Trenton Thompson
{{Short description|American football player (born 1996)}}
{{distinguish|Trenton Thompson (defensive back)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Trenton Thompson
| image =
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| position = Defensive tackle
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|7|27}}
| birth_place = Albany, Georgia, U.S.
| death_date =
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| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 3
| weight_lb = 288
| high_school = Westover (Albany, Georgia)
| college = Georgia
| undraftedyear = 2018
| pastteams =
- Cleveland Browns ({{NFL Year|2018}})*
- Arizona Hotshots ({{AAF Year|2019}})
- Washington Valor ({{AFL Year|2019}})
- Edmonton Eskimos ({{CFL Year|2019}})*
- Houston Roughnecks ({{XFL Year|2020}})*
- Team 9 ({{XFL Year|2020}})*
- Saskatchewan Roughriders ({{CFL Year|2020}}–{{CFL Year|2021}})*
- Vegas Knight Hawks ({{IFL Year|2023}})*
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| pfr = ThomTr03
}}
Trenton Charles Thompson (born July 27, 1996) is an American football defensive tackle who is a free agent. He played college football at the University of Georgia. Thompson graduated from Westover Comprehensive High School in Albany, Georgia, where he earned All-USA Defensive Player of the Year honors by USA Today. While he was in high school, scouts compared him to All-Pro defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.{{cite news |title=Top-recruit Thompson confident, ready to play for Bulldogs |date=January 31, 2015 |url=http://onlineathens.com/sports/college-sports/2015-01-31/top-recruit-thompson-confident-ready-play-bulldogs }}
Early life
A native of Albany, Georgia, Thompson attended Westover Comprehensive High School where he was coached by Octavia Jones and former NFL defensive lineman Jeff Hunter. In his junior season, Thompson recorded 83 tackles (38 for loss) and 12 sacks, helping Westover to a third-round GHSA 4A playoff berth and its first region title in school history.{{cite news |title=Westover's Trent Thompson commits to Georgia |work=Albany Herald |date=August 13, 2014 |url=http://www.albanyherald.com/news/2014/aug/12/westover8217s-trent-thompson-commits-to-georgia/ }} He was named Junior of the Year by recruiting service Rivals.com.{{cite web |url=https://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1605158 |title=Junior of the Year: Five-star DT Trenton Thompson |access-date=April 16, 2014 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140416234922/https://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1605158 |archive-date=April 16, 2014 }} In his senior season, Thompson tallied 84 tackles, including 36 tackles for loss and four sacks, one interception and one forced fumble. He was named the Class 4A Defensive Player of the Year by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, as well as National Defensive Player of the Year by USA Today.{{cite news |title=ALL-USA Defensive Player of the Year: Trent Thompson |work=USA Today |date=December 24, 2014 |url=http://usatodayhss.com/2014/all-usa-defensive-player-of-the-year-trent-thompson }}
Unanimously regarded as one of the top recruits across all positions,{{cite web |title=ESPN 300 for Class of 2015 |work=ESPN |url=https://www.espn.com/college-sports/football/recruiting/playerrankings/_/view/rn300/sort/rank/class/2015 }}{{cite web |title=2015 Composite Rankings |work=247 Sports |url=https://247sports.com/Season/2015-Football/CompositeRecruitRankings/?InstitutionGroup=HighSchool }} Thompson was heavily recruited by elite NCAA Division I football programs, including Alabama, Florida State, Louisiana State, Michigan State, Auburn, and Southern California. His first offer came from Georgia while he was still a sophomore.{{cite news |title=Westover sophomore Thompson gets offer from UGA |date=February 16, 2013 |work=Albany Herald |url=http://www.albanyherald.com/news/2013/feb/16/westover-sophomore-thompson-gets-offer-uga/ }} When he verbally committed to Georgia over Auburn and Alabama in August 2014, he cited Georgia's early recruiting effort as one of the reasons: "Georgia, they were my first offer. They were the first coaches that came down to see me and showed me the most love."{{cite news |title=DT Trenton Thompson, No. 6 recruit, commits to Georgia Bulldodgs |work=ESPN |date=August 12, 2014 |url=https://www.espn.com/college-sports/recruiting/football/story/_/id/11345019/dt-trenton-thompson-no-6-recruit-commits-georgia-bulldodgs }}{{cite news |title=Recruiting frenzy was intense for Thompson |work=Atlanta Journal-Constitution |date=June 26, 2015 |url=http://www.ajc.com/news/sports/college/recruiting-frenzy-was-intense-for-thompson/nmmS4/ }} He signed a National Letter of Intent on February 4, 2015.{{cite web|author=Trent Thompson |url=https://247sports.com/Player/Trent-Thompson-29432/TimelineEvents |title=Trent Thompson Timeline Events |publisher=247sports.com |access-date=October 6, 2015}}
College career
