Josh Thomas has been the Dallas Cowboys' number one fan since he was in diapers. He has always dreamed of having his name among the Dallas legends—Troy Aikman, Roger Staubach, Emmitt Smith, Tom Landry, and Michael Irvin, just to name a few. Now he will play for the team he has idolized his whole life.
Thomas was selected by the Cowboys with the 143rd pick in last week's NFL draft. Though he was predicted to be picked in the late third round or early fourth round, Thomas fell to the Cowboys in the fifth round.
Thomas is a Cedar Hill, Tx. native, which is 22 miles outside of Dallas. He explained how excited he is about his destination in a press conference at UB Stadium on Tuesday morning.
"Having my city want me to become a Cowboy means the world to me," Thomas said. "I will be forever grateful."
Thomas is appreciative for the chance to play for the Cowboys, but he'll always be thankful for Buffalo.
"Coming out of high school, I was 150 pounds," Thomas said. "I was passed up by a lot of Division 1 teams, but I knew I would be at home here in Buffalo. [The Bulls] wanted me the most. During my first practice, it rained, then it snowed, then it sleeted, then there were 30-mile per hour winds. That was one of the hardest practices I've ever had. In my four years here, I learned how to play the true game of football. I've learned to cherish it in Buffalo."
Thomas was a consistent force in Buffalo's impressive defensive backfield the past four years. He finished his senior year with 58 tackles, two sacks and an interception.
Thomas became nervous before he was selected, but he channeled the uneasiness into motivation.
"My agent told me not to watch the draft," Thomas said. "So I had a regular Sunday. I had a cookout, had a few people over, and played with the kids. After the fourth round was over, I had some concern. Seeing the corners continuously go before me just made me hungry. It made me ready to play. I've always had to overcome adversity. I've always had to prove myself."
When Thomas was drafted, he received a phone call at his grandmother's house from notorious Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones. Thomas said the situation was surreal, and he struggled to find the right words after finally accepting that it really was Jones on the other end of the phone.
Several former Bulls, including Buffalo Bills wide receiver Naaman Roosevelt and Indianapolis Colts center Jamey Richard, called to applaud Thomas after the draft. One former teammate had a challenge for Thomas when the two meet if there is an NFL season next year.
"James Starks called and told me he was going to run me over," Thomas said. "I said, ‘Yeah, okay. All right.' He just added fuel to my fire. I remember we had a practice when Starks had just come back from an injury. He saw me and lowered his shoulder and expected to run me over. The next thing I knew, Turner Gill was coming up to me saying: ‘Come on, Josh. You can't do that. You just can't do that.'"
Bulls head coach Jeff Quinn is thankful for the time Starks and Thomas put in at UB, and he is optimistic for the future of Buffalo football.
"We had James Starks a year ago," Quinn said. "When you have a player competing in the Super Bowl, there are over one hundred million households hearing about football being played at UB. Josh came along and has proven what he's capable of doing. It helps us tremendously in spring recruiting."
Thomas finished his letters of football eligibility before he graduated, but he plans on continuing his education. He plans on graduating in May of 2012 with a communication degree. Thomas also wants to pursue his Master's degree in business.
If the NFL labor dispute is resolved, Thomas will play his first game at Texas Stadium on Aug. 11 against the Denver Broncos.
Email: sports@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
Photo: Paul Hokanson / UB Athletics
