Adalius Thomas
Encyclopedia
Adalius Donquail Thomas (icon; born July 18, 1977 in Equality, Alabama
) is an American football
linebacker
who is currently a free agent
. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens
in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Southern Mississippi
.
and was a letterman in football and basketball. In football, as a senior, he was named as a Class 4A All-State selection by the Birmingham News and as an Honorable Mention Class 4A All-State selection by the Montgomery Advertiser
. In basketball, as a senior, he led his team to the State Title and was named the Alabama Class 4A Player of the Year.
Defensive Player of the Year honors his junior and senior years. The Golden Eagles won three Conference USA championships (1996, 1997, and 1999) in his four years in Hattiesburg, losing only two conference games and winning two Liberty Bowls.
Thomas was named a Freshman All-American by the Sporting News in 1996, leading the Golden Eagles to an 8-3 record and a share of the Conference USA title. Southern Miss fished 9-3 in Thomas' sophomore season, en route to a Conference USA Championship and a victory in the Liberty Bowl
. Thomas was named to the All-Conference first team.
Statistically speaking, Thomas' best season came in 1998, when he tallied 71 tackles, in addition to a conference-high 12.5 sacks and 20 tackles-for-loss. Thomas was named a first team All-American and tied for Defensive Player of the Year. Thomas earned third-team All-American and Defensive Player of the Year honors as a senior, in addition to being named the MVP of the 1999 Liberty Bowl
. He was also named as a finalist for the Conerly Trophy
.
Thomas was also a power forward on the Golden Eagles' basketball team in the 1995–96 and 1996–97 seasons, making him the first player in USM history to play both football and basketball.
in the sixth round (186th overall) in the 2000 NFL Draft
. Competing with Peter Boulware
and Michael McCrary
for playing time, Thomas made only 89 tackles in his first three years. He was inactive for 12 games in his rookie season, but played in all 16 games in the 2001 season, starting two at defensive end. In 2002, he started 12 games at defensive end, recording two interceptions as well as 15 special teams tackles. In 2003, Thomas was recognized for his special teams play and was selected to his first Pro Bowl
. That year, he registered 34 tackles, 8 passes defended, 4 sacks, and a forced fumble. He was placed on injured reserve
by the Ravens on December 17, but still led the team with 23 special teams tackles.
In 2004, Thomas started all 16 games for the first time in his career. While still collecting 16 special teams tackles, he amassed 72 tackles, 4 forced fumbles, 5 passes defended, an interception and 8 sacks. In 2005, with Boulware relegated to situational pass-rush duty, Thomas was named the starting outside linebacker, where he accumulated 84 total tackles and 9 sacks. He also saw limited time at cornerback
during that season. He had two interceptions on the year and three forced fumbles; he returned three turnovers for touchdowns, making him the NFL's leader in non-offensive touchdowns that season.
Thomas earned his second Pro Bowl bid in 2006 as part of a Ravens defense that finished first in the league en route to a 13–3 record. He was a first-team All-Pro
after setting a career-high with 106 tackles and 11 sacks, as well as notching 1 INT, 1 safety, 7 passes defensed, and 1 fumble recovery returned 57 yards for a touchdown. It proved to be, without a doubt, his finest season as a pro.
worth $35 million, including $20 million in guaranteed money. After the move, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick
told Thomas that he had "backed up the Brink's
truck" to pay him. Thomas played mainly at inside linebacker in the Patriots' 3-4 defense in 2007
, rotating with veterans Tedy Bruschi
and Junior Seau
. As the Patriots progressed though an undefeated 2007 regular season, Thomas handed out "humble pie" t-shirts to his teammates in the locker room, echoing's Belichick's message of staying humble after each win. After a season-ending injury to outside linebacker Rosevelt Colvin
in late November, Thomas started the remainder of the season and eventually Super Bowl XLII
at outside linebacker. In that game, Thomas had a postseason-high two sacks and a forced fumble.
Thomas continued to start at outside linebacker for the Patriots in 2008
. He led the team with five sacks until suffering a season-ending arm injury in Week 10 against the Buffalo Bills
. He was placed on injured reserve on December 5.
In 2009
, Thomas began the season on the active list; however, he was deactivated for the October 18 game against the Tennessee Titans
. Recording one sack on the season to that point, Thomas was asked by the press if he used the decision by Belichick as motivation to perform better. He responded "I don't need something like this to fire me up. This isn't kindergarten
. I don't play [those] games."
Thomas was one of four Patriots sent home as a result of being late for a morning meeting on a snowy Wednesday morning prior to the Patriots' Week 14 matchup against the Carolina Panthers
. The next day, Thomas told the press that he called the team saying that he was stuck in traffic but was still sent home upon arriving. He also continued to question the perceived motivational aspect of the decision, saying "Motivation is for kindergartners. I'm not a kindergartner." He was again deactivated for the game against the Panthers, but started the Patriots' Week 15 game against the Buffalo Bills
.
