Tag Archives: blair thomas

NFL

Thomas, Blair (2)

Fleer 1990, #370

CARD: Fleer 1990
ACQUIRED: TTM 2024, C/o Home
SENT: 1/17 RECEIVED: 1/27 (10 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

NOTES:

I always really appreciated Blair’s Fleer 1990 card from his college days. It’s a great shot of him, and as since Fleer has slowly become a set need for me, I decided to send this out to him. As a teenager, I think I liked this image so much I drew a picture of it.

Blair used to be a non-signer. Then he started signing everything TTM. But after a long break, he’s just now down to one per request.

NFL

Thomas, Blair

Cards: Action Packed Rookies 1990, Action Packed Rookies 1991
Acquired: TTM 2011, C/o Home
Sent: 4/22     Received:  8/6  (106 days)

Blair Thomas is from a long line of Penn State runningbacks: Franco Harris, Curt Warner, and Lenny Moore. He’s also part of a long line of, some would say… cursed Penn State runningbacks: DJ Dozier, Curtis Enis, and Ki-Jana Carter.

Thomas was a great runner for the Nittany Lions. He would finish second all time behind Curt Warner in school history, breaking the 1400 yard barrier rushing twice in his career and earning All American Honors in 1987 and 1989. A cut back runner, Thomas was best suited for a zone blocking system.

The Jets under Bruce Coslet drafted Thomas with the 2nd overall pick of the 1990 draft just after Jeff George. As the highest rated RB off the board, he’d be most notably taken ahead of future Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith. Thomas had a respectable season where he led the AFC rookies in total yards (824 yards),  NFL rookies in yards per carry (5.0),  and dash 55 yards on a reception for a touchdown during his rookie year.  After the season he’d be immortalized favorably in Tecmo Super Bowl. In 1991 Blair started 12 games, and rushed for a career high 720 yards, but his yards per carry would drop substantially to a 3.9 average. Injuries began to catch up to Thomas by this time, and after only starting 7 games in 1992 and 5 in 1993, he would be let go by the Jets in 1994.  Thomas would head over to the Patriots for 4 games, then to the Cowboys for an additional 2.  In 1995, he’d play one final year for the inaugural season of the Carolina Panthers, retiring after the season.

Blair has maintained his football ties since retirement. He has coached running backs at Temple University, and worked for Football University- travelling to Barrow, Alaska to help the town set up its football program.

G/Gs     64/26   Att 533   Yds 2236  Avg 4.2   Td  7   Lg 41t   |
Rec  71    Yds  513   Avg 8.0    Td  2    Lg  55t