Jim Thomas (offensive lineman)
American football player (1917–1981)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
James F. Thomas (May 6, 1917 – June 4, 1981) was an American professional football guard.
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Oilton, Oklahoma, U.S.
Florence, South Carolina, U.S.
Thomas in 1938 | |||||||
| No. 41 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Guard | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born | May 6, 1917 Oilton, Oklahoma, U.S. | ||||||
| Died | June 1, 1981 (aged 64) Florence, South Carolina, U.S. | ||||||
| Listed height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||
| Listed weight | 200 lb (91 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school | Oilton | ||||||
| College | Oklahoma (1935-1938) | ||||||
| NFL draft | 1939: 12th round, 102nd overall pick | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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Thomas was born in 1917 at Oilton, Oklahoma. He attended Oilton High School.[1]
Thomas attended the University of Oklahoma and played for the Oklahoma Sooners football team from 1935 to 1938.[1] He was a member of the 1938 Oklahoma Sooners football team that compiled a 10–1 record and was ranked No. 4 in the final Associated Press poll. He was known as "Singer" Thomas at Oklahoma because of his constant singing in the shower room.[2]
He was drafted by the Chicago Cardinals with the 102nd pick in the 1939 NFL draft.[3] He appeared in 13 games for the Cardinals during the 1939 and 1940 seasons.[4]
Thomas was also an opera singer who sang with the Metropolitan Opera for a year. He served in the Army during World War II, attaining the rank of lieutenant and serving in the field artillery under General George Patton. He was a school teacher in Florence, South Carolina, starting in 1966. He died of an apparent heart attack in 1981 in Florence.[5]