Starting his college career with "stardom widely expected",{{cite news |title=Georgia's most important players of 2015: The final 4 begins |work=Atlanta Journal-Constitution |date=July 6, 2015 |url=http://ugasports.blog.ajc.com/2015/07/06/georgias-most-important-players-of-2015-the-final-4-begins/ }} Thompson was projected as a space-eater in the mold of former Florida State nose tackle Timmy Jernigan, whom Georgia's defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt coached in 2013.{{cite magazine |title=Trent Thompson, No. 3 recruit in class of 2015, commits to Georgia |date=August 12, 2014 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |url=https://www.si.com/college-football/2014/08/12/trent-thompson-commits-georgia-defensive-tackle }} Thompson played mostly in the second half during the first four games of the 2015 season, where he recorded 7 total tackles including a half a sack. On October 3, 2015, Thompson, listed as a defensive end, made his first start for the Bulldogs in a week 5 loss to the #13 Alabama Crimson Tide,{{cite web|url=http://www.albanyherald.com/news/2015/oct/01/trent-thompson-to-start-against-alabama/ |title=Trent Thompson to start against Alabama |publisher=Albany Herald |access-date=October 6, 2015}}{{cite web|author=@ 9:56am |url=http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/georgia-football/georgias-five-star-freshman-slated-first-career-start-alabama/ |title=Georgia's five-star freshman slated for first career start against Alabama |publisher=Saturdaydownsouth.com |date=October 2, 2015 |access-date=October 6, 2015}}{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/KingHenryDa2nd/videos/1176339029048340/?pnref=story |title=Henry Carter Jr |publisher=Facebook |access-date=October 6, 2015}} where he recorded four total tackles.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/gamelog/_/id/3915192/trenton-thompson |title=Trenton Thompson Game By Game Stats and Performance - Georgia Bulldogs - ESPN |publisher=Espn.go.com |access-date=October 6, 2015}} Thompson finished his true freshman year with 25 tackles (8 of which were solo), 2.5 tackles for a loss, and half a sack. Pro Football Focus listed him as the best true freshman on the interior defensive line, along with Missouri's Terry Beckner.{{cite news |title=Top True Freshmen by Position |date=December 11, 2015 |work=Pro Football Focus |url=https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2015/12/11/college-top-true-freshmen-by-position/ }} In January 2018, Thompson declared his intent to forgo his senior year at Georgia and enter the 2018 NFL draft.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/georgia-defensive-tackle-trenton-thompson-to-enter-nfl-draft/2018/01/13/3e940008-f889-11e7-9af7-a50bc3300042_story.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190114153358/https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/georgia-defensive-tackle-trenton-thompson-to-enter-nfl-draft/2018/01/13/3e940008-f889-11e7-9af7-a50bc3300042_story.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 14, 2019 |title=Georgia defensive tackle Trenton Thompson to enter NFL draft |agency=Associated Press |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=January 13, 2018 |access-date=January 19, 2018}}
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 6
| height in = 2 5/8
| weight = 288
| arm span = 34
| hand span = 10 5/8
| dash = 5.06
| ten split = 1.74
| twenty split = 2.91
| shuttle = 4.56
| cone drill = 7.68
| vertical = 32.5
| broad ft = 9
| broad in = 3
| wonderlic =
| note = All values from NFL Combine{{Cite web |url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/trenton-thompson/32005448-4f71-7077-5026-f82ac716f6a5 |title=Trenton Thompson Draft and Combine Prospect Profile |website=NFL.com |access-date=February 4, 2019}}{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1002680&DraftYear=2018 |title=Trenton Thompson College Football Profile |website=DraftScout.com |access-date=June 21, 2024}}
}}
=Cleveland Browns=
After going undrafted in the 2018 NFL draft, Thompson signed a free agent deal with the Cleveland Browns.{{cite web|url=https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/georgia-football/trenton-thompson-free-agent-nfl-draft-cleveland-browns/|title=Report: Former 5-star Georgia DL Trenton Thompson signs free agent deal with Browns|date=April 28, 2018}} He was waived on July 30, 2018.{{cite web|title=Browns sign 3 players|url=https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/browns-sign-3-players|website=ClevelandBrowns.com|date=July 30, 2018}}
=Arizona Hotshots=
Thompson was signed by the Arizona Hotshots of the Alliance of American Football on January 18, 2019.{{cite news |title=Arizona Hotshots Week One Game Time Changed |url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/arizona-hotshots-week-one-game-time-changed/n-5444144 |website=oursportscentral.com |date=February 2, 2019 |access-date=2019-02-12}} He made the final roster on January 30, 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/sec-football/alliance-american-football-sec-players-roster-debut-2019-season/ |title=Alliance of American Football rosters set for inaugural season, featuring tons of former SEC players |publisher=Saturdaydownsouth.com |date=2019-01-31 |access-date=2019-02-04}}
After a four tackle performance in a 38-22 week 1 victory over the Salt Lake Stallions, Thompson was named by Pro Football Focus to their Week 1 AAF Team of the Week.{{cite web|url=https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/week-1-aaf-team-of-the-week |title=Week 1 AAF Team of the Week {{pipe}} AAF Analysis |date=February 11, 2019 |publisher=Pro Football Focus |access-date=2019-02-13}}{{cite web|last=Adams |first=Kipp |url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/trenton-thompson-honored-for-performance-in-week-1-of-aaf/ |title=Trenton Thompson honored for performance in Week 1 of AAF |publisher=CBSSports.com |date=2018-12-19 |access-date=2019-02-13}}
=Washington Valor=
After the AAF ceased operations in April 2019, Thompson signed with the Washington Valor of the Arena Football League (AFL) on May 9, 2019.{{cite web|url=http://www.arenafan.com/teams/?page=transactions&team=227 |title=Washington Valor Team Transactions |publisher=ArenaFan.com |access-date=2019-05-10}}
=Edmonton Eskimos=
Thompson signed with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League (CFL) on June 6, 2019.{{Cite web|date=2019-06-06|title=Eskimos Make Roster Moves|url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/eskimos-make-roster-moves/n-5497725|access-date=2020-11-13|website=OurSports Central|language=en}} He was released before the start of the regular season on June 9.
