Thompson attended Richard Gahr High School where he was a standout in basketball and played but didn't start football, before moving on to Cerritos Junior College where he became a starter as a defensive tackle.
[2] On November 12, 1983, he signed with the San Antonio Gunslingers, but was traded to the Chicago Blitz in exchange for the rights to quarterback Bob Gagliano on January 3, 1984.
The team ended up moving to Portland, where he played in all 18 games and earned All-All-USFL honors at right guard.
[5] On August 3, 1985, Thompson signed as a free agent with the Dallas Cowboys and played 11 games as a backup.
[7] Although he had never played the position before, the Philadelphia Eagles moved him to left tackle and started 10 games until suffering a calf strain that put him out of the season.
[9] In 1995, he signed as a free agent with the Denver Broncos, reuniting with his previous offensive line coach Alex Gibbs.