Starling Thomas V
{{Short description|American football player (born 2000)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Starling Thomas V
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| current_team = Arizona Cardinals
| number = 24
| position = Cornerback
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2000|1|25}}
| birth_place = Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 10
| weight_lb = 194
| high_school = Ramsay (Birmingham)
| college = UAB (2018–2022)
| undraftedyear = 2023
| pastteams =
- Detroit Lions ({{NFL Year|2023}})*
- Arizona Cardinals ({{NFL Year|2023}}–present)
| status = Active
| highlights =
| statweek =
| statseason = 2023
| statlabel1 = Total tackles
| statvalue1 = 38
| statlabel2 = Pass deflections
| statvalue2 = 5
| pfr = ThomSt01
}}
Starling Thomas V (born January 25, 2000) is an American professional football cornerback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UAB Blazers.
Early years
Thomas was born on January 25, 2000, and grew up in Birmingham, Alabama.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.si.com/nfl/draft/news/starling-thomas-v|magazine=Sports Illustrated|title=NFL Draft Profile: Starling Thomas V, Cornerback, Alabama-Birmingham Blazers|date=December 2, 2022}} He attended Ramsay High School and was a top two-way player, being ranked a three-star prospect.{{Cite web|url=https://www.al.com/sports/2017/07/uab_football_starling_thomas_c.html|website=AL.com|title=Starling Thomas, Ramsay's 2-way star, picks college home|date=July 1, 2017|author=Estwick, Gary}} He placed as the 145th-best cornerback recruit nationally and the 53rd-best player in the state, and chose to commit to UAB over Middle Tennessee, Memphis and Southern Miss, among others.{{Cite web|url=https://uabsports.com/sports/football/roster/starling-thomas-v/9231|publisher=UAB Blazers|title=Starling Thomas V}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.al.com/uab/2019/10/playing-for-2-starling-thomas-v-playing-for-mother-and-childrens-harbor-patient.html|website=AL.com|title=Playing for 2: Starling Thomas V playing for mother and Children's Harbor patient|date=October 18, 2019|author=Dudley, Evan}}
College career
Thomas saw immediate playing time as a true freshman in 2018, appearing in 12 games while recording three pass breakups and 10 tackles.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.si.com/nfl/colts/draft/30-days-colts-starling-thomas-cb-uab|magazine=Sports Illustrated|title=30 Days of Colts' Fits: Starling Thomas V, CB, UAB|date=March 31, 2023|author=Hicks, Matt}}{{Cite web |title=Starling Thomas V College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/starling-thomas-1.html |access-date=2024-07-20 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}} He also saw action as a return specialist. The following year, he started all 14 games and posted 27 tackles, one fumble recovered and his first career interception, made against North Texas. Although projected to be starter again in 2020, Thomas suffered a torn ACL that kept him out the entire season. He started all 13 games when he returned in 2021, posting 41 tackles, nine pass breakups and two interceptions, earning honorable mention all-conference honors. As a senior in 2022, Thomas was named first-team all-conference after allowing receptions on only 37.9% of passes thrown at him with 13 passes defended.{{Cite web|url=https://herosports.com/fbs-nfl-draft-starling-thomas-uab-cpcp/|website=HERO Sports|title=NFL Draft: Starling Thomas V of UAB Could Be On Track To Becoming Pro Starter|author=Pool, Colton|date=April 27, 2023}} He played in the East–West Shrine Bowl after the season ended.
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 5
| height in = 10 1/8
| weight = 190
| dash = 4.38
| ten split = 1.59
| twenty split = 2.54
| shuttle = 4.36
| cone drill = 7.29
| vertical = 37.5
| broad ft = 10
| broad in = 5
| bench = 14
| arm span = 30 5/8
| hand span = 9 5/8
| note = All values from Pro Day{{Cite web |title=2023 NFL Draft Scout Starling Thomas V College Football Profile |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1028485&DraftYear=2023 |access-date=August 12, 2023 |website=DraftScout.com}}
}}
=Detroit Lions=
Although various sources projected Thomas as a late-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft, he ended up going unselected. He was signed by the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent.{{Cite web|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/detroit-lions-undrafted-free-agent-234427586.html|website=Yahoo! Sports|title=Detroit Lions undrafted free agent tracker: QB Adrian Martinez joining Lions|author=Birkett, Dave|date=April 29, 2023}} He was waived on August 29, 2023.{{Cite web |date=August 29, 2023 |title=Lions announce roster moves |url=https://www.detroitlions.com/news/lions-announce-roster-moves-x4161 |access-date=2024-04-20 |website=DetroitLions.com}}
=Arizona Cardinals=
A day after being waived by the Lions, Thomas was claimed off waivers by the Arizona Cardinals.{{Cite web |last=Payton |first=Mike |date=August 30, 2023 |title=Cardinals claim standout from Lions camp |url=https://atozsports.com/detroit/starling-thomas-claimed-by-cardinals/ |access-date=August 30, 2023 |website=A to Z Sports |language=en}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.azcardinals.com/team/players-roster/starling-thomas-v/ Arizona Cardinals bio]
- [https://uabsports.com/sports/football/roster/starling-thomas-v/9231 UAB Blazers bio]
{{Arizona Cardinals roster navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Starling, V}}
Category:American football cornerbacks
Category:Players of American football from Birmingham, Alabama
Category:Ramsay High School alumni
Category:UAB Blazers football players