He played college football for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, earning first-team All-American honors as a kick returner in 1988.
Thurman played at the running back position at Robert E. Lee High School in Midland, Texas under coach Spike Dykes.
[3] Due to his small size at 5' 4" and 126 pounds, Thurman received little interest from Division I schools before being recruited to Texas Tech University with the hiring of his former high school coach Spike Dykes as the defensive coordinator for the Red Raiders in 1984.
Thurman would play from 1985-1988, and earned Associated Press All-American 1st Team honors as a kick returner during his senior year in 1988.
He was cut from the roster before the 1989 season began and spent several years in both the Canadian Football League and the Arena Football League playing for teams including the Ottawa Rough Riders,[1] Dallas Texans (Arena), Las Vegas Sting, Connecticut Coyotes and Texas Terror.