William Thomas (linebacker)

For the American college football coach who previously played for the Tennessee State Tigers, see William A. Thomas.

William Harrison Thomas (born August 13, 1968) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles (1991–1999) and Oakland Raiders (2000–2001) franchises.

William Thomas

No. 51, 59
Position:	Linebacker
Personal information
Born:	(1968-08-13) August 13, 1968 Amarillo, Texas, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:	223 lb (101 kg)
Career information
High school:	Palo Duro (Amarillo)
College:	Texas A&M
NFL draft:	1991 / round: 4 / pick: 104
Career history
Philadelphia Eagles (1991–1999) Oakland Raiders (2000–2001)
Career highlights and awards
Second-team All-Pro (1995) 2× Pro Bowl (1995, 1996) First-team All-SWC (1990)
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles: 886 Sacks: 37.0 Forced fumbles: 10 Fumble recoveries: 12 Interceptions: 27 Defensive touchdowns: 4 Stats at Pro Football Reference

Thomas attended Palo Duro High School and later played college football at Texas A&M University for the Aggies. After college, Philadelphia selected Thomas in the fourth round, 104th overall in the 1991 NFL draft. He played for the Eagles in nine NFL seasons. His most notable seasons were in 1995 and 1996 which he was selected as a member of the NFC's Pro Bowl team. After his Eagles contract expired, Thomas signed with the Oakland Raiders which were coached by former Eagles assistant, Jon Gruden.

Thomas ended his career with 37 sacks and 27 interceptions and is a member of the 20/20 Club. He was also known as an exceptional pass-coverage linebacker during his career.

Thomas was a member of the coaching staff at La Salle University as a volunteer assistant during the 2007 season.

Thomas formerly resided in the southern New Jersey area with his wife and three sons. As of 2021, he is now divorced and resides in Pennsylvania.

NFL career statistics

Legend
	Led the league
Bold	Career high

Regular season

Year	Team	Games		Tackles				Interceptions				Fumbles
		GP	GS	Comb	Solo	Ast	Sck	Int	Yds	TD	Lng	FF	FR	Yds	TD
1991	PHI	16	7	40	40	0	2.0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0
1992	PHI	16	15	94	94	0	1.5	2	4	0	4	0	2	2	0
1993	PHI	16	16	107	107	0	6.5	2	39	0	21	4	3	0	0
1994	PHI	16	16	87	60	27	6.0	1	7	0	7	0	0	0	0
1995	PHI	16	16	74	62	12	2.0	7	104	1	37	1	1	0	0
1996	PHI	16	16	71	54	17	5.5	3	47	0	37	0	1	23	1
1997	PHI	14	14	80	59	21	5.0	2	11	0	11	0	1	37	1
1998	PHI	16	16	86	62	24	2.0	1	21	0	21	1	0	0	0
1999	PHI	14	13	81	59	22	2.5	0	0	0	0	2	1	9	0
2000	OAK	16	16	78	69	9	1.0	6	68	1	46	2	0	0	0
2001	OAK	16	15	88	64	24	3.0	3	46	0	33	0	2	11	0
		172	160	886	730	156	37.0	27	347	2	46	10	12	82	2

Playoffs

Year	Team	Games		Tackles				Interceptions				Fumbles
		GP	GS	Comb	Solo	Ast	Sck	Int	Yds	TD	Lng	FF	FR	Yds	TD
1992	PHI	2	2	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0	1	24	0
1995	PHI	2	2	7	6	1	0.0	1	30	1	30	0	0	0	0
1996	PHI	1	1	3	3	0	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2000	OAK	2	2	9	6	3	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2001	OAK	2	2	19	14	5	0.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
		9	9	38	29	9	2.0	1	30	1	30	0	1	24	0

Sources

• Kaufman, Ira (December 14, 2005). "All A Matter Of Tuck". The Tampa Tribune.
• Lance Lahnert (November 23, 2000). "Thomas has made a 'commitment to excellence'". Amarillo Globe-News.
• "Draft History (Philadelphia Eagles)". NFL.com. Archived from the original on November 23, 2005. Retrieved December 21, 2005.

External links

• Career statistics from Pro Football Reference
• William Thomas at NFL.com