993)
Super Bowls - 4 (1990,1991,1992,1993)
Championships - 0
Awards and Honors
MVP - 1 (1991)
Offensive Player of the Year - 1 (1991)
All-Pro First Teams - 2 (1990,1991)
All-Pro Second Team - 3 (1989,1992,1993)
Pro Bowl - 5 (1989,1990,1991,1992,1993)
Hall of Fame - 2007
All-Time Ranks
Scrimmage Yards - #12
Rushing Yards - #16
Rushing Touchdowns - #45
Total Touchdowns - #47
Rushing Yards per Game - #58
League Leads
Rushing Yards (#2-1990, #3-1991,1992,1993, #6-1989,1994)
Rushing Touchdowns (#5-1990,1992, #8-1994, #10-1996)
Yards per Rush (#1-1991, #3-1992, #7-1989,1990)
Rushing Yards per Game (#3-1990,1991,1992, #5-1993, #7-1989, #8-1994)
Total Touchdowns (#4-1990,1991, #5-1992, #8-1989)
Scrimmage Yards (#1-1989,1990,1991,1992, #2-1993, #8-1994)
Yards per Touch (#5-1991, #9-1992, #10-1998)
After rushing for 1553 yards as a sophomore at Oklahoma State, Thurman Thomas tore his ACL, which cost him much of his junior season. He returned for his senior season and rushed for 1613 yards, earning him Heisman votes and helping him get drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the second round of the 1988 NFL Draft.
Thomas rushed for only 881 yards as a rookie, but immediately afterward, he had a run of greatness. In his second season, he led the league with 1913 yards from scrimmage, earning a spot on the All-Pro Second Team, and he was still improving.
In 1990, he emerged as the best running back in football, gaining 1297 yards on 4.8 yards per carry and leading the league in scrimmage yards for the second straight year, with 1829. He led Buffalo to the Super Bowl that year for the first time in franchise history, and had 135 yards and a touchdown on the ground, along with 55 yards receiving, but Buffalo lost the game to the Giants 20-19 on a last-second field goal miss.
The following season, he led the league in scrimmage yards for the third straight season, totaling 2038, and also led the league with 4.9 yards per carry, and his output earned him both the Offensive Player of the Year and the MVP awards for that season. He got them back to the Super Bowl that season, but only gained 13 rushing yards in that loss to the Redskins.
He maintained his high level of play in 1992, with a career-high 1487 rushing yards and a 4th straight scrimmage yard title, setting another career high with 2113. He led Buffalo back to the Super Bowl for a third season in a row, but underwhelmed in the title game again, finishing with only 19 yards.
In 1993, he led the league with 355 carries, but his productivity dropped significantly, as he gained only 3.7 yards per carry, more than a yard less than the previous 3 seasons. He helped Buffalo reach their 4th straight Super Bowl, and this time had 89 total yards, but lost 2 fumbles as they fell short yet again.
For the next 3 seasons, Thomas continued to lead the Buffalo backfield, and he reached 1000 yards in each season, but gained fewer than 4 yards per carry in each season. Those seasons did mean that he had surpassed 1000 rushing yards in 8 straight years, something only 4 other players have ever done, but he was obviously in decline by that point.
He played 3 more seasons in Buffalo, with his role diminishing each season, gaining only 152 yards in 1999, his final season with the Bills. He moved on to Miami for the 2000 season, but had only 136 yards in 9 games before retiring from football.
Thomas is Buffalo's all-time rushing leader, led the league in scrimmage yards in 4 straight seasons early in his career, and made 5 Pro Bowls in a row. He also was a big part of the reason they made the Super Bowl 4 times in a row, even if they never won a championship. He is among the top 20 all-time in scrimmage yards and rushing yards, but outside the top 100 in yards per carry, despite leading the league once in that category. Overall, there is no doubt that he is one of the best of all time.
No comments:
Post a Comment