| No. 18 | |
| Cornerback | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth: June 3, 1943 | |
| Place of birth: Angleton, Texas | |
| Career information | |
| College: Bishop | |
| Undrafted in 1966 | |
| Debuted in 1966 for the Kansas City Chiefs | |
| Last played in 1978 for the Kansas City Chiefs | |
| Career history | |
|
As coach:
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Interceptions | 58 |
| Interception yards | 937 |
| Touchdowns | 5 |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
| Pro Football Hall of Fame | |
Emmitt Earl Thomas [1] (born June 3, 1943) [2] is currently the secondary coach of the National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs. He is a former college and professional football player who played for the American Football League's Kansas City Chiefs from 1966 to 1969, and then for the Chiefs in the NFL from 1970 to 1978.[3] He owns the Chiefs all-time interception record with 58, which places him ninth on pro football's all-time list.[3] Thomas was elected to the NFL's Pro Football Hall of Fame after being nominated by the Seniors Committee.[4]
Playing career[]
Thomas made the Chiefs team as an undrafted free agent from Bishop College in Dallas.[3] Thomas was an AFL All-Star in 1968 and made the NFL's AFC-NFC Pro Bowl 4 times (1971, 1972, 1973, 1975) after the Chiefs joined the NFL in the 1970 AFL-NFL Merger. He was also selected All-Pro 3 times. In the 1969 season, he led all pro football with 9 interceptions, which he returned for 146 yards and a touchdown, helping his team win the AFL Championship and the fourth and last AFL-NFL World Championship Game, which the Chiefs won 23-7 over the NFL champion Vikings. Thomas recorded an interception in the Kansas City victory. In 1974, Thomas led the NFL in interceptions (12), return yards (214), and return touchdowns (2).
Thomas retired from playing after thirteen seasons; he finished his pro football career with 58 interceptions, which he returned for 937 yards and 5 touchdowns. He also recovered 4 fumbles, gained 64 yards returning punts, and returned 29 kickoffs for 673 yards. He played in 181 career games, tying for the 5th-most in club annals, and his 58 interceptions are a franchise record.
Thomas was elected the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008. He was officially inducted at the Enshrinement Ceremony where his bust, sculpted by Scott Myers, was unveiled on August 2, 2008.[5]
Coaching career[]
 | This section requires expansion. |
Thomas has been an NFL assistant for six teams in the last 26 years. Before being named interim head coach of the Atlanta Falcons on December 12, 2007 after the resignation of Bobby Petrino, Thomas was the Falcons' Senior Defensive Assistant/Secondary Coach. After Petrino's sudden departure left the team in shambles, Thomas attempted to unite the Atlanta locker room, and was able to lead the Falcons to a season-ending victory over the Seattle Seahawks. On January 24, 2008, new Falcons head coach Mike Smith announced that Thomas would remain on staff as assistant head coach. Thomas was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame along with Darrell Green and Art Monk, two players he coached during Super Bowl runs with the Washington Redskins. On January 13, 2010, his contract expired and was not renewed by the Falcons.
On February 1, 2010 he was hired as the secondary coach of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Personal life[]
Thomas and his wife, Jacqui, reside in Kansas City, Missouri. He has two grown children from a previous marriage . His son Derek is the former head basketball coach at Western Illinois University, while his daughter Dedra is a nurse and resides in Marshall, Texas.
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ "Thomas on Pro-Football-Reference". rbref.com. http://www.rbref.com/players/T/ThomEm00.htm. Retrieved 2007-12-15.
- ↑ "Thomas on nfl.com". nfl.com. http://www.nfl.com/players/emmittthomas/profile?id=THO145488. Retrieved 2007-12-15.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Thomas on Atlanta Falcons.com". atlantafalcons.com. Archived from the original on 2007-12-14. http://web.archive.org/web/20071214051942/http://www.atlantafalcons.com/People/Coaches/Emmitt_Thomas.aspx. Retrieved 2007-12-17.
- ↑ Kansas City Star February 2, 2008
- ↑ http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/years.aspx
External links[]
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Bud Carson |
Philadelphia Eagles Defensive coordinator 1995–1998 |
Succeeded by Jim Johnson |
| Preceded by Fritz Shurmur |
Green Bay Packers Defensive coordinator 1999 |
Succeeded by Ed Donatell |
| Preceded by Foge Fazio |
Minnesota Vikings Defensive Coordinator 2000–2001 |
Succeeded by Willie Shaw |
| Preceded by Clancy Pendergast |
Kansas City Chiefs Defensive Backs Coach 2010–present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
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