A native of Columbus, Ohio, Thomas was six feet, one inch tall and weighed 204 pounds.
[1] He attended the Ohio State University where he played college football at the guard position for the Ohio State Buckeyes football team from 1956 to 1957.
[2][3][4] He averaged 57 minutes a game during the 1957 season,[5] and Ohio State coach Woody Hayes said, "For consistent play on both offense and defense, there is no better guard in college football today.
[6] After graduating from Ohio State, Thomas worked as a teacher for several years, worked for New York Life Insurance Company and later started his own insurance brokerage business in Columbus, Ohio.
[7] This biographical article relating to a college football player is a stub.