Bruce Thornton (cornerback)

Bruce Thornton (born January 31, 1980 in LaGrange, Georgia) is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft.

College career
While attending the University of Georgia, Thornton redshirted his freshman year in 1999. The following year, he started one game at tailback for the Bulldogs before being converted to cornerback by Willie Martinez, Georgia's secondary coach and defensive coordinator. He eventually became the Bulldogs' best cornerback, often facing the opponents' best wide receivers. He went on to collect 129 tackles and four interceptions (including one returned for a touchdown) in his collegiate career.

Professional career
Thornton was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round (121st overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft. He only played one game as a Cowboy in 2004, in which he returned two kickoffs for 43 yards, before being sidelined for the season with an ACL tear in his knee.

After being signed off the practice squad by the San Francisco 49ers in 2005, Thornton started 11 games for the Niners, opposing high profile wide receivers, such as Marvin Harrison and Plaxico Burress. On August 1, 2006, after struggles in his play caused him to drop in the depth chart, Thornton was released by the 49ers. The New York Jets quickly signed him on August 4, 2006, but waived him 8 days later.

In 2007, Thornton was acquired by the Jaguars, but never played a down that year. A few months later, he signed with the practice squad of the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League. Currently, he is a free agent.