Speedy Thomas

Last updated

Louis "Speedy" Thomas
No. 17
Position: Wide receiver
Personal information
Born:(1947-04-13)April 13, 1947
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Died:July 23, 2003(2003-07-23) (aged 56)
Career information
College: Utah
NFL draft: 1969  / Round: 3 / Pick: 57
Career history
Career NFL statistics
Receptions:94
Receiving yards:1,239
Touchdowns:9

Louis "Speedy" Timothy Thomas (April 13, 1947 –July 29, 2003 [1] ) was a professional American football wide receiver in the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL). He played for the AFL's Cincinnati Bengals (1969) and the NFL's Bengals (1970–1972) and New Orleans Saints (1973–1974).

Thomas played football at Booker T. Washington High School in Houston, Texas.

He played college football at the University of Utah. During his senior season (1968), he was named first-team All-Western Athletic Conference (WAC), and he was selected to play in the annual all-star East-West Shrine Game. [2]

He was drafted in the third round (57th overall) of the 1969 NFL/AFL draft by the second-year Cincinnati Bengals. [3]

In 1969, Thomas had a big rookie year as a flanker for the AFL's Bengals. Playing all 14 games, he had 33 receptions for 481 yards (a 14.6 average) and three touchdowns. He set a new Bengals record for receptions in a game with seven (for 177 yards) against the Denver Broncos. For the season, he also had four carries for 16 yards and a touchdown, and he returned four punts for 15 yards. [4]

His first professional touchdown was in week 2, when he caught a nine-yard touchdown pass from Greg Cook in a 24-30 win over the San Diego Chargers.

In 1970, with the Bengals now in the NFL due to the NFL/AFL merger, he again played 14 games, including 13 as a starter at wide receiver. He had 21 receptions for 257 yards (a 12.2 average) and two touchdowns, along with two carries for seven yards and four punt returns for 20 yards.

In 1971, he played 12 games, starting eight as wide receiver. He had 22 receptions for 327 yards (a 14.9 average). He also had his longest career reception and the longest in the NFL in 1971—a 90-yard touchdown pass from Virgil Carter in the season-opening game, a 37-14 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. He also returned four punts for 20 yards and had two carries for -1 yards. [5]

In 1972, he played in 11 games, starting 10. He had 17 receptions for 171 yards (a 10.1 average) and one touchdown.

After four years with the Bengals, on July 9, 1973, he was traded to the New Orleans Saints for rookie defensive tackle Jerry Ellison. [6]

In 1973 for the Saints, he played in six games with no statistics. In 1974, his sixth and last in pro football, he played in one game, with one reception for three yards. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lance Alworth</span> American football player (born 1940)

Lance Dwight Alworth, nicknamed "Bambi", is an American former football wide receiver who played for the San Diego Chargers of the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL) and Dallas Cowboys of the NFL. Often considered one of the greatest wide receivers of all time, he played for 11 seasons, from 1962 through 1972, and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978. He was the first player inducted whose playing career was principally in the AFL. Alworth is also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. His teammates called him Bambi because he had a baby face and could run like a deer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Maynard</span> American football player (1935–2022)

Donald Rogers Maynard was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver known for playing for the New York Jets in the National Football League (NFL). He also played with the New York Giants and St. Louis Cardinals; and the Shreveport Steamer of the World Football League (WFL).

Carl McNally Pickens is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cincinnati Bengals and Tennessee Titans. He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers, earning first-team All-American honors in 1991.

Az-Zahir Ali Hakim is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the San Diego State Aztecs. He was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the fourth round of the 1998 NFL draft. He also was a member of the Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints, San Diego Chargers, Miami Dolphins, and Las Vegas Locomotives.

Robb Douglas Thomas is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) who played from 1989 to 1998.

Stanley Douglas Morgan is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. A "deep threat" receiver, he holds the NFL record with 19.2 yards per catch, and also holds the Patriots team record for total receiving yards in a career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Brooks (American football)</span> American football player (born 1958)

James Robert Brooks is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football played for the Auburn Tigers. He played for four teams in the NFL, earning all four of his Pro Bowl selections with the Cincinnati Bengals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Trumpy</span> American football player (born 1945)

Robert Theodore Trumpy Jr. is an American former football tight end who played for the Cincinnati Bengals in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL), from 1968 through 1977. He was a two-time NFL Pro Bowler and a two-time AFL All-Star. Following his playing career, Trumpy spent many years as a broadcast color analyst, calling four Super Bowls. He was given the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014.

Skyler Levon Green is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals and New Orleans Saints. He also was a member of the Edmonton Eskimos in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the New Orleans VooDoo of the Arena Football League (AFL). He played college football for the LSU Tigers, earning All-American honors.

Larry Robert Seiple is a former American football player and coach. He played professionally as a punter for the Miami Dolphins of the American Football League (AFL) from 1967 through 1969, and the NFL's Dolphins from 1970 through 1977. With the Dolphins, Seiple was a part of two Super Bowl-winning teams, Super Bowl VII in 1972, when the Dolphins posted the only undefeated regular and post-season record to date in NFL history, and in Super Bowl VIII in 1973.

Aaron Duane Bailey is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver and return specialist for five seasons with the Indianapolis Colts in the National Football League (NFL). Bailey later played for one season in the XFL (2001) and six seasons in the Arena Football League (2001–2006). He played college football at Louisville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Cincinnati Bengals</span>

The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football franchise in the National Football League. Since starting off as an expansion franchise in the American Football League in 1968, they have appeared in three Super Bowls, but lost all three times, twice to the San Francisco 49ers and once to the Los Angeles Rams.

Kevin Ray Williams, Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers. He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, earning first-team All-American honors in 1991.

Phillip Leon "Chip" Myers was an American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers.

Essex L. Johnson was a professional American football running back for eight seasons for the Cincinnati Bengals and one season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Paul Harvey Robinson is an American former professional football player who was a running back for two seasons in the American Football League (AFL) and four seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Arizona Wildcats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jess Phillips (American football)</span> American football player (born 1947)

Jess Willard Phillips Jr. is an American former professional football player who played running back for 10 seasons in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He began his pro career with the AFL's Cincinnati Bengals in 1968, and also played for the NFL's Bengals as well as the New Orleans Saints, Oakland Raiders and New England Patriots.

James Francis Whalen, Jr. was a professional American football tight end.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brandon Tate</span> American football player (born 1987)

Brandon Tate is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2009 NFL draft. He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyler Boyd (American football)</span> American football player (born 1994)

Tyler Alexander Boyd is an American football wide receiver for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Pittsburgh, and was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft.

References

  1. ↑ Chick Ludwig (September 23, 2008). "The List of 28 deceased Bengals players". Dayton Daily News . Archived from the original on October 1, 2009. Retrieved October 23, 2009.
  2. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 30, 2004. Retrieved January 26, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ↑ "Speedy Thomas Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com .
  4. ↑ "Daytona Beach Sunday News-Journal - Google News Archive Search".
  5. ↑ "Speedy Thomas Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com .
  6. ↑ "Star-News - Google News Archive Search".
  7. ↑ "Speedy Thomas Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.