and the AFC rookies in rushing yardage. In his second season, head coach Bruce Coslet still used him in the same four-man running back rotation, but his carries increased to 189, finishing with 728 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns. In 1992, a series of injuries limited him to 9 games (7 starts), registering 440 yards on 97 carries. The next year, he was used in a three-man running back rotation with Johnny Johnson and Brad Baxter. After injuring his hamstring in the fourth game and missing the next five contests, Johnson took over the starting role and went on to have 821 rushing yards, 641 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns. Thomas appeared in 11 games (5 starts), rushing for 221 yards and one touchdown in 59 carries. He became an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Thomas is widely considered another in a long line of Jets draft disappointments, rushing for only 2,000 yards and five touchdowns in his four seasons with the team. On March 31, 1994, he was signed as a free agent by the New England Patriots. He appeared in 4 games, rushing for 67 yards and one touchdown in 19 carries. On November 3, he was released to make room for defensive tackle Bruce Walker. On December 1, he was signed by the Dallas Cowboys to be the backup for Emmitt Smith. In the Cowboys divisional playoff game against the Green Bay Packers, Thomas took over for an injured Smith and rushed for 70 yards and 2 touchdowns in the 35-9 win. On June 15, 1995, he signed with the Atlanta Falcons, but was released on August 21. On November 7, he was signed by the Carolina Panthers for depth purposes while Derrick Moore was out with a knee injury. Career statistics Coaching career Thomas served as running backs coach at Temple University for eight seasons, from 1998–2005. He played a key role in the development of Chicago Bears fullback Jason McKie, and Jacksonville Jaguars running back Stacey Mack. Thomas was responsible for recruiting in Philadelphia, Eastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey. He was also the team’s NFL liaison and summer football camp coordinator. Thomas also serves as a volunteer instructor for Football University. In 2008, Thomas and several other ex-NFLers, conducted a youth football camp in Barrow, Alaska. Barrow is so remote it is only accessible by airplane, and the local high