Tra Thomas
refer to caption
Thomas during his tenure with the Eagles
No. 72
Position:Offensive tackle
Personal information
Born: (1974-11-20) November 20, 1974
DeLand, Florida, U.S.
Height:6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Weight:316 lb (143 kg)
Career information
High school:DeLand
College:Florida State
NFL Draft:1998 / Round: 1 / Pick: 11
Career history
As a player:
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
As a coach:
  • Philadelphia Eagles (2013–2014)
    Offensive assistant
  • IMG Academy (2021-present)
    Offensive line coach
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:174
Games started:168
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

William "Tra" Thomas III (born November 20, 1974) is an American football coach and former player who is the offensive line coach for IMG Academy. He played as an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL), primarily for the Philadelphia Eagles. Thomas played college football for the Florida State Seminoles. He was selected by the Eagles with the 11th overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft. He played for the Eagles for 11 seasons, from 1998–2008.

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

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand spanBench press
6 ft 7+3⁄4 in
(2.03 m)		 349 lb
(158 kg)		 36+1⁄2 in
(0.93 m)		 10+1⁄4 in
(0.26 m)		24 reps
All values from NFL Combine[1]

Philadelphia Eagles

Thomas was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round with the 11th overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft.[2] He played for the Eagles from 1998–2008, 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.[3] 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.[4]

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.[5]

He is currently the offensive line coach at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

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. In 2019, Thomas joined 97.5 WPEN for their morning broadcast with Marc Farzetta. On March 31, 2020, Thomas was let go from 97.5 due to cutbacks by Beasely Media Group.[6]

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.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Tra Thomas, Combine Results, OT - Florida State". nflcombineresults.com. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  2. ↑ "1998 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  3. ↑ "Thomas to sign with Jaguars". Jaguars. 9 March 2009.
  4. ↑ Acee, Kevin (August 21, 2010). "Tra Thomas to retire". The San Diego Union Tribune. Retrieved 2010-08-21.
  5. ↑ "Eagles coaching moves: Tra Thomas no longer assistant". csnphilly.com. February 3, 2015. Retrieved 2015-02-03.
  6. ↑ Tanenbaum, Michael (31 March 2020). "Former Eagle Tra Thomas let go by 97.5 The Fanatic due to cutbacks". PhillyVoice.
  7. ↑ Musing On Smith Move, Reid Interview, More - Philadelphia Eagles
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