*EDITOR’S NOTE- This story orginally ran in 2015 as a part of the Class of 2015 Troy Sports Hall of Fame Ceremony.* From walk-on to two-time All-American, Freddie Thomas is a true success story in the history of Troy Athletics. A leader of two national championship football teams, Thomas turned a successful collegiate career into over 25 years of dedication to youth sports and Troy Athletics. Thomas joins former teammate Mike Turk as the only two Troy University Sports Hall of Fame members to play on Troy’s 1984 and 1987 NCAA Division II National Championship teams. The head coach of each team, Chan Gailey and Rick Rhoades, respectively, are also both in the Hall of Fame. “Freddie was a great teammate,” Turk said. “We played against each other growing up in Montgomery and we both walked on at Troy. I came to Troy a quarter after Freddie and he had already established himself as a good player.” Thomas, simply known as “Bootsy” to his teammates, came to Troy as a freshman in 1984 and played in all 13 games for a team that went on to win the 1984 NCAA Division II National Championship. Thomas posted 43 tackles that season and pulled in two interceptions He played in six games in 1985 as a sophomore, but really came onto the scene in 1986. Thomas was a consensus All-American as he helped lead the Trojans to a 10-2 overall record and their second Gulf South Conference title in three years. As a junior safety, Thomas collected 87 tackles, five interceptions, eight pass break ups and a blocked punt. Thomas parlayed his outstanding junior season into an even better senior campaign where he was named captain of the 1987 NCAA Division II National Championship squad. He was again a consensus All-American as he helped the Trojans to a 12-1-1 record and earned his second national championship ring. The unquestioned leader of the Trojans’ defense, Thomas recorded 110 total tackles as a senior in 1987 to go along with two interceptions, two forced fumbles and two more blocks. He led a defense that allowed 14 points or less in eight games and never allowed more than 21 points. “They’re the reason we won two national championships,” Turk said speaking of the defense. “In the 1984 championship game we fell down 14-0 real quick and gave up just a field goal after that. In 1987, I know I fumbled three times in the first half, but we were only down seven points. The defense kept us in that game and we started to click in the second half. “It’s pretty typical that the offense gets the attention, but if you watch the highlight video, especially from 1987, you get chill bumps with the emotion and passion that the defense played with, and Freddie was the main one.”
The most impressive part of Thomas’ senior season was that he played most of the way with a torn shoulder labrum. “Anybody that plays has to have toughness, but what set Freddie apart was that he was counted on heavily to make tackles from that free safety position and he did so with reckless abandon,” Turk said. “He would literally hit guys so hard that neither one of them would get up. He was certainly tough, and the level of respect he commanded because of the way he played the game is what really set him apart.” Thomas currently ranks 12th all-time in Troy history with 11 career interceptions, while checking in at 18th in total tackles and 20th in assisted tackles.
Change Page
“One thing I remember about Freddie is that our dorm rooms were next to each other,” Turk said. “We would talk about what we wanted to accomplish, and I remember him being very focused and it was very clear that he would be successful then and after football.” “The guy deserves to be in hall of fame for lots of reasons. On top of being a two-time All-American, the love and passion he has for Troy is evident and continues to grow. It hasn’t faded over the years. “He was a great teammate and he was a great football player. He’s a better human being than he was all of that. The way he has represented Troy, even after he finished playing, and the way he continues to support the program and school speaks volumes about Freddie.”
