Marcus Thomas
Encyclopedia
Marcus Thomas is an American football
defensive tackle for the Denver Broncos
of the National Football League
(NFL). Thomas played college football
for the University of Florida
, and thereafter, he has played professionally for the Broncos.
in Jacksonville, Florida
, where he was an all-state high school football
player for the Mandarin Mustangs.
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
, where he played for coach Urban Meyer
's Florida Gators football
team from 2003
to 2006
. In November 2006, he was kicked off the team for violating the terms of his reinstatement from a drug suspension. He missed curfew, went on an unapproved out of town trip, and skipped a mandatory drug counseling session. Thomas was an anthropology
major.
. On July 11, Thomas signed a 4-year contract with the club worth a reported $3 million.
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...
defensive tackle for the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
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...
(NFL). Thomas 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 Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, and thereafter, he has played professionally for the Broncos.
Early years
Thomas was born in Yokosuka, Japan. He attended Mandarin High SchoolMandarin High School
Mandarin High School is a public senior high school in Duval County Public Schools district located on Greenland Road in Jacksonville, Florida. In 2010, Newsweek ranked it 96th on its list of the best public high schools in the United States. In 2008, U.S...
in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
, where he was an all-state high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
player for the Mandarin Mustangs.
College career
Thomas accepted an athletic scholarshipAthletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where he played for coach Urban Meyer
Urban Meyer
Urban Frank Meyer, III is an American football coach and former player. He is head football coach at Ohio State University, having been hired for the position in November 2011...
's Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
team from 2003
2003 Florida Gators football team
The 2003 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2003 college football season...
to 2006
2006 Florida Gators football team
The 2006 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2006 college football season...
. In November 2006, he was kicked off the team for violating the terms of his reinstatement from a drug suspension. He missed curfew, went on an unapproved out of town trip, and skipped a mandatory drug counseling session. Thomas was an anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
major.
Professional career
On April 29, Thomas was picked 121st (4th round) in the 2007 NFL draft by the Denver BroncosDenver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. On July 11, Thomas signed a 4-year contract with the club worth a reported $3 million.