Tra Thomas

William "Tra" Thomas, III (born November 20, 1974) is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles 11th overall in the 1998 NFL Draft. He played for the Eagles for eleven seasons, from 1998–2008. He played college football at Florida State.

Thomas was also a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars and San Diego Chargers. He was a one-time All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowl selection in his career.

Early years
Thomas attended DeLand High School in DeLand, Florida and was a letterman in football.

Philadelphia Eagles
Thomas was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles 11th overall in the 1998 NFL Draft. He played for the Eagles from 1998–2008, starting 165 of 166 games at left offensive tackle. He made three Pro Bowls with the Eagles.

Jacksonville Jaguars
On March 9, 2009, Thomas signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars as a free agent. He was released on February 11, 2010.

San Diego Chargers
Thomas was signed by the San Diego Chargers to a one-year contract on June 9, 2010. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on his knee during training camp.

Retirement
Thomas officially retired from the NFL as a Philadelphia Eagle on August 16, 2012.

Broadcast career
In 2011, Thomas replaced Vaughn Hebron as an analyst for Eagles Post Game Live on Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, which airs after every Philadelphia Eagles game.

Name changes
Thomas' given name is William Thomas III; during the Ray Rhodes era, the Eagles had a Pro Bowl linebacker also named William Thomas. During his early years in the NFL, Thomas was referred to by his nickname, "Tra". However, before the 2006 season, Thomas requested to be called William Thomas. In April 2008, he decided to return to Tra Thomas after the name William failed to catch on.