Thomas finished the 2009 season with 11 starts in 14 games played, recording 34 tackles and three sacks.
Thomas was released by the Patriots on April 26, 2010, one day after the 2010 NFL Draft
.
Equality, Alabama
Equality is an unincorporated community in Coosa County and Elmore County in Alabama, United States.Famous Residents/ Former Residents – Actress Pauley Perrette, who plays Abby in the highly acclaimed television series NCIS, once lived in Equality, Alabama. Ms...
) is an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft
2000 NFL Draft
The 2000 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur U.S. college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 15–16, 2000...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Southern Mississippi
Southern Miss Golden Eagles
The Southern Miss Golden Eagles represent The University of Southern Mississippi in Division I athletics. The teams compete in Conference USA....
.
Early years
Thomas attended Central Coosa High School in Rockford, AlabamaRockford, Alabama
Rockford is a town in Coosa County, Alabama, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 477. The town is the county seat of Coosa County and is part of the Alexander City Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
and was a letterman in football and basketball. In football, as a senior, he was named as a Class 4A All-State selection by the Birmingham News and as an Honorable Mention Class 4A All-State selection by the Montgomery Advertiser
Montgomery Advertiser
The Montgomery Advertiser is a daily newspaper located in Montgomery, Alabama. It was founded in 1829.- History:The newspaper began publication in 1829 as The Planter's Gazette. It became the Montgomery Advertiser in 1833. In 1903, R.F. Hudson, a young Alabama newspaperman, joined the staff of the...
. In basketball, as a senior, he led his team to the State Title and was named the Alabama Class 4A Player of the Year.
College career
Thomas attended the University of Southern Mississippi, where he was a star defensive end for head coach Jeff Bower. Thomas led one of the top defenses in college football, notching Conference USAConference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
Defensive Player of the Year honors his junior and senior years. The Golden Eagles won three Conference USA championships (1996, 1997, and 1999) in his four years in Hattiesburg, losing only two conference games and winning two Liberty Bowls.
Thomas was named a Freshman All-American by the Sporting News in 1996, leading the Golden Eagles to an 8-3 record and a share of the Conference USA title. Southern Miss fished 9-3 in Thomas' sophomore season, en route to a Conference USA Championship and a victory in the Liberty Bowl
Liberty Bowl
The Liberty Bowl is an annual U.S. American college football bowl game played in December of each year from 1959 to 2007 and in January in 2009 and 2010. The Liberty Bowl was sponsored by AXA Financial and was known as the AXA Liberty Bowl from 1997 to 2003...
. Thomas was named to the All-Conference first team.
Statistically speaking, Thomas' best season came in 1998, when he tallied 71 tackles, in addition to a conference-high 12.5 sacks and 20 tackles-for-loss. Thomas was named a first team All-American and tied for Defensive Player of the Year. Thomas earned third-team All-American and Defensive Player of the Year honors as a senior, in addition to being named the MVP of the 1999 Liberty Bowl
Liberty Bowl
The Liberty Bowl is an annual U.S. American college football bowl game played in December of each year from 1959 to 2007 and in January in 2009 and 2010. The Liberty Bowl was sponsored by AXA Financial and was known as the AXA Liberty Bowl from 1997 to 2003...
. He was also named as a finalist for the Conerly Trophy
Conerly Trophy
The Conerly Trophy or Cellular South Conerly Trophy is an award given annually to the best college football player in the state of Mississippi by the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.-Voting:...
.
Thomas was also a power forward on the Golden Eagles' basketball team in the 1995–96 and 1996–97 seasons, making him the first player in USM history to play both football and basketball.
Baltimore Ravens
Thomas was drafted by the Baltimore RavensBaltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
in the sixth round (186th overall) in the 2000 NFL Draft
2000 NFL Draft
The 2000 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur U.S. college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 15–16, 2000...
. Competing with Peter Boulware
Peter Boulware
Peter Nicholas Boulware , is a former American football linebacker who played his whole NFL career for the Baltimore Ravens. He was a Republican candidate for the Florida House of Representatives, District 9. His younger brother, Michael Boulware, a strong safety is currently a free agent.-Early...
and Michael McCrary
Michael McCrary
Michael Curtis McCrary is a former American Football defensive end who played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Baltimore Ravens for ten seasons in the NFL between 1993 and 2002. McCrary was a two time Pro Bowler in 1998 and 1999. McCrary was inducted to the Ravens' Ring of Honor in 2004...
for playing time, Thomas made only 89 tackles in his first three years. He was inactive for 12 games in his rookie season, but played in all 16 games in the 2001 season, starting two at defensive end. In 2002, he started 12 games at defensive end, recording two interceptions as well as 15 special teams tackles. In 2003, Thomas was recognized for his special teams play and was selected to his first Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
. That year, he registered 34 tackles, 8 passes defended, 4 sacks, and a forced fumble. He was placed on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
by the Ravens on December 17, but still led the team with 23 special teams tackles.
