Thomas Everett
Encyclopedia
Thomas Gregory Everett (born November 21, 1964 in Daingerfield, Texas
) is a former American football
safety in the National Football League
.
He played nine seasons for three teams (Pittsburgh Steelers
1987–1991, Dallas Cowboys
1992–1993, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1994–1995). He attended Baylor University
where he won the Jim Thorpe Award
as the top defensive back
in college football
. As a member of the Cowboys in 1993 he made the Pro Bowl
.
.
Everett was the first, and so far only person to have his number retired at Daingerfield High School. His number hangs today in the school's field house.
where he played under College Football Hall of Fame
coach Grant Teaff
. As a freshman, he was a starter at cornerback
halfway through the season. He opened the next year at corner but was moved to
safety in his second game, there he blossomed making 99 tackles. In his junior year he became one of the best defensive backs in the nation earning a two-time All-America
n selection, being named twice Southwest Conference Most Valuable Player and first team All-Conference.
He was voted the conference’s Athlete of the Year for the 1986-1987 school year. He ranks among Baylor’s top ten in career interceptions (12), tackles (325), punt returns (80) and punt return yards (766). Not only was he adept at coverage and as a tackler, but also was a fine punt returner, leading his team in punt return yards three times.
He was a leader during one of the program's most successful eras as the Bears won 30 games and appeared in three bowl games. He was named to Baylor's All-Decade of the 1980s Team an to the Baylor Athletics Hall of Fame.
Everett was the first-ever winner of the Jim Thorpe Award
in in 1986 as the nation’s top defensive back
.
In 2006, he was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame
.
in the 4th round of the 1987 NFL draft
. He played in Pittsburgh for 5 seasons and intercepted 16 passes over that time. He was a top notch safety when a contract dispute paved the way for a trade with the Dallas Cowboys
for a fifth round draft choice.
era, that helped to solidify the team's defensive backfield.
In Everett' first season with the Cowboys he wore number 31 because reserve running back Curvin Richards
wore number 27, the number Thomas wore for five seasons with the Steelers. When Richards was cut after the final regular season game in 1992
for fumbling, he changed his number to 27 for the playoffs. The Cowboys went on to win the Super Bowl
with him recording two interceptions in a 52-17 victory over the Buffalo Bills.
, Everett signed as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
. He played there for 2 seasons before retiring.
), who played for the Philadelphia Eagles
(1988–89), Tampa Bay Buccaneers
(1990), Kansas City Chiefs
(1991), and Minnesota Vikings
(1992).
He currently runs an athletic camp called Thomas Everett Athletics but was hired to be the head football coach at the Episcopal School of Dallas starting in the Spring of 2010.
Daingerfield, Texas
Daingerfield is a city in Morris County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,517 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Morris County....
) is a former 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...
safety in 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 nine seasons for three teams (Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
1987–1991, 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...
1992–1993, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
1994–1995). He attended Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
where he won the Jim Thorpe Award
Jim Thorpe Award
The Jim Thorpe Award, named in memory of multi-sport legend Jim Thorpe, has been awarded to the top defensive back in college football since 1986...
as the top defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
in 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...
. As a member of the Cowboys in 1993 he made the 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...
.
Early years
In Daingerfield High School he played seven positions including quarterbackQuarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
.
Everett was the first, and so far only person to have his number retired at Daingerfield High School. His number hangs today in the school's field house.
College career
Everett attended Baylor UniversityBaylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
where he played under College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
coach Grant Teaff
Grant Teaff
Grant Garland Teaff is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at McMurry University , Angelo State University , and Baylor University , compiling a career college football record of 170–151–8...
. As a freshman, he was a starter 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...
halfway through the season. He opened the next year at corner but was moved to
safety in his second game, there he blossomed making 99 tackles. In his junior year he became one of the best defensive backs in the nation earning a two-time All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n selection, being named twice Southwest Conference Most Valuable Player and first team All-Conference.
He was voted the conference’s Athlete of the Year for the 1986-1987 school year. He ranks among Baylor’s top ten in career interceptions (12), tackles (325), punt returns (80) and punt return yards (766). Not only was he adept at coverage and as a tackler, but also was a fine punt returner, leading his team in punt return yards three times.
He was a leader during one of the program's most successful eras as the Bears won 30 games and appeared in three bowl games. He was named to Baylor's All-Decade of the 1980s Team an to the Baylor Athletics Hall of Fame.
Everett was the first-ever winner of the Jim Thorpe Award
Jim Thorpe Award
The Jim Thorpe Award, named in memory of multi-sport legend Jim Thorpe, has been awarded to the top defensive back in college football since 1986...
in in 1986 as the nation’s top defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
.
In 2006, he was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Everett was selected in by the Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
in the 4th round of the 1987 NFL draft
1987 NFL Draft
The 1987 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 28–29, 1987...
. He played in Pittsburgh for 5 seasons and intercepted 16 passes over that time. He was a top notch safety when a contract dispute paved the way for a trade with 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...
for a fifth round draft choice.
Dallas Cowboys
He was one of the most important trades made during the Jimmy JohnsonJimmy Johnson (American football coach)
James William "Jimmy" Johnson is an American former NCAA and National Football League head coach. As of 2010, he is currently an analyst for Fox NFL Sunday, the Fox network's NFL pregame show. He was the first football coach whose teams won both an NCAA Division 1A National Championship and a...
era, that helped to solidify the team's defensive backfield.
In Everett' first season with the Cowboys he wore number 31 because reserve running back Curvin Richards
Curvin Richards
Curvin Stephen Richards is a former professional American football running back. He played in the National Football League for three seasons for the Dallas Cowboys and the Detroit Lions...
wore number 27, the number Thomas wore for five seasons with the Steelers. When Richards was cut after the final regular season game in 1992
1992 NFL season
The 1992 NFL season was the 73rd regular season of the National Football League.Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Andrew, the New England Patriots–Miami Dolphins game that was scheduled for September 6 at Joe Robbie Stadium was rescheduled to October 18. Both teams originally had that...
for fumbling, he changed his number to 27 for the playoffs. The Cowboys went on to win the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
with him recording two interceptions in a 52-17 victory over the Buffalo Bills.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
After the 1993 season1993 NFL season
The 1993 NFL season was the 74th regular season of the National Football League. For the first time in league history, all NFL teams played their 16-game schedule over a span of 18 weeks. After the success of expanding the regular season to a period of 17 weeks in 1990, the league hoped this new...
, Everett signed as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
. He played there for 2 seasons before retiring.
Personal life
He is also the older brother of former NFL football player, Eric Everett (of Texas Tech UniversityTexas Tech University
Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
), who played for the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
(1988–89), Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
(1990), Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
(1991), and Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
(1992).
He currently runs an athletic camp called Thomas Everett Athletics but was hired to be the head football coach at the Episcopal School of Dallas starting in the Spring of 2010.