David Thomas (American football)
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| New England Patriots — No. 86 | |
| Tight end | |
| Date of birth: July 5, 1983 | |
| Place of birth: Plainview, Texas | |
| Height: 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | Weight: 248 lb (112 kg) |
| National Football League debut | |
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| 2006 for the New England Patriots | |
| Career history | |
| College: Texas | |
| NFL Draft: 2006 / Round: 3 / Pick: 86 | |
Teams:
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Stats at NFL.com | |
John David Thomas (born July 5, 1983 in Plainview, Texas) is an American football tight end who currently plays for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Patriots in the third-round (86th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at Texas.
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[edit] High school career
Thomas attended Frenship High School in Wolfforth, Texas, and helped Frenship reach the state semi-finals in its division in 2000. Thomas excelled at linebacker, running back and tight end for the Tigers, leading some to question as to which position he would play in college. After a heated recruiting battle with Texas Tech University, the University of Texas secured a pledge from Thomas to play tight end for the Longhorns.
[edit] College career
At Texas, Thomas broke school records for receptions, touchdowns, and yards by a tight end, as well as for receptions in a single game. He was also a candidate for the John Mackey Award, given to the nation's best tight end, and for the Draddy Trophy, for academic merit by a student athlete.
In both 2004 and 2005 Thomas was named to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team for accomplishments in the classroom.
Long a favorite (and safety valve) of quarterback Vince Young, Thomas played a prominent role in the Longhorns 41-38 National Championship upset of then #1 USC in the 2006 Rose Bowl, hauling in a game-high 10 receptions for 88 yards.
He majored in kinesiology.
[edit] Professional career
In the first 14 games of his rookie season, Thomas had only six receptions for a total of 76 yards, though three of those catches were for first downs (including his first two NFL completions which went for 29 and 11 yards, respectively). His breakout game came against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 16 when, filling in for an injured Benjamin Watson, Thomas caught five passes for a total of 83 yards, including his first NFL touchdown on a 22-yard pass from Tom Brady.
Thomas hurt himself during the Patriots' off-season conditioning program and was placed on the team's Physically Unable to Perform list. After catching only one pass in the 2007 season, Thomas was placed on injured reserve by the Patriots with what is speculated to be a re-aggravation of the foot injury he suffered before the start of the season. Thomas' roster spot was originally filled by former Oklahoma State tight end Marcellus Rivers, though Thomas is expected to be back at full strength for the 2008 NFL season.
[edit] Career stats
Data accurate as of January 28, 2008.
| Receiving | |||||
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| Season | Receptions | Yds | Avg | Long | TDs |
| 2006 | 11 | 159 | 14.5 | 36 | 1 |
| 2007 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 0 |
| TOTALS | 12 | 168 | 14 | 36 | 1 |
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