Bills RB Thurman Thomas (34) - nytimes.com/athletic
Throughout the 1990s, the Buffalo Bills were among the NFL’s elite franchises.
They were led by a team with multiple pro bowlers at key positions, including NFL HOF Spotlight running back Thurman Thomas.
Thomas was a dominant rusher in one of the league’s most exciting offensive attacks in NFL history.
The Bills as a squad ran the “K Gun” No huddle offense named after Bills second tight end Keith McKellar.
Growing Up Thurman Thomas
Born Thurman Lee Thomas on May 16, 1966, in Houston, Texas, Thurman had a special childhood as an only child.
As he grew older, he started to play with the neighborhood kids. They considered him small and slow and would tease him.
They would taunt him, saying, “You can’t do this, you can’t do that,” he said. “I thought, the heck with you, when I’m challenged, I can do anything.”
High School Football Career
Thomas finally made it to high school and wanted to pursue playing varsity football on Friday nights like typical kids in Texas do.
The issue was he wasn’t very tall, as he was just under six feet, but had world-class speed to be a tailback.
He started playing running back as a sophomore for the Willowridge High School Eagles and immediately made an impression on the team.
The talented back helped lead the offense and the team to the Texas State Championship game, but they came up short. Still, this was a sneak peek of what would come.
College Journey
After passing up on playing defensive back at Texas and Texas A&M, Oklahoma State head coach Jimmy Johnson saw the skill and the speed Thomas had to be able to play running back at the Division I level. The 5’9″ size didn’t concern him one bit.
“There wasn’t any question in my mind he was going to be a great running back,” Johnson said in 2020. “I’ve always felt like if the individual can put points on the board, I’d rather have that as one on the other side of the ball. Even though I was a defensive-minded coach, I knew how valuable a running back of Thurman’s caliber was.”
Johnson informed Thomas that he would make the squad as a running back but would be low on the depth chart as a freshman.
The once spoiled kid who would shout if he didn’t get what he wanted immediately learned that having to work for the starting role is a great life skill if you have the patience and dedication to do so.
“I don’t want to go to a place where they’re just gonna hand me a job,” Thomas said. “So that meant I had five other guys in front of me, and I had to catch those guys.”
Months later, Johnson became the head coach of the Miami Hurricanes. Thomas could have jumped ship and left OSU but opted to stay.
“It was the best decision that I ever made,” Thomas declared.
Thomas Begins to Shine
Thomas began his freshman season and started to show his talents.
In early November, in a close game facing Kansas State, the starting running back wasn’t following the calls, and position coach Bill Schimek had enough.
He called out Thomas’ number, and it was his time to shine, but with one condition, “Run where you’re supposed to.”
The rookie running back did precisely that. He totaled 206 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Thomas became a hero that day and ended his year with 843 yards while scoring seven touchdowns.
It also gave their team its first 10-win season and a win in the Gator Bowl. They beat South Carolina 21-14, while Thomas tallied 155 yards and scored one touchdown.
The following year, Thomas received the starting running back role and ran for 1,650 yards and 16 touchdowns.
He was also named the Big Eight Conference rushing and scoring champ, an All-American, and was voted the Conference Player of the Year.
Drafted by the Buffalo Bills
The 1988 running back draft class was very deep. Five tailbacks went in the first round, none of whom were Thomas.
Luckily, the Oklahoma State product didn’t have to wait long. The Buffalo Bills selected him with the 40th pick of the draft.
And right from there, it was a match made in heaven.
Thomas had a prominent rookie year, rushing for 881 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games started. The club went (12-4) in 1988 after eliminating the Houston Oilers in the AFC Divisional Round before losing to the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC title game.
1989 saw this season for the Bills as a transitional year but also a year of internal frustration and finger-pointing. “The Bickering Bills” only went (9-7) in the regular season, but it was still good enough for them to clinch the AFC East title.
The team would face the Cleveland Browns in the AFC Divisional Round, and they were one “Ronnie Harman” catch away from potentially making the squad’s first Super Bowl. Thomas was the one constant that season. He led the 1989 NFL season with 1,913 yards from scrimmage.
The one thing the Bills learned from their loss to the Browns was the birth of a no-huddle, fast-paced offense that would help transform the team into a perennial Super Bowl contender.
The “K Gun” and Four Straight Super Bowls
The Bills’ new offense would take shape under offensive coordinator Ted Marchibroda. Led by quarterback Jim Kelly and, of course, Thomas, this offense was unique to the league.
The Bills would line up in the shotgun formation and snap the ball so quickly that defenses would have no time to substitute.
With a team closer together, the Bills went (13-3) and demolished the LA Raiders 51-3 to advance to their first of four straight Super Bowls.
Thomas rushed for 1,297 yards and 11 touchdowns. The NFL HOF Spotlight player was the only player to score a touchdown for the Bills in all four Super Bowls.
NFL HOF Spotlight
After his one year with the Miami Dolphins in 2000, number 34 signed a one-day contract on Feb. 27, 2001, to retire as a Buffalo Bill.
Little did he know bigger things would happen later in the decade. In 2007, the NFL HOF committee officially enshrined Mr. Thomas into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
It was well deserved for a kid who grew up spoiled and pounded the pavement to succeed in college and later in the NFL.
Family
Thomas has been married to his wife, Patti Mariacher, from Buffalo, for nearly three decades. They have four children: Olivia, Angel, Annika, and Thurman III.
He is connected with many business companies, including sports, energy, and construction. In 1992, he started the Thurman Thomas Foundation to provide scholarships to Buffalo Community Colleges for inner-city kids.
In 2014, Thomas was selected as vice president of the New York State Tourism Advisory Council. The Thomas’ are also part of the 34 Group devoted to contracting services and construction.
Thomas was one of the best backs in the 1990s because of his hard work and dedication. He made and broke many records that still exist today.
All of this occurred from a spoiled, teased kid who, when challenged, said, “I can do anything.” And look what it has brought him today: an NFL HOF Spotlight segment, plus many other essential life accomplishments.
