Drc Thomas Makes Most Of Opportunities

[OldTimer]

Football: THomas makes most of opportunities

Mean Green running back overcomes dyslexia to become on of UNT's best

11:24 PM CST on Thursday, November 29, 2007

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

When Jamario Thomas arrived at North Texas four years ago, the Mean Green's coaches and athletic administrators had heard all about what the running back could do on the football field.

But there were also whispers about what the former all-state selection from Longview Spring Hill couldn't accomplish.

"Jamario is one of those kids who people said would never make it in college," UNT athletic director Rick Villarreal said. "They said he didn't have these abilities or those abilities. What Jamario has done since the day he got here is make the most of every ability and take advantage of every opportunity."

That approach has helped Thomas overcome a series of obstacles while growing as a person and establishing himself as one of the best players in school history. Thomas racked up 1,801 yards and won the national rushing title as a freshman with an average of 180.1 yards a game.

Thomas' pace has since slowed partly because of a hamstring injury, but he will still finish as second-leading rusher in school history. He has 3,448 yards heading into his final game Saturday at Florida International and trails only his former teammate Patrick Cobbs, who had 4,050 yards.

What might be even more impressive than what Thomas has done on the field is how far he has come as a student and person. Thomas was shy in public as a freshman and suffers from dyslexia, a learning disability that causes problems with reading, writing and spelling.

"Jamario's freshman year we were hesitant to roll him out, not as far as what he would say, but how he would say it," UNT media relations director Eric Capper said. "Now we have the utmost confidence that he will speak eloquently and represent the university and what the program is about in a positive way."

Thomas has not only become a spokesman for the team, he has also become an example for younger players. If all goes according to plan, Thomas will graduate in May with a degree in rehabilitation studies.

When he first arrived at UNT, Cobbs and a few coaches looked after Thomas. Since then Thomas has moved off campus and has begun taking care of others.

“I live in a house with Keronna [Henderson] and Brandon [Monroe] and have to pay the bills,” Thomas said of two teammates. “I have had to learn to be more responsible. … I am more prepared for life now.”

One of the toughest lessons Thomas learned is that life isn’t always easy. Thomas got by largely on talent early in his career before learning that he would have to work hard to be successful.

Thomas put on 20 pounds after his freshman year and had to lose it while dealing with a lingering hamstring injury. The last few weeks Thomas has shown flashes of his old form. He rushed for 147 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Western Kentucky last week and has scored five touchdowns in UNT’s last two games.

“I knew Jamario was a fabulous football player because his reputation preceded our relationship, but he is also a fine, fine human being and a tremendous young man,” UNT head coach Todd Dodge said.

Thomas will leave behind a legacy at UNT that includes some of the finest individual performances in school history, including five games in 2004 when he rushed for more than 200 yards. His best game came in a win over Idaho in 2004 when he rushed for a school record 291 yards and scored four touchdowns in a win that clinched the last of the Mean Green's four straight Sun Belt Conference titles.

Thomas joined Cobbs in becoming the first back-to-back national rushing champions to play in the same backfield in 2005. Cobbs won the title in 2003 before suffering a series of injuries and spending 2004 as a redshirt. Thomas took over for Cobbs and burst onto the scene when he scored on a 57-yard run on just the third carry of his college career in a loss to Colorado. The game was Thomas' first step in his path to his national rushing title in 2004.

When Thomas thought back on his career this week, it was the relationships he built that stood out more than the big games and single-season records he set.

"My favorite memories will be hanging out in the dorm and staying up almost the whole night playing Halo with Chad Rose, Brandon Monroe and Daniel Meager," Thomas said. "The things we did in the dorm my freshman year, going to the New Orleans Bowl my freshman year. There are so many good memories."

Thomas appeared destined to follow Cobbs, who is now a backup running back with the Miami Dolphins, into the NFL during his freshman season. He still might have a chance, but Thomas isn't sure what his future holds.

"I don't know if I really have a chance to continue playing football," Thomas said. "People say I have a chance, but [former UNT running backs coach Bruce] Bell told me that if your heart isn't into it, there is no point in doing it. I don't know what I want to do right now."

What Thomas is sure of is that he is more prepared for what will come after graduation because of how he has grown up during his time at UNT.

"I don't know where to begin," Thomas said when asked how he has changed during his time at UNT. "I have matured through the years and learned that everything isn't going to go your way. Everything happens for a reason and God has a plan."

Those who know Thomas best attribute his progress to the ups and downs of the last four years and how he has learned to deal with them.

“Jamario is an example of the good things that can come from going to college,” Monroe said. “You have a lot of experiences, both good and bad you learn from that make you a better person. Everything that happened to him made him a better person.”

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com.

Jamario's big moments

The following is a look back at a few of Jamario Thomas' biggest moments and best games at North Texas:

The clincher -- UNT had a chance to clinch its fourth straight Sun Belt Conference title in a game against Idaho on Nov. 13, 2004, and Thomas took advantage, rushing for a school record 291 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 10.4 yards a carry. Ironically, Thomas suffered a hamstring injury during the game that slowed him the rest of his career.

The introduction -- Thomas moved into the starting lineup for the first time as a freshman in a game against Colorado on Sept. 18, 2004, and scored on a 57-yard run on his first carry. He went on to finish with 247 yards and two touchdowns.

A return to form -- Thomas rushed for a season-high 124 yards on 38 carries in a win over Florida International on Oct. 15, 2006. He rushed for just 361 yards in 2005, when he missed the last three games of the year.

A final reminder -- With UNT on the verge of losing the final home game of his career to Western Kentucky on Saturday, Thomas scored three touchdowns in the second half and scored what proved to be the game-winner on a 42-yard run in the fourth quarter. He finished with 147 yards.

[FirefightnRick]

That approach has helped Thomas overcome a series of obstacles while growing as a person and establishing himself as one of the best players in school history. Thomas racked up 1,801 yards and won the national rushing title as a freshman with an average of 180.1 yards a game.

The shame of that stat above is that it should have been 20 points higher which truly defines how incrdible that season was for him. He had two carries in the first game of that season, a 65-0 blowout by Texas. He carried the ball one time at 5:46 of the 4th quarter for a loss of one yard and one time at 1:39 left in the 4th quarter for no gain. Those two meaningless carries forces you to factor in 10 games rather than 9 when compiling his average. Otherwise he would have averaged 200.77 yards per game which is simply amazing.

Rick

Edited November 30, 2007 by FirefightnRick

[CMJ]

We'll miss you Jamario. I hope you get another 291 in your final game and close down the Orange Bowl in style.

[Ibleedgreen]

Jamario....You will always be special to us, regardless of how your final game against FIU turns out. GMG!!!

[GreenBat]

I have one NT Autograph-- Jamario Thomas. He is a class act and always has been. I would love for him to have a 300 yard game in the finale, but knowing him he would be happy with a negative 10 yard game, as long as the team wins.

Thank You Super Jamario, you have been a pleasure to watch and have truly lived up to your nickname.

Thanks again,

Brett Tulloss