Kalen Thornton
Encyclopedia
Kalen Bruce Thornton is a former American football
linebacker
for the Dallas Cowboys
of the National Football League
. He played in fifteen games in the 2004 season but was forced to retire in 2006 after missing part of the 2005 season because of a knee injury. Following his professional football career, Thornton spent time in private wealth management for Morgan Stanley Smith Barney until 2009 and now is a student at Stanford Graduate School of Business
. Thornton graduated from St. Mark's School of Texas
. He played college football
for the University of Texas at Austin
, where he was an All-Conference defensive end as well as an Academic All-Conference student-athlete.
His father Bruce Thornton
also played football for the Cowboys, while his brother Kyle played for Texas and now plays for University of North Alabama. His youngest brother Kenton, also starred for St. Mark's before doing a post-graduate year at Blair Academy
, where he was prep offensive player of the year in New Jersey before playing the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
and also transferring to University of North Alabama.
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...
for the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He played in fifteen games in the 2004 season but was forced to retire in 2006 after missing part of the 2005 season because of a knee injury. Following his professional football career, Thornton spent time in private wealth management for Morgan Stanley Smith Barney until 2009 and now is a student at Stanford Graduate School of Business
Stanford Graduate School of Business
The Stanford Graduate School of Business is one of the professional schools of Stanford University, in Stanford, California and is broadly regarded as one of the best business schools in the world.The Stanford GSB offers a general management Master of Business Administration degree, the Sloan...
. Thornton graduated from St. Mark's School of Texas
St. Mark's School of Texas
The St. Mark's School of Texas is a nonsectarian preparatory day school for boys located in Preston Hollow, Dallas, Texas, USA. The School offers grades 1–12.-History:...
. 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...
for the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
, where he was an All-Conference defensive end as well as an Academic All-Conference student-athlete.
His father Bruce Thornton
Bruce Thornton (defensive lineman)
Bruce Edward Thornton is a former American football defensive lineman in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and the St. Louis Cardinals. He played college football for the University of Illinois and was drafted in the eighth round of the 1979 NFL Draft...
also played football for the Cowboys, while his brother Kyle played for Texas and now plays for University of North Alabama. His youngest brother Kenton, also starred for St. Mark's before doing a post-graduate year at Blair Academy
Blair Academy
Blair Academy is a private, coeducational, secondary boarding high school with an enrollment of about 448 students for grades nine through twelve. The school has 78 faculty members...
, where he was prep offensive player of the year in New Jersey before playing the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
and also transferring to University of North Alabama.