Jaimie Thomas
Jaimie Franklin Thomas is an American former professional football guard. He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL draft after playing college football for Maryland.
Early life
Thomas was born on August 24, 1986, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to Jerome and Charley Thomas. Two of his brothers, Jonathan and Joseph, also attended the University of Maryland. Jaimie Thomas attended Bishop McDevitt High School, where he played football and basketball, earning a letter in both three times. In football, he played as an offensive tackle and defensive tackle. As a sophomore, he allowed just one quarterback sack, while allowing none during his junior and senior seasons. He served as part of a blocking unit for the state of Pennsylvania's best rusher, LeSean McCoy, who, in 2003, rushed for 2,561 yards in ten games.Thomas was named a SuperPrep All-American, PrepStar honorable mention, All-Northeast region, and first-team all-state player. He was named an all-conference player during both his senior and junior years. Rivals.com ranked him as a four-star recruit. He was recruited by Maryland, Notre Dame, Penn State, and Tennessee.
During his high school career, Thomas maintained a 3.7 grade-point average and was a member of the National Honor Society.
College career
Thomas sat out the 2004 [Maryland Terrapins football team|2004 season] as a redshirt. He served as a member of the scout team and was named the offensive scout team player of the week in the practices leading up to the game against 2004 [Northern Illinois Huskies football team|Northern Illinois]. In 2005, Thomas saw action in all 11 games, including one start at the left guard position, and recorded three "big" blocks while allowing one sack in 162 plays. Before the 2006 season, head coach Ralph Friedgen suspended Thomas and tackle Jared Gaither from summer practice for two weeks due to unspecified team rules violations. Friedgen said that they were not in any legal trouble, and they returned after serving the suspension.In 2006, he played in all 13 games including three starts at left guard. Thomas was part of the offensive line responsible for opening lanes for tailbacks Lance Ball and Keon Lattimore, who rushed for over 1,400 combined yards. The unit allowed 19 sacks, the second-best tally in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
In 2007, Thomas played in eight games as a left guard, including seven starts, before he suffered a fractured right fibula against 2007 [Virginia Cavaliers football team|Virginia]. The Washington Times correlated Maryland's defeat in that game to the loss of Thomas. Up to that point, Thomas had helped Ball and Lattimore again rush for almost 1,600 yards, and helped quarterback Chris Turner become the third-most efficient passer in the ACC.
In 2008, he played in all 13 games, including 12 starts. That season, the offensive line allowed Da'Rel Scott to rush for 1,133 yards and Turner to throw for 2,516 yards, the seventh-highest single-season passing mark in school history. Before the season, he had been named an Athlon and Lindy's preseason second-team All-ACC player. The Associated Press and Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association named him an All-ACC honorable mention.