Hometown: Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Career: 2007-2010
Record: 38-14, Bowl Record: 2-2 including a BCS win
J.T. Thomas came to West Virginia to follow in his father’s
footsteps (J.T. Senior) to play linebacker for the Mountaineers. Thomas Jr was
a talented athlete with a nasty streak. Stories of Thomas’ mean streak struck
fear into the hearts of opposing players. Thomas once choked out his own
teammate in practice: that’s how serious he took practice. Thomas saw action in
10 games during his sophomore season, eventually taking over as a starter by
the end of the season. He would start at linebacker for the rest of his career,
giving WVU a tough run stopper in the middle of the defense. The efforts of
Thomas and other great defenders such as Reed Williams, Mortty Ivy, Chris Nield,
etc propelled WVU’s defense to one of the best in the country in 2010. J.T.
Thomas earned personal accolades for his performances in 2009 and 2010, earning
All-Big East selections. Thomas’ abilities earned him a draft selection by the
Chicago Bears in the spring of 2011, where he is a back-up linebacker.
Memorable Game: Thomas had a performance for the ages in the
2008 season opener against Villanova. The Mountaineers were ranked 8th
in the country following the Fiesta Bowl beatdown of Oklahoma. Villanova was
one of the preseason favorites to win the FCS Championship. The Mountaineers
would not take the Wildcats lightly. The Mountaineer defense, led by Thomas,
unleashed a flurry of blitzes against Villanova’s undersized offensive line. Thomas
knifed into the backfield to collect a pair of sacks. Thomas would also block a
punt to set the Mountaineers up with great field position. The Mountaineers
jumped out to a 34-7 lead in the third quarter. The Mountaineers would win the
game on cruise control, beating Villanova 48-21.
Competition: There was little in the way of competition for
#30. I actually ask you, the reader, who else could I have picked here? Yes,
there were some flashes in the pan to wear #30 like Pernell Williams, but
Thomas was the best player on the field. Off the field, he was a mixed bag of
character. He got in trouble with the law here and there (nothing major) and on
the other hand, he took a special needs girl to her dance. So we just have to
take the good with the bad.
Teaser: The countdown has finally reached the 20s.
Coincidentally, tomorrow we honor the career of a player who is currently in
their 20s. This player grew up playing in front of packed stadiums on Friday nights
in Texas. While football may be “religion” in Texas, I think the Mountaineer
fan base is equally as passionate as any Texas high school football fan.
Although, unlike in Friday Night Lights, we do not close down the entire town
on game days (someone has to run the bars).
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