=Houston Roughnecks=
On October 9, 2019, Thompson was entered into the XFL draft pool. He was selected by the Houston Roughnecks during the 2020 XFL Draft held on October 15 and 16, 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.si.com/college/georgia/news/xfl-draft-pool-former-bulldog-trenton-thompson-picked-up/ |title=XFL Draft Pool - Former Bulldog, Trenton Thompson picked up |publisher=Si.com |date=2019-10-09 |access-date=2019-10-19}}{{cite web|url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/xfl-draft-tracker-results-picks-list-rosters-football-league/jahz8p84e4i61hb8lajqs4a22 |title=XFL Draft picks 2019: Complete results, rosters, players for new football league |publisher=Sporting News |date=2019-10-09 |access-date=2019-10-19}} He signed a contract with the team on January 16, 2020.{{cite web |title=XFL Transactions |url=https://www.xfl.com/en-US/xfl-transactions |website=XFL.com |access-date=January 18, 2020}} He was waived during final roster cuts on January 22, 2020.{{cite news |author=Talbot, Damond |title=A Full List of XFL Roster Cuts, Who was released today? |url=https://www.nfldraftdiamonds.com/2020/01/xfl-transactions-9/ |website=NFLDraftDiamonds.com |date=January 22, 2020 |access-date=January 23, 2020}}
=Team 9=
Thompson was signed to the XFL's practice squad team, referred to as Team 9, on January 30, 2020.{{cite news |author=Garcia, Art |title=XFL Unveils 'Team 9' |url=https://www.xfl.com/en-US/teams/team9/team-9-articles/team-9-dallas |website=XFL.com |date=January 31, 2020 |access-date=January 31, 2020}} He had his contract terminated when the league suspended operations on April 10, 2020.{{cite news |author=Condotta, Bob |title=XFL suspends operations, terminates all employees, but Jim Zorn says he has hopes league will continue |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/xfl-suspends-operations-terminates-all-employees/ |website=SeattleTimes.com |date=April 10, 2020 |access-date=July 17, 2020}}
=Saskatchewan Roughriders=
Thompson signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL on April 20, 2020.{{cite news |title=Riders sign DL, Trenton Thompson |url=https://www.riderville.com/2020/04/20/riders-sign-dl-trenton-thompson/ |website=Riderville.com |date=April 20, 2020 |access-date=April 21, 2020}} After the CFL canceled the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Thompson chose to opt-out of his contract with the Roughriders on August 31, 2020.{{cite news |title=Tracking players who have exercised opt-outs |url=https://www.cfl.ca/2020/08/26/tracking-cflers-exercised-opt-outs/ |website=CFL.ca |date=August 26, 2020 |access-date=October 5, 2020}} He opted back in to his contract on January 14, 2021.{{cite news |title=Riders Transactions – January 14th |url=https://www.riderville.com/2021/01/14/riders-transactions-january-14th/ |website=Riderville.com |date=January 14, 2021 |access-date=February 22, 2021}} He was released on May 20, 2021.{{cite news |title=Riders sign defensive lineman Jonathan Woodard |url=https://www.riderville.com/2021/05/20/riders-sign-defensive-lineman-jonathan-woodard/ |website=Riderville.com |date=May 20, 2021 |access-date=May 21, 2021}}
=Vegas Knight Hawks=
On September 1, 2022, Thompson signed with the Vegas Knight Hawks of the Indoor Football League (IFL).{{cite web | url=https://goifl.com/transactions.aspx | title=Transactions }} He was released on August 24, 2023.{{cite web | url=https://goifl.com/transactions.aspx | title=Transactions }}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [http://www.georgiadogs.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/trenton_thompson_972772.html Georgia Bulldogs bio]
- {{YouTube|_mg_PyH3xWg|High School junior season highlights}} by MaxPreps
{{Rivals Junior of the Year}}
{{USA Today DPOY}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Trenton}}
Category:American football defensive tackles
Category:Arizona Hotshots players
Category:Cleveland Browns players
Category:Georgia Bulldogs football players
Category:Edmonton Elks players
Category:Houston Roughnecks players
Category:Washington Valor players
Category:Players of American football from Albany, Georgia