John Thomas (born April 28, 1952) is a former All-American lacrosse player at Johns Hopkins University from 1972 to 1974.
| Born | April 28, 1952 Towson, Maryland, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight | 170 pounds (77 kg) |
| Shoots | Left |
| Position | Attack |
| NCAA team | Johns Hopkins Blue Jays |
| Career highlights | |
| |
| U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Fame, 1989 | |
Lacrosse career
editThomas was the Baltimore Sun 1970 Athlete of the Year[1] at Towson High School where he played Varsity Lacrosse for his father, William Thomas Sr.–considered the dean of Maryland high school coaches–as well as playing Varsity Football (Quarterback) and Basketball (Point Guard).
With the Blue Jays, Thomas led the team to a national title in 1974. He is ranked fourth all-time in Hopkin's career scoring with 224 points. Thomas earned first-team All-America honors all three years while in college, as well as being named the Jack Turnbull Award winner in 1973 and 1974. Thomas also led Hopkins to championship finals in 1972 and 1973, getting upset by Virginia 13-12 and losing in double overtime 10-9 to Maryland. During his career at Hopkins, Thomas led the team to an overall 34 and 6 record.[2]
Thomas was elected to the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1989, and is considered one of the top lacrosse players of all time, having been named to the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Silver Anniversary team.[3][4] Thomas also played quarterback on the Johns Hopkins' football team, ranking 10th in total yardage in NCAA Division III in 1974.
Thomas led the US Men's National Lacrosse Team in winning the 1974 IFL World Lacrosse Championship hosted at Olympic Park Stadium in Melbourne, Australia and was awarded the Ray Kinderman Trophy for "Best and Fairest Player" of the tournament.[5]
Post-lacrosse
editAfter teaching World History and having coaching tenures of Boys Varsity lacrosse and both the Boys and Girls Soccer teams at Wilde Lake High School in Columbia, Maryland, Thomas taught World History at Centennial High School in Ellicott City, Maryland/. During his tenure at Centennial, he was instrumental in winning 3 more Maryland state titles. After the 2014-2015 school year, Thomas retired from teaching. He's a magician.
Statistics
editJohns Hopkins University
edit| Season | GP | G | A | Pts | PPG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 13 | 34 | 41 | 75 | 5.77 | |
| 1973 | 13 | 27 | 45 | 72 | 5.54 | |
| 1974 | 14 | 42 | 35 | 77 | 5.5 | |
| Totals | 40 | 103 | 121 | 224 | 5.60 [a] |
- [a] 10th in NCAA career points-per-game[4]
Accomplishments
edit- 1969 Maryland State High School Scoring Leader - Boys Varsity Lacrosse
- 1970 Maryland State High School Scoring Leader - Boys Varsity Lacrosse
- 1970 Baltimore Sun - First Team All-Metro - Boys Varsity Football
- 1970 Baltimore Sun - High School Athlete of the Year
- 1970 MSLCA C. Markland Kelly Award - Best High School Lacrosse Player in the State of Maryland
- 1972 Johns Hopkins University W. Kelso Morrill Award - Outstanding Attackman
- 1972 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse - First Team All-American
- 1973 Johns Hopkins University W. Kelso Morrill Award - Outstanding Attackman
- 1973 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse - First Team All-American
- 1973 USILA Jack Turnbull Award - National Collegiate Attackman of the Year
- 1974 Johns Hopkins University W. Kelso Morrill Award - Outstanding Attackman
- 1974 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse - National Champion Title (Johns Hopkins University)
- 1974 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse - Single Season Scoring Record
- 1974 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse - First Team All-American
- 1974 USILA Jack Turnbull Award - National Collegiate Attackman of the Year
- 1974 World Lacrosse Championship World Champion Title (United States)
- 1974 World Lacrosse Championship Ray Kinderman Trophy (Best and Fairest Player of Tournament)
- 1989 Inductee - National Lacrosse Hall of Fame
- 1995 Voted - NCAA Men's Lacrosse Silver Anniversary Team
See also
editAwards
editReferences
edit- ^ ""40 years of Sun athletic standouts"". "The Baltimore Sun".
- ^ "NCAA News Archive: JHU - From Bridesmaid to Bride" (PDF). NCAA News Archive. August 1, 1974. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 3, 2006.
- ^ Syracuse Herald Journal. NCAA names the best lacrosse players in 25 years of Division I play. April 20, 1995. pg. D1
- ^ a b "Johns Hopkins 2009 Men's Lacrosse Guide". Johns Hopkins Sports Information Office. Archived from the original on December 18, 2017.
- ^ "US Lacrosse Hall of Fame Inductees". US Lacrosse. Archived from the original on April 21, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
External links
edit- The Baltimore Game, Time Magazine, May. 21, 1973
- Jays Take It Back, Sports Illustrated, June 10, 1974
- Cornell, Hopkins Advance to Lacrosse Final - Harvard Crimson 1977
- Jack Thomas USA Lacrosse HOF Entry
- 1974 US Men's National Lacrosse Team Roster (World Champions)
- One Stick Rebuilds The Hopkins Dynasty, Sports Illustrated, May 01, 1972
- Jack Thomas Lacrosse Action Photo
- Johns Hopkins University Athletics HOF Entry
