 Thomas in 2002 | |||||||||||||||||
| No. 54, 55 | |||||||||||||||||
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| Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
| Born: | September 1, 1973 Pampa, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 242 lb (110 kg) | ||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||
| High school: | White Deer (TX) Pampa (TX) | ||||||||||||||||
| College: | Texas Tech (1992–1995) | ||||||||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1996 / round: 5 / pick: 154 | ||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||||
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Zachary Michael Thomas (born September 1, 1973), nicknamed "Baby Elephant", is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. He played college football for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, and was recognized as a unanimous All-American. He was selected in the fifth round, 22nd pick (154th overall), in the 1996 NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins, and played for the Dolphins in his first 12 seasons in the NFL, before playing his 13th and final season with the Dallas Cowboys.
In his rookie year in 1996, Thomas was voted the Dolphins Team Newcomer of the Year, and also won his first of two Dolphins Team MVP awards (1996, 2001). He was also named the AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1996. Thomas was also the first Dolphins player to win the Dolphins Team Leadership Award (voted by his teammates) a record three times (1998–1999, 2005), until Jason Taylor surpassed him with four (2002, 2006–2007, 2009).[1]
From 1998 to 2006, Thomas led a defensive unit that finished top 10 in total defense in seven consecutive seasons (1998–2004), and in eight out of nine (2006). In five of those nine seasons (1998, 2000, 2002–2003, 2006), Thomas' defenses finished top five in total scoring defense, including 1st overall in 1998.[2][3]
Thomas is also known for his longevity with the Dolphins, and currently is 2nd all time in Dolphins history for most games played by a defensive player in the team's history with 168, behind Taylor's 204.[1] A seven-time Pro Bowl selection (the most ever by a Dolphins defensive player), and seven-time first (5) or second (2) team All-Pro, Thomas recorded more than 1,700 combined tackles (1,100+ solo) in his career which included leading the league in tackles twice (2002, 2006),[4] topping at least 100 combined tackles (he topped 150+ tackles six times) in 10 out of his 12 seasons with the Dolphins, and currently ranks 5th on the NFL's all-time career tackles list. He was named a two-time NFL Alumni Linebacker of the Year (1998, 2006), and was also selected to the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team.
In 2006, Thomas was inducted into the Texas Tech Athletics Hall of Fame, and would later be enshrined into the Texas Tech Red Raiders Ring of Honor in 2016. In 2015, Thomas was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. In 2012, Thomas was enshrined into the Miami Dolphins Honor Roll, and on February 9, 2023, in his 10th year of eligibility and in his 4th straight year being a finalist, Zach Thomas was elected as a member to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023.