Clendon Thomas (born December 28, 1935) is an American former professional football player who was a halfback and defensive back for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL).
| No. 46, 35, 28 | |
 Thomas with the Rams in 1959 | |
| Date of birth | December 28, 1935 |
|---|---|
| Place of birth | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | Flanker Defensive back |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) |
| Weight | 196 lb (89 kg) |
| US college | Oklahoma |
| NFL draft | 1958 / round: 2 / pick: 19 |
| Drafted by | Los Angeles Rams |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1958–1961 | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1962–1968 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Career stats | |
| Games played | 137 |
| Starts | 101 |
| Receiving yards | 1,046 (17.4 average) |
| Interceptions | 27 |
| Fumble recoveries | 10 |
| Touchdowns | 5 |
In college, he was a star athlete for the Oklahoma Sooners under coach Bud Wilkinson. He led the Sooners in scoring during both the 1956 and 1957 seasons, while also leading the nation in the category during the 1956 season.[1] He helped lead the Sooners to back-to-back national championships in 1955 and 1956.[2] He was an All-Conference selection his junior and senior years[3] and was a consensus All-American his senior year.[1] He also finished in ninth place in the Heisman Trophy balloting that season (the award was won by John David Crow that year).[4]
In the 1958 NFL draft, Thomas was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the second round. He played for the Rams for four seasons before being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers where he played for another seven years and finished his career. He was selected to the Pro Bowl after the 1963 NFL season.
Thomas was selected for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011.[5]
After retiring from football, Thomas had various business ventures. In 1978, he founded Chemical Products Corporation in Oklahoma City. The company manufactured water repellents treatments for concrete and similar surfaces. It was a pioneer in the use of siloxane-based chemistry.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "All-American: Clendon Thomas". SoonerSports.com. University of Oklahoma Athletic Department. Archived from the original on July 18, 2007. Retrieved March 22, 2007.
- ^ "Clendon Thomas". College Football Hall of Fame. Football Foundation. Retrieved March 22, 2007.
- ^ "All-Conference Players". SoonerSports.com. University of Oklahoma Athletic Department. Archived from the original on May 23, 2010. Retrieved August 22, 2007.
- ^ "1957 - 23rd Award". Heisman.com. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved May 17, 2011.
- ^ "NFF Announces 2011 Football Bowl Subdivision College Football Hall of Fame Class". College Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved May 18, 2011.