He played for the New Orleans Saints of the NFL and the Calgary Stampeders and Birmingham Barracudas of the CFL.
Thurman played college football at Southern California (USC).
Thurman was selected as one of 75 greatest players in Calgary Stampeder franchise history(CFL) on August 31, 2021.
Thurman was forced to retire after the 1995 season because of a knee injury.
His brother, Dennis Thurman, played in the NFL and has served as the defensive coordinator for the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills.