Penn State Football: Johnathan Thomas’ story a feel-good one
Penn State football’s Johnathan Thomas made the most of his chances and landed with the Cincinnati Bengals. No matter how the story ends, it’s a good one.
Transferring is at an all-time high in college football right now. Players looking for a fresh start or more playing time move once, twice even three times across their careers. Before I get too far into this, there are plenty of valid reasons to seek so-called, greener pastures. I’m not condemning anyone in particular for changing places, but there are also plenty of reasons that a player’s transfer is for purely selfish, competition-dodging reasons. In this age, Penn State football running back Johnathan Thomas stands out as a player that stuck with his commitment for all five years.
Thomas never started or played key snaps at running back, but the fifth-year player of Massachusetts got to shine at times in 2018. He rushed for his first career touchdown against Kent State and returned a punt 94 yards, setting up a go-ahead touchdown against Indiana (Video Courtesy of Sports Today).
Despite sitting multiple years and even going through a position change to linebacker and then back to running back, he continued to work. He put his nose to the grindstone and stayed with the Nittany Lions from start to finish, playing at running back, linebacker, on special teams and as a return man.
What followed after the 2018 season can only be described as a well-deserved opportunity for Thomas. The Cincinnati Bengals signed the loyal back to an undrafted free agent deal after the 2019 NFL Draft. Thomas ran an eye-popping 4.40, 40-yard dash at 5-foot-11, 217 pounds and along with the rest of his impressive Penn State football Pro Day measurables seen here, he gave himself an opportunity at the next level.
As his agent, Sean Stellato, said in the article, Thomas’ skills match up with the rest of the backs in the NFL, and his limited use in college make him a quote, “Diamond in the rough”. His few reps in college and pro day make a great case that he could carve out a niche in the league.
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But even if he doesn’t, it’s a great story of perseverance. I find it to be one of the best stories of succeeding in the face of long odds, sitting behind two talented backs in his time and still making the best of his career.