He played college football for the Fresno State Bulldogs and later had stints with the Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers.
[1] He was a second cousin of Los Angeles Rams, Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers player Jewerl Thomas.
[2][4] He returned to playing running back as a senior and was one of the top players at his position in the area, setting the all-time Tulare prep record with 1,479 rushing yards.
[6][7] Thomas was recruited by several major college football teams but choose to stay close to home and play for the Fresno State Bulldogs.
[8][12] Thomas was set to be Fresno State's leading rusher in 1984, compiling 190 rushing yards and two touchdowns in four games before suffering a season-ending injury.
[8][11] When he returned for his senior season in 1985, he had to play behind James Williams and Kelly Skipper; he ended the year with 356 rushing yards on 55 carries with a touchdown, averaging 6.5 yards-per-carry.