Running Back,
Chicago Bears
Age: 24 (Nov.
7)
College: Michigan
Height: 6’1” Weight: 226
Prelude:
A workhorse
running back in his last two college seasons, Thomas was taken by the Bears in
the second round of the 2001 NFL draft. He was projected to be an immediate
contributor, valued for his blocking as well as reliability, and while he
missed time in the preseason and didn’t immediately move into the lineup, he
replaced James Allen as the primary runner.
2001 Season Summary
Appeared in 14
of 16 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Rushing
Attempts – 278
[12]
Most
attempts, game - 33 (for 160 yds.) vs. Jacksonville 1/6
Yards – 1183 [11]
Most yards,
game – 188 yards (on 22 carries) at Cincinnati 10/21
Average gain
– 4.3
TDs – 7 [12,
tied with Ron Dayne & Tony Richardson]
100-yard
rushing games – 4
Pass
Receiving
Receptions – 22
Most
receptions, game – 6 (for 71 yds.) vs. Cleveland 11/4
Yards – 178
Most yards,
game - 71 (on 6 catches) vs. Cleveland 11/4
Average gain
– 8.1
TDs – 0
Scoring
TDs – 7
2-point PAT –
1
Points – 44
Postseason: 1 G (NFC Divisional playoff vs. Philadelphia)
Rushing
attempts – 15
Rushing yards
– 36
Average gain
rushing – 2.4
Rushing TDs –
0
Pass
receptions – 1
Pass
receiving yards - 11
Average yards
per reception – 11.0
Pass
Receiving TDs - 0
Awards & Honors:
NFL Offensive
Rookie of the Year: AP, PFWA
Bears went 13-3
to finish first in the NFC Central. Lost NFC Divisional playoff to Philadelphia
Eagles (33-19).
Aftermath:
“The A-Train”
slumped in 2002, averaging just 3.4 yards per carry before a broken finger
sidelined him for the last four games. He recovered somewhat to rush for 1024
yards in ‘03, but was still bothered by nagging injuries and lost his starting
job to Thomas Jones in 2004. After running for 3332 yards in four years in
Chicago, Thomas moved on to the Dallas Cowboys in 2005, saw little action and
was released - he finished up the season in New Orleans when RB Deuce
McAllister was lost with an injury. He spent 2006 and ’07, his final two
seasons, with Buffalo. Overall, he rushed for 3891 yards on 1044 carries (3.7
avg.) with 23 touchdowns and caught 113 passes for 756 yards and a TD. At his
best, Thomas was effective as a runner between the tackles, but injuries and
inconsistent play ultimately limited his career.
--
Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were named Rookie
of the Year in the NFL, AFL (1960-69), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized
organization (Associated Press – Offense or Defense, Newspaper Enterprise
Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, or the league
itself – Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year).
