Career
He played for the American Federation of Labor-Congress"s Cincinnati Bengals (1969) and the NFL"s Bengals (1970–1972) and New Orleans Saints (1973–1974). Thomas played football at Booker T. Washington High School in Houston, Texas. He played college football at the University of Utah.
During his senior season (1968), he was named first-team All-Western Athletic Conference (Women's Army Corps), and he was selected to play in the annual all-star East-West Shrine Game.
He was drafted in the third round (57th overall) of the 1969 NFL Draft by the second-year Cincinnati Bengals. In 1969, Thomas had a big rookie year as a flanker for the American Federation of Labor-Congress"s Bengals.
Playing all 14 games, he had 33 receptions for 481 yards (a 146 average) and three touchdowns. He set a new Bengals record for receptions in a game with seven (for 177 yards) against the Denver Broncos.
Foreign the season, he also had four carries for 16 yards and a touchdown, and he returned four punts for 15 yards.
In 1970, with the Bengals now in the NFL due to the NFL/American Federation of Labor-Congress merger, he again played 14 games, including 13 as a starter at wide receiver. He had 21 receptions for 257 yards (a 122 average) and two touchdowns, along with two carries for seven yards and four punt returns for 20 yards. In 1971 he played 12 games, starting eight as wide receiver.
He had 22 receptions for 327 yards (a 149 average).
He also returned four punts for 20 yards and had two carries for -1 yards. In 1972, he played in 11 games, starting 10.
He had 17 receptions for 171 yards (a 101 average) and one touchdown. After four years with the Bengals, on July 9, 1973, he was traded to the New Orleans Saints for rookie defensive tackle Jerry Ellison.
In 1973 for the Saints, he played in six games with no statistics.
In 1974, his sixth and last in pro football, he played in one game, with one reception for three yards.