Anthony Thomas (American football)

Anthony Jermaine Thomas (born November 7, 1977) is a former American football running back who played for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Michigan, where he gained the nickname "A-Train" due to his power-running style. Thomas was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. As a rookie with the Bears in 2001, Thomas rushed for over 1,100 yards and seven touchdowns to earn the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. He played for the Bears from 2001 to 2004, Dallas Cowboys in 2005, New Orleans Saints in 2005, and Buffalo Bills from 2006 to 2007.

High school career
At Winnfield Senior High School, Thomas starred on the basketball, track, and football teams. He set a state record with 106 career touchdowns while playing both running back and placekicker. He was named a first-team All-American and rated as the second-best running back in the country by the Prep Football Report.

College career
Before entering the professional ranks, Thomas played college football at University of Michigan. As a freshman in 1997, he contributed to the Wolverines' 12-0 national championship season. In his stellar collegiate career (1997–2000), Thomas set school records for rushing yards (4,472) and touchdowns (56). His record for rushing yards was broken seven years later by Mike Hart, as shown in the following chart:

Thomas also ranks second in school history in rushing yards in a single season with 1,733 yards in 2000:

Professional career
Thomas was drafted in the second round (38th overall) of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears, and he reached 1,183 rushing yards and the NFL Rookie of the Year Award. With the emergence of Thomas Jones in Chicago, he signed with the Dallas Cowboys in 2005 as the backup running back to Julius Jones. Thomas' ineffectiveness in limited duty, his inability to play special teams, and the emergence of Marion Barber III as the primary backup led Dallas to release him in November 2005. He was quickly signed by New Orleans after they lost Deuce McAllister with a season ending knee injury, and split rushing duties with Aaron Stecker. On April 28, 2006, Thomas signed with the Buffalo Bills, where he spent two seasons.

Coaching career
Thomas is currently the special teams coordinator at at West Virginia Wesleyan College.