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Tra Thomas
Tra-Thomas-2008-11-02-vsSeahawks
Thomas during his tenure with the Eagles.
No. 72     
Offensive tackle
Personal information
Date of birth: (1974-11-20) November 20, 1974 (age 49)
Place of birth: DeLand, Florida
Career information
College: Florida State
NFL Draft: 1998 / Round: 1 / Pick: 11
No regular season or postseason appearances
Career history
 As player:
* Philadelphia Eagles ( 1998 2008)
 As coach:
* Philadelphia Eagles ( 2013 2014)
(Offensive assistant)
Career highlights and awards
* 3× Pro Bowl (2001, 2002, 2004)
  • All-Pro (2002)
  • PFWA All-NFC Team (2004)
  • Philadelphia Eagles 75th Anniversary Team
Games played     174
Games started     168
Stats at NFL.com
Stats at pro-football-reference.com

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 19982008. 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.

Professional career[]

Philadelphia Eagles[]

Thomas was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles 11th overall in the 1998 NFL Draft. He played for the Eagles from 19982008, 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.[1] 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.[2]

Retirement[]

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

Coaching career[]

Thomas rejoined the Philadelphia Eagles as a coaching intern in 2013, working primarily with the offensive line. He was hired following training camp as an offensive assistant coach. His contract expired after the 2014 season and he was not re-signed.[3]

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.[4]

References[]

External links[]

Sporting positions
Preceded by
Jermane Mayberry
Philadelphia Eagles Starting Left Tackles
1998–2008
Succeeded by
Jason Peters
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