American football could not be more interesting than it has become over the years, with iconic and phenomenal drafts entering the league every year. It’s a dream come true for the players when they are finally chosen by one of the professional teams, whether they come from a college or an independent agency, to play in the NFL. Solomon Thomas, who played football at a young age and signed up for Irish Tap Dance after school, couldn’t be happier when he heard his name was announced as the third overall choice in the 2017 NFL Draft.
The San Francisco 49ers conquered the defensive end (DE) in the first round. Before his NFL dreams came true, he had an extraordinary career at Stanford University. But beyond preparing for the NFL Combine and surviving his rookie year, Thomas had to endure the most difficult situation in his life. Find out the details in this article about the Niners DE off the field.
Solomon Thomas Bio
The defensive player was born on December 20, 1995, in Chicago, Illinois, as Solomon Christopher Thomas. His father was an international sales manager at Proctor & Gamble and was stationed in Australia. Consequently, the family moved to Sydney, Australia when Thomas was 2 years old and he spent most of his childhood there. After five years they returned to the USA and lived in Connecticut for a few years, where Thomas was introduced to football shortly before moving to the football-mad state of Texas. He played explosively in high school in Coppell, Texas.
At Coppell High, he recorded 89 tackles with 8.5 sacks in his junior year, and in high school, he rappelled in 78 tackles, 12.5 sacks, and 26 tackles for a defeat. He has subsequently rated a four-star recruit and was among the best players in his class in 2014, including Myles Garrett, Leonard Fournette, and Joe Mixon. As an outstanding player, Thomas received a lot of offers from virtually every top university in the nation, including Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Texas, Texas A&M, UCLA, Arkansas, Stanford, but eventually enrolled in the latter, where he committed to playing college football as a defensive end at the Cardinals.
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As a rookie, he saw no action on the field but took full advantage of the season to develop his body and study movies to improve his game. He was also a sponge around outstanding veterans, absorbing every lesson he could. With the start of his second season in 2015, he became a defensive force for the Cardinals. He played in all 14 games (6 starts) and recorded 39 tackles, 10.5 tackles for defeat, 3.5 sacks, and two fumbles recovery. Despite the success of 2015, the 2016 season became even more explosive. He showed speed in moving into the backfield.
Solomon Thomas started all 13 games and had a total of 62 tackles, including 15.0 tackles for defeat and 8.0 sacks. In return, he was voted into the first All-Pac 12 team and won the Morris Trophy as the best defender. After his youth season, he entered the 2017 NFL Draft and was selected in the first round (3rd overall) by the San Francisco 49ers. After his selection, he signed a fully guaranteed four-year contract with the Niners for $28.14 million, including a signing bonus of $18.61 million.
Family – Parents, Sister
Thomas was born into an athletic family led by Chris, an international sales manager, and Martha Thomas, a teacher at a middle school that also trains volleyball, basketball, and athletics. The duo were also athletes at the College of Wooster. While Chris sank the ball, Martha dived the way on the track. There is also an uncle, Jon Thomas, who was a speedster; he ran track and field at Indiana University, where he was a four-time Big Ten champion in the 400-meter hurdles.
Solomon is one of two children his parents gave birth to, along with an older sister, Ella Elizabeth Thomas, who was his best friend. Ella was a graduate of the University of Arkansas. As a sophomore, she was a victim of sexual assault, which included depression, PTSD, and anxiety. Solomon Thomas not only prepared for the NFL Combine and survived his first year as a rookie, but also went through the most difficult situation of his life. He lost his only sibling, with whom he shared the dream of opening a restaurant. But before that dream could ever come true, Ella died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in January 2018; an unfortunate case of suicide.
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Although the incident was a hard blow to the family, they decided that their daughter and sister would not be just a statistic among the 121 Americans who commit suicide every day. Instead, they made mental health recognition their cause and used their grief as an outlet to inform others about mental health, suicide prevention, and the therapeutic effects of speaking so that something good could come out of their tragedy. On June 2, 2018, they participated in the 16-mile night Out of the Darkness Walk in Dallas to raise funds for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. What an epic way to mourn the loss of someone so deeply loved; perhaps many sufferings will lead them silently into the light where their lives can be saved.
Solomon Thomas Height, Weight
Solomon was counted among the top 5 for nothing. He is an excellent passing player and has all the physical characteristics that make him great in the league. In addition to his rare athleticism, which combines his athletic ability, intelligence, speed, and technique, he also plays with his hands and is one of those players who do not get blocked.
With a height of 1.91 m (6 ft 3 inches) and 127 kg (280 lb), he is probably on the strong side of the athletes. His arm length is 0.84 m (33 inches), while his hand size is 9 7/8 inches (0.25 m).