Tyson Thompson
{{Short description|American football player (born 1981)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Tyson Thompson
| image =
| caption =
| number = 28
| position = Running back
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1981|5|21}}
| birth_place = Irving, Texas, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 1
| weight_lbs = 220
| high_school = Irving
| college = San Jose State
| undraftedyear = 2005
| pastteams =
- Dallas Cowboys ({{NFL Year|2005}}–{{NFL Year|2007}})
- Las Vegas Locomotives ({{UFL Year|2009}})*
- Tri-Cities Fever ({{IFL Year|2010}})
| highlights =
| statlabel1 = Rushing attempts
| statvalue1 = 73
| statlabel2 = Rushing yards
| statvalue2 = 266
| statlabel3 = Rushing touchdowns
| statvalue3 = 1
| statlabel4 = Receptions
| statvalue4 = 3
| statlabel5 = Receiving yards
| statvalue5 = 16
| statlabel6 = Return yards
| statvalue6 = 2,416
| pfr = ThomTy00
}}
Tyson Calvin Thompson (born May 21, 1981) is an American former professional football player who was a running back and return specialist for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the San Jose State Spartans.
Early life
Thompson attended Irving High School.{{cite news|title=Thompson breaks week-old record|work=Lubbock Avalanche Journal|agency=Associated Press|date=November 4, 1998}} As a junior in 1998, he rushed for 525 yards in a single game against L. D. Bell High School (Hurst, Texas), third most in Texas high school history and the most ever by a runner in UIL Class 5A, which at that time housed the state's largest schools.{{Cite news |title=SPORTS IN BRIEF |language=en-US |work=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1998/11/02/sports-in-brief/a5044fe9-79f6-495f-ba7a-2a83503805f4/ |access-date=March 5, 2023}}
As a senior, he rushed for 2,418 yards on 358 carries and was a semi-finalist for the 1999 Texas Class 5A Player of the Year award.
College career
Thompson enrolled at Garden City Community College in Garden City, Kansas. In two seasons he saw limited playing time but still recorded 1,063 rushing yards on 159 carries and 12 touchdowns. In his final game, he rushed 25 times for 323 yards and 3 touchdowns against nationally ranked Glendale Community College. He transferred after his sophomore season to San Jose State University.
He closed his collegiate career at San Jose State University, playing in all 11 games with eight starts at running back while also seeing action as a kick returner. He posted 811 rushing yards (led the team) and his 5 touchdowns (third on the team). He declared for the NFL Draft after his junior season.
Professional career
=Dallas Cowboys=
Thompson was not selected in the 2005 NFL draft due to concerns about his lack of experience at the Division I level. He impressed the Cowboys with his speed during a tryout at their practice facilities in Valley Ranch and was signed as an undrafted free agent, to compete for the reserve running back and kick returner positions.
After making the team, although he was third on the running back depth chart (behind Julius Jones and Marion Barber), a Jones injury allowed him to rush 20 times for 75 yards against the Philadelphia Eagles and was named NFL Rookie of the Week (Week 5). He finished the season with team records for kickoff returns (57) and kickoff return yardage (1,399), while ranking ninth in the NFL with a 24.5-yard average.
His 2006 season ended when he broke his left ankle in the seventh game against the Carolina Panthers, after being tackled out of bounds on a kickoff return. In 2007, he was declared inactive in 9 games and was not re-signed at the end of the year, after losing his returner job to Miles Austin.{{cite web| url=http://www.espn.com/espn/wire/_/section/nfl/id/3269674 | title=Cowboys keeping the 'Hotel' open; left tackle Flozell Adams re-signs to protect Romo | access-date=February 19, 2023}}
=Las Vegas Locomotives=
In 2009, Thompson was selected in the UFL Premiere Season Draft by the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League.{{cite web| url=https://www.espn.com/blog/nfceast/post/_/id/2068/ex-cowboys-dominate-ufl-draft | title=Ex-Cowboys dominate UFL draft | access-date=February 19, 2023}} He was signed on August 5,{{cite web| url=https://lasvegassun.com/blogs/sports/2009/aug/06/ufl-las-vegas-signs-19-players/ | title=UFL Las Vegas signs 19 players | access-date=February 19, 2023}} but was released before the start of the season.
=Tri-Cities Fever=
On January 29, 2010, he signed with the Tri-Cities Fever of the Indoor Football League.{{cite web| url=https://www.tri-cityherald.com/sports/other-sports/tri-cities-fever/article31763442.html | title=Drafts leaving Fever for new Dallas franchise | access-date=February 19, 2023}} He left during the season after signing with a team in the United Football League.{{cite web| url=https://www.tri-cityherald.com/sports/other-sports/tri-cities-fever/article31767021.html | title=Thompson sets bar for Rutherford as Fever RB | access-date=February 19, 2023}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/blessed-boy-6380498 Blessed 'Boy]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080302111757/http://lb.dallascowboys.com/team_bios.cfm?playerID=8C1DC2C5-95FC-7AA7-ED4947A110E8B64B Dallas Cowboys bio]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Tyson}}
Category:Players of American football from Irving, Texas
Category:American football running backs
Category:American football return specialists
Category:Garden City Broncbusters football players
Category:San Jose State Spartans football players
Category:Dallas Cowboys players
Category:Las Vegas Locomotives players