This is part one of an article I wrote and posted in the Club Section. I thought I would share it here on the Main forum with people. Part Two, a Video Analysis of Donald Thomas' college games will only be available in Club, however. I hope you enjoy the article. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thomas The Tank Engine He's the newly anointed starter at Right Guard for the Miami Dolphins. He's the final piece to the long unsolved O-line puzzle. He's.... Donald Thomas. Uh, wait a minute. He's WHO? While most Dolphins fans have been lamenting the struggles of a rag-tag Offensive line since the end of the Webb-Simms era, it looks like the Dolphins may have solidified their line of the future and the diamond in the rough who has completed the puzzle is a young rookie whom most fans have probably never heard of. In a game of big names, he's the 'little guy', his 310 lbs of bulk notwithstanding. Donald Thomas, a sixth round selection from the University of Connecticut, came into Dolphins camp this year just hoping to make the team. He is set to leave camp as the Dolphins starting Right Guard on an O-line boasting two first and two second round draft picks. To give you an even better idea of how far above expectations Thomas is swimming, the average salary this year of the other four starters on the line is approximately $4.5 million. Donald Thomas' salary? Around $300,000. It's a bit of a "Rudy" story, to be sure, that Donald Thomas finds himself sharing this rare air as the Dolphins starting Right Guard. So, Dolphins fans, allow me to introduce you to your very own Not-So-Little-Engine-That-Could. Donald Thomas started his college football career the same way he has started his pro-career: as an unlikely, out of the blue success story. A walk-on for the UConn Huskies, Thomas only played for the scout team as a defensive lineman in his first year. In his second year he redshirted, again not seeing the competition field as a Husky. In his third year Donald finally saw the field, but only as a special teamer. Still, he persisted. In his fourth year he played on special teams again as well as some Tight End, but his big breakthrough came when he got two starts at Left Guard to end of the season. The coaches must have seen something they liked, because last fall Donald entered his final season as the back-up to Offensive Guard Immanuel Hutcherson. Well, once he reached the Offensive Line it didn't take long for this little engine to show it was a big locomotive with a nasty, powerful hand-punch that shook defensive linemen. In his final year of college Donald went from back-up to full-time starter. Sound familiar? It's the same thing Donald has already done since joining the Dolphins. Once Thomas gets an opportunity on the Offensive Line, it appears, he impresses. As a player with high school experience at Defensive Line and Tight End, and only one college season as a starter on the Offensive Line, Donald Thomas has already become a starter in the NFL. It defies the odds, to say the least. And how has he done it? By playing "heavy". Thomas first started turning heads at Dolphins camp when Dolphins defenders would come off the practice field talking about how strong #66 hit them. Big veteran, Jason Ferguson, who is also a conduit straight to the coaching staff's ears, immediately raved about this kid's hand punch. Ferguson said Thomas "plays heavy" and that's saying something, as Ferguson is no lightweight himself. In no time flat Donald Thomas had pushed his way into the starting line-up the same way he pushed defensive linemen off the line of scrimmage. What remains to be seen is how Thomas will transition to the complexities and the speed of the pro game. It's a long season, and there will be a steep learning curve for the young man. But, as Head Coach Tony Sparano has said, it's Donald's job to lose. And the thing about Donald Thomas is, once he takes a step forward, it's almost impossible to move him back.
