Dallas Cowboys Thomas was selected by the
Dallas Cowboys in the second round (51st overall) of the
1971 NFL draft. In training camp he was tried at
wide receiver. He had 2
kickoff returns for
touchdowns in his rookie season. One of those returns was a franchise record 101-yard score against the
New York Jets. It still stands as the record for a Cowboys rookie, and Thomas is tied with
Bryan McCann and
Amos Marsh for making the second-longest play in Cowboys history, behind
Alexander Wright's 102-yard
kickoff return against the
Atlanta Falcons in
1991. Thomas played one season with the Cowboys, averaging 42.1 yards per
kickoff return, and was part of their winning team in
Super Bowl VI. He was traded on September 5,
1972, to the
Green Bay Packers, along with punter
Ron Widby, for a
1973 second round-draft choice (#46-
Golden Richards).
Green Bay Packers Thomas continued to return
kickoffs and had over 1,000 return yards in 2 seasons with the
Green Bay Packers. In
1973, he was used as a
wide receiver before being moved back to
cornerback. He was waived on August 15,
1974.
New York Stars / Charlotte Hornets In
1974, he signed with the
New York Stars of the
World Football League and was the starter at
strong safety. In October, the team moved to Charlotte and was renamed as the
Charlotte Hornets.
Buffalo Bills In
1975, Thomas signed with the
Buffalo Bills. That year he made his only 2 interceptions in the
NFL. He was released on September 4,
1976. During his
NFL career he played 37 games in 4 years, with 1,394 kickoff return yards, 2
interceptions, and 2
touchdowns.
Toronto Argonauts In
1977, he signed with the
Toronto Argonauts of the
Canadian Football League and played there for one season before being released.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats In
1978, he signed with the
Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the
Canadian Football League, playing most of the season before being put on the
injured reserve list with a broken hand. He retired on November 14,
1979. ==References==