James F. Thomas (May 6, 1917 – June 4, 1981) was an American football guard.
Thomas was born in 1917 at Oilton, Oklahoma. He attended Oilton High School.[1]
Thomas attended the University of Oklahoma and played for the Oklahoma Sooners football team from 1935 to 1938.[1] He was a member of the 1938 Oklahoma Sooners football team that compiled a 10–1 record and was ranked No. 4 in the final Associated Press poll. He was known as "Singer" Thomas at Oklahoma because of his constant singing in the shower room.[2]
He was drafted by the Chicago Cardinals with the 102nd pick in the 1939 NFL Draft.[3] He appeared in 13 games for the Cardinals during the 1939 and 1940 seasons.[4]
Thomas was also an opera singer who sang with the Metropolitan Opera for a year. He served in the Army during World War II, attaining the rank of lieutenant and serving in the field artillery under General George Patton. He was a school teacher in Florence, South Carolina, starting in 1966. He died of an apparent heart attack in 1981 in Florence.[5]
References
- ^ a b "Jim Thomas". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
- ^ "It's a Secret: Thomas Can Yodel, Too". The Daily Oklahoman. December 3, 1938. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "1939 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
- ^ "Jim Thomas Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
- ^ "J.F. Thomas, Former Foortball Professional". The State. June 6, 1981. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.