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Joey Thomas
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Joey Thomas
Cornerback
Montana State
6'1" - 195
OVERVIEW
Rising star who was regarded as the best shutdown cornerback in the NCAA Division I-AA ranks ... The former all-state high school quarterback originally enrolled at the University of Washington, but left the program when the coaching staff reneged on its promise to play him at cornerback (tried to convert him to halfback, then safety) ... The two-time All-American and All-Big Sky Conference selection possesses outstanding quickness and leaping ability ... "Joey tilts the field in our direction," MSU head coach Mike Kramer said. "His ability to shut down any receiver we face is a tremendous, tremendous asset. He makes our game plan a lot easier knowing that no matter what kind of receiver they have on the other side of the ball, Joey will lock him down." ... Started 39 of 42 games at MSU, recording 122 tackles (84 solos) with two sacks for minus-12 yards, seven stops for losses of 23 yards, 11 interceptions for 45 yards in returns, 41 pass deflections, a blocked kick, nine kickoff returns for 154 yards (17.1 avg) and a 9-yard gain on a rushing attempt.
ANALYSIS
Lean, but well-muscled athlete with a good bubble, slender hips, long arms and legs, split high and showing good muscle definition in the arms and calves ... Stays close to receivers, especially vs. double moves, locking on to his assignment and refusing to allow any cushion ... Shows a strong hand punch in press coverage ... Smooth and quick in his backpedal, showing above-average hip flexibility to transition fast with no wasted motion ... Plants and drives to break up slants ... Has the speed to cover, track and jump to make plays on the ball in the air downfield ... Has the sudden acceleration needed to recover when beaten or when pursuing plays across the field ... Tracks and locates the ball well, timing his jumps with good body control and will not hesitate to compete for the pigskin in a crowd ... Very aggressive in run support, avoiding the trash well by using his hands to defeat cut blocks ... Physical tackler who will face up and explode into the opponent upon contact ... Takes well to hard coaching and is willing to help out the less-experienced teammates after practice ... Fiercely competitive with a passion for the game, excelling when facing top-level competition.
AGILITY TESTS
4.4 in the 40-yard dash ... 1.43 10-yard dash ... 355-pound bench press ... 425-pound back squat ... 370-pound front squat ... 264-push jerk ... 291-pound power clean ... 381/2-inch vertical jump ... 10-foot-2 broad jump ... 3.93 20-yard shuttle ... 31 7/8-inch arm length ... 9 1/8-inch hands ... Right-handed.
HIGH SCHOOL
Attended John F. Kennedy (Burien, Wash.) High, playing football for coach Bob Bourgette ... Two-time all-state and all-area selection as a quarterback ... Rushed for over 100 yards four times and completed over 60 percent of his passes as a senior ... Ranked second in the state with eight interceptions on defense as a junior.
PERSONAL
Family Science major ... Born Aug. 29, 1980 ... Resides in Seattle, Wash.
Courtesy NFL.com
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DEFENSIVE STATISTICS
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STATS
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GP
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GS
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TK
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SO
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AS
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FR
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FC
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INT
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TFL
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PBU
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SACK
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BK
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2000
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11
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08
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33
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23
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10
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0
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0
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2
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1-2
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6
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0.0-0
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0
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2001
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11
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11
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43
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23
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20
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0
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0
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5
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3-7
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18
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0.0-0
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0
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2002
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08
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08
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16
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13
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3
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0
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0
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0
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1.5-9
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2
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1.0-8
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1
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2003
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12
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12
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30
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25
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5
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0
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0
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4
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1.5-5
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15
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1.0-4
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0
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TOTAL
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42
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39
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122
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84
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38
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0
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0
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11
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7-23
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41
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2.0-12
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1
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