Big Turk Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 Saw a clip on youtube that popped up showing every Thomas TD from 88-90 and there were some really long plays where he ran away from people. Did not remember him being that fast, but he was definitely faster than I remembered. 4 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay_Fixit Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 How old are you? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Turk Posted February 3, 2022 Author Share Posted February 3, 2022 (edited) Just now, Jay_Fixit said: How old are you? Mid 40s, I was in my teens during those years so I definitely remember the games Edited February 3, 2022 by Big Turk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoHuddleKelly12 Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 He definitely had a great initial burst to go with his vision, but as far as breakaway speed, I think it was less that than great blocking by a very athletic Bills line + WRs like Andre who weren’t afraid to get their mitts dirty blocking downfield…seeing the amount of green space around Thurm so many times makes me jealous on behalf of Singletary… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyBeets Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 13 minutes ago, Big Turk said: Saw a clip on youtube that popped up showing every Thomas TD from 88-90 and there were some really long plays where he ran away from people. Did not remember him being that fast, but he was definitely faster than I remembered. It's so easy to forget how talented some of those guys were. What a great pass catcher 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nextmanup Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 My lasting memories are of him being caught from behind on long, break away runs that should have gone all the way but for his lack of speed. Kenny Davis had more runs to the house than Thurman had (as I remember it) because he was that much faster. I still say Thurman was as dangerous an overall offensive weapon as this league has ever seen. 3 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihilarian Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 Just think, Thurman had Barry Sanders on the bench behind him at OSU. Got injured as he tore his ACL... and when he returned...Sanders went back to riding the bench. Thomas fell to Buffalo in the second round, pick 40 because most teams thought he was overworked in College and all used up...also that knee injury. 7 RB's were taken ahead of Thurman in that 88 draft. The one thing Dan Marino never had at Miami was a Thurman Thomas at RB. John Elway didn't win a SB until Terrell Davis. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg S Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 7 minutes ago, Nihilarian said: Just think, Thurman had Barry Sanders on the bench behind him at OSU. Got injured as he tore his ACL... and when he returned...Sanders went back to riding the bench. Thomas fell to Buffalo in the second round, pick 40 because most teams thought he was overworked in College and all used up...also that knee injury. 7 RB's were taken ahead of Thurman in that 88 draft. The one thing Dan Marino never had at Miami was a Thurman Thomas at RB. John Elway didn't win a SB until Terrell Davis. If Singletary isn't the answer then the Bills need to find a "Thurman Thomas" to help Allen out. I know Allen's ability to run is a weapon but I hope Dorsey reduces those designed runs for Allen next year and relies on Singletary doing the running. Allen will get hit plenty with sacks, QB scrambles avoiding the rush as it is. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsPride12 Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 Thurman lost some of his speed/burst after the ACL injury in college. Still went on to have an incredible NFL career though regardless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Long Suffering Fan Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 Thanks for posting. I like that jumbo play that Thomas scored a few times on throughout the clip. They line up heavy, motion 2 guys out to the left, quick snap, those two run clear out routes, and Thomas catches an easy swing underneath. 20 minutes ago, Nextmanup said: Kenny Davis had more runs to the house than Thurman had (as I remember it) because he was that much faster. Davis was faster. Plus, Thomas had a patient running style - it would bug me when people would talk about the patience of Leveon Bell a few years back as if he was the only one in the history of the NFL to ever run that way - then he would decisively hit a hole, be able to make a guy miss in the hole. Sometimes that would allow a defense to rally to prevent a breakaway run. Thomas was the king of the 7-8 yard run (at least in my memory). Then Davis would come in when a defense was tired and kind of used to Thurm's running style and he would get up field fast and hit some big runs. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jletha Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 (edited) Im 33 now, and watched Thurman but not in the way that I could appreciate his true ability. Last season in the week leading up to the AFC Champ game I watched all 4 of our AFC champ games in the SB run on youtube, full games (sans commercials which is awesome). I couldnt believe how good Thurman was. After I while I was thinking why dont they just hand it to him every single play. He was an absolute beast every time he got the ball. My perception of him and the offense changed after that. No wonder Kelly was efficient, they were terrified of Thurman and for good reason. Edited February 4, 2022 by jletha 1 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt_In_NH Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 He could have been a slot receiver....he was so good 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eSJayDee Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 As I recall, the early part of his career, he had "decent" speed. Certainly not breakaway, scary speed, but adequate. The latter part of his career he lost that but had a remarkable talent for wiggling for a few extra yards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I'm Spartacus Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 The icing on the cake was when Thurman just handed to ball to a ref after his TD. No celebrations ever. True Pro. 4 3 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kwai San Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 (edited) 4 minutes ago, I'm Spartacus said: The icing on the cake was when Thurman just handed to ball to a ref after his TD. No celebrations ever. True Pro. All the Bills back then were cool like that. Unless it was a huge important TD they just handed the ball over and went back to the huddle/sideline. Unlike Manny OMFG I got a catch Sanders!!!! That really irritates me to no end. Git yo azz up and git back in the huddle!!!! Dammit! Edited February 3, 2022 by Kwai San 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve O Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 (edited) 31 minutes ago, Nihilarian said: Just think, Thurman had Barry Sanders on the bench behind him at OSU. Got injured as he tore his ACL... and when he returned...Sanders went back to riding the bench. Thomas fell to Buffalo in the second round, pick 40 because most teams thought he was overworked in College and all used up...also that knee injury. 7 RB's were taken ahead of Thurman in that 88 draft. The one thing Dan Marino never had at Miami was a Thurman Thomas at RB. John Elway didn't win a SB until Terrell Davis. I remember that ESPN had a camera on him they cut to often during the first 39 picks as 7 running backs were selected before him, 5 in the first and 2 in the second round (in those days the draft was 2 days, I think is was rounds 1-3 on day 1 but it could have been more.) The dejection in Thurm's face was obvious. The Bills did not pass on him as they had no round 1 pick that year (the party line was the first round pick was Bennett, they just got him a year early.) Edited February 3, 2022 by Steve O Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 11 minutes ago, I'm Spartacus said: The icing on the cake was when Thurman just handed to ball to a ref after his TD. No celebrations ever. True Pro. Yep. He was down with that “act like you’ve been there before” philosophy. TT had so much respect for the game and the opponent. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo_Stampede Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 He had that game speed. Smooth and fluid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvlevydraftdaygenius Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 Problem with Thurman he was never a physical running back and because of that took a beating for the Bills when he played. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fan_in_tx Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 1 hour ago, Nextmanup said: My lasting memories are of him being caught from behind on long, break away runs that should have gone all the way but for his lack of speed. Kenny Davis had more runs to the house than Thurman had (as I remember it) because he was that much faster. I still say Thurman was as dangerous an overall offensive weapon as this league has ever seen. Think of it this way... I recall CJ Spiller being caught from behind on 2 or 3 occasions and I believe he was the fastest running back we have ever had. 22 minutes ago, Steve O said: I remember that ESPN had a camera on him they cut to often during the first 39 picks as 7 running backs were selected before him, 5 in the first and 2 in the second round (in those days the draft was 2 days, I think is was rounds 1-3 on day 1 but it could have been more.) The dejection in Thurm's face was obvious. The Bills did not pass on him as they had no round 1 pick that year (the party line was the first round pick was Bennett, they just got him a year early.) Coming off a serious knee injury, this was understandable. ACL tears in the 80's were not like they are today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billsfan714 Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 Always remember a Monday night game I think against the Jets, had a shot at the single game rushng record, he was just gashing them. Didnt care about the record, sat out garbage time in a Bills win. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LABILLBACKER Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 28 minutes ago, K-9 said: Yep. He was down with that “act like you’ve been there before” philosophy. TT had so much respect for the game and the opponent. He'll always be the greatest RB to play for