In 2004, Thomas started all 16 games for the first time in his career. While still collecting 16 special teams tackles, he amassed 72 tackles, 4 forced fumbles, 5 passes defended, an interception and 8 sacks. In 2005, with Boulware relegated to situational pass-rush duty, Thomas was named the starting outside linebacker, where he accumulated 84 total tackles and 9 sacks. He also saw limited time at cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
during that season. He had two interceptions on the year and three forced fumbles; he returned three turnovers for touchdowns, making him the NFL's leader in non-offensive touchdowns that season.
Thomas earned his second Pro Bowl bid in 2006 as part of a Ravens defense that finished first in the league en route to a 13–3 record. He was a first-team All-Pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
after setting a career-high with 106 tackles and 11 sacks, as well as notching 1 INT, 1 safety, 7 passes defensed, and 1 fumble recovery returned 57 yards for a touchdown. It proved to be, without a doubt, his finest season as a pro.
New England Patriots
On March 3, 2007, Thomas signed a 5-year contract with the New England PatriotsNew England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
worth $35 million, including $20 million in guaranteed money. After the move, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick
Bill Belichick
William Stephen "Bill" Belichick is an American football head coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. After spending his first 15 seasons in the league as an assistant coach, Belichick got his first head coaching job with the Cleveland Browns in 1991...
told Thomas that he had "backed up the Brink's
The Brink's Company
The Brink's Company is a security and protection company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, United States. Its core business is Brink’s, Incorporated; it spun off its Brink’s Home Security operations into a separate company in 2008. In 2005, the company reported a total of 54,000 employees and...
truck" to pay him. Thomas played mainly at inside linebacker in the Patriots' 3-4 defense in 2007
2007 New England Patriots season
The 2007 New England Patriots season was the 38th season for the team in the National Football League and 48th season overall. They finished with a perfect 16–0 regular season record but lost to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII....
, rotating with veterans Tedy Bruschi
Tedy Bruschi
Tedy Lacap Bruschi is a former professional American football linebacker. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 1996 NFL Draft...
and Junior Seau
Junior Seau
Tiaina Baul "Junior" Seau is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted fifth overall by the San Diego Chargers during the 1990 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Southern California and was the progenitor of the "NFL-USC linebacker".A ten-time All-Pro and...
. As the Patriots progressed though an undefeated 2007 regular season, Thomas handed out "humble pie" t-shirts to his teammates in the locker room, echoing's Belichick's message of staying humble after each win. After a season-ending injury to outside linebacker Rosevelt Colvin
Rosevelt Colvin
Rosevelt Colvin, III is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. Drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft, he played college football at Purdue....
in late November, Thomas started the remainder of the season and eventually Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
at outside linebacker. In that game, Thomas had a postseason-high two sacks and a forced fumble.
Thomas continued to start at outside linebacker for the Patriots in 2008
2008 New England Patriots season
The 2008 New England Patriots season was the 39th season for the team in the National Football League and 49th season overall. Despite finishing the regular season with an 11–5 record, the Patriots did not qualify for the playoffs—becoming the first 11-win team since the expansion to a 12-team...
. He led the team with five sacks until suffering a season-ending arm injury in Week 10 against the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He was placed on injured reserve on December 5.
In 2009
2009 New England Patriots season
The 2009 New England Patriots season was the 40th season for the team in the National Football League and 50th season overall. They finished with a 10–6 record and a division title before losing to the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs....
, Thomas began the season on the active list; however, he was deactivated for the October 18 game against the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
. Recording one sack on the season to that point, Thomas was asked by the press if he used the decision by Belichick as motivation to perform better. He responded "I don't need something like this to fire me up. This isn't kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
. I don't play [those] games."
Thomas was one of four Patriots sent home as a result of being late for a morning meeting on a snowy Wednesday morning prior to the Patriots' Week 14 matchup against the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
. The next day, Thomas told the press that he called the team saying that he was stuck in traffic but was still sent home upon arriving. He also continued to question the perceived motivational aspect of the decision, saying "Motivation is for kindergartners. I'm not a kindergartner." He was again deactivated for the game against the Panthers, but started the Patriots' Week 15 game against the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Thomas finished the 2009 season with 11 starts in 14 games played, recording 34 tackles and three sacks.
Thomas was released by the Patriots on April 26, 2010, one day after the 2010 NFL Draft
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
.