Hall of Fame
A native of Cedarburg, Wis., and a graduate of UND in 1981 with a degree in chemical engineering, this four-year letterwinner starred on the 1979 NCC championship squad. He was twice named to the All-NCC first team at offensive tackle, and in 1980 he was cited as a first team All-American NCAA Division II tackle. Thomas received academic All-American honors as a senior and graduated with a 3.3 grade point average. He holds distinction of being the only chemical engineer to graduate from UND in four years while also playing football. Thomas was a fifth-round draft pick by the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs in 1981. At that time, he was the highest NFL draft choice ever from UND, and he held that distinction until 1998. In his professional career, Thomas saw action with the New Jersey Generals in 1983, Philadelphia Eagles in 1984 and the Arizona Wranglers in 1985. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in August 1999 and died in March of 2000. A memorial scholarship has been formed in Thomas's honor and will be given each year to UND's most valuable offensive lineman.
