Jake Thomas (Canadian football)

{{short description|Professional Canadian football defensive tackle}}

{{Infobox Canadian Football League biography

|name=Jake Thomas

|image=2022, 95, Jake Thomas (2).jpg

|image_upright=0.95

|caption=Thomas with the Blue Bombers in 2022

|team=Winnipeg Blue Bombers

|number=95

|position1=Defensive tackle

|birth_date={{birth date and age|1990|12|06}}

|birth_place=Douglas, New Brunswick

|Height_ft=6

|Height_in=2

|Weight_lbs=266

|CIS=Acadia

|CFLDraftedYear=2012

|CFLDraftedRound=4

|CFLDraftedPick=29

|CFLDraftedTeam=Winnipeg Blue Bombers

|playing_years1={{CFL Year|2012}}–present

|playing_team1=Winnipeg Blue Bombers

|career_highlights=

2x Grey Cup champion (2019, 2021)

|status=Active

|import=no

|CFL=jake-thomas/158937/

}}

{{MedalCountry|{{CAN}}}}

Jake Thomas (born December 6, 1990) is a professional Canadian football defensive tackle for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL).

University career

Thomas played CIS football for the Acadia Axemen.{{cite news |title=Winnipeg Blue Bombers bring back Jake Thomas |author=Kelly Moore |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/4224036/winnipeg-blue-bombers-bring-back-jake-thomas/ |website=Global News Winnipeg |date=May 22, 2018 |access-date=2019-11-22}}{{cite news |title=CFL season begins for 8 Football Axemen |url=http://www.acadiaathletics.ca/sports/fball/2013-14/releases/201406095a841u |website= Acadia Axemen |date=June 9, 2014 |access-date=2019-11-22}}

Professional career

Thomas was drafted 29th overall in the fourth round of the 2012 CFL Draft by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and signed with the team on May 11, 2012.{{cite web |title=Blue Bombers add draft pick Thomas, non-import defensive back West |url= https://www.bluebombers.com/2012/05/11/blue-bombers-add-draft-pick-thomas-non-import-defensive-back-west/ |website=Winnipeg Blue Bombers |date=May 11, 2012 }} He played in his first game on June 29, 2012 against the BC Lions where he also recorded his first defensive tackle. He played in 14 regular season games in a backup role as a rookie. In 2013, Thomas continued to develop in a backup role and recorded his first career quarterback sack against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on November 2, 2013 after tackling Dan LeFevour for a two-yard loss.{{cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/games/1975/hamilton-tiger-cats-vs-winnipeg-blue-bombers#playbyplay|title=Hamilton Tiger-Cats vs Winnipeg Blue Bombers|date=November 2, 2013|publisher=Canadian Football League}} While his primary role is playing on the defensive line, the Blue Bombers have also used Thomas on the offensive line, either due to injuries or in short yardage situations. He recorded his first career interception against the BC Lions on July 21, 2017 when he picked off Travis Lulay and lateralled the ball to teammate Kyle Knox who then returned it for a touchdown.{{cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/games/2389/winnipeg-blue-bombers-vs-bc-lions#playbyplay|title=Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs BC Lions|date=July 21, 2017|publisher=Canadian Football League}}

Thomas was the longest serving member of the Blue Bombers team that beat both the Calgary Stampeders and Saskatchewan Roughriders during the 2019 CFL Playoffs, en route to the 107th Grey Cup game.{{cite news |title=BOMBSHELLS: Longest-serving Bombers player Jake Thomas relishes opportunity to play in first Grey Cup |author=Ted Wyman |url=https://winnipegsun.com/sports/football/cfl/winnipeg-bluebombers/bombshells-longest-serving-bombers-player-jake-thomas-relishes-opportunity-to-play-in-first-grey-cup |website=Winnipeg Sun |date=November 19, 2019}} As the longest serving player at the time, Thomas was the first member of the Blue Bomber team to raise the Grey Cup on stage during the team's celebration.{{cite news |title=Football fans in Fredericton, Moncton celebrate Grey Cup win |author=Jennifer Sweet |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/moncton-fredericton-celebrate-blue-bombers-1.5372461 |date=November 25, 2019}}{{cite news |title=Top-10 significant moments in Blue Bombers championship season |author=Ted Wyman |url=https://winnipegsun.com/sports/football/cfl/winnipeg-bluebombers/top-10-significant-moments-in-blue-bombers-championship-season |date=November 27, 2019}} He signed a one-year contract extension with the team on January 4, 2021.{{cite news |author=Rhéanne M. |title=Longest serving Blue Bomber Jake Thomas agrees to terms on one-year extension |url=https://www.bluebombers.com/2021/01/04/longest-serving-blue-bomber-jake-thomas-agrees-terms-one-year-extension/ |website=BlueBombers.com |date=January 4, 2021 |access-date=January 4, 2021}} After another strong season in 2021, and another Grey Cup victory, Thomas re-signed with the Blue Bombers on January 5, 2022, returning for his tenth season in Winnipeg.{{Cite web|author=TSN ca Staff|date=2022-01-05|title=Thomas to return for 10th season with Blue Bombers - TSN.ca|url=https://www.tsn.ca/winnipeg-blue-bombers-jake-thomas-contract-extension-1.1742054|access-date=2022-01-06|website=TSN|language=en}} On December 12, 2022 Thomas and the Bombers agreed to another contract extension.{{Cite web |author=TSN ca Staff |date=2022-12-12 |title=Winnipeg Blue Bombers Jake Thomas one year extension |url=https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/winnipeg-blue-bombers-jake-thomas-one-year-extension-1.1892063 |access-date=2022-12-13 |website=TSN |language=en-CA}}