| No. 49, 21 | |||||||
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| Position | Defensive back | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born | November 6, 1947 Camden, Arkansas, U.S. | ||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||
| Weight | 195 lb (88 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| College | Texas A&M–Commerce | ||||||
| NFL draft | 1970: undrafted | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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James Frederick Thrower (born November 6, 1947) is an American former professional football defensive back. In 2022 he was inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame. [1]
Thrower was born in Camden, Arkansas, in 1947. He attended Lincoln High School and played college football at Texas A&M–Commerce. [2] He also exceled at track and field and basketball, and was inducted into the university's athletic hall of fame. [1]
Thrower played professional football as a defensive back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1970 to 1972. [2] [3] [4] He was fired by the Eagles in November 1972. [5]
He next played for the Detroit Lions during the 1973 and 1974 seasons. [2] While with the Lions, he was a backup to cornerback Lem Barney and also served as captain of the special team unit. He was also a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. [6] During the 1975, was placed on the injured reserve list. The Detroit Free Press called him the captain of the injured reserve list. [7]
In three years in the NFL, Thrower appeared in a total of 46 NFL games, four of them as a starter. [2]
After retiring from football, Thrower worked for the Stroh Brewery Co. and later Michigan Consolidated Gas Co. He was also a leading fundraiser for the NAACP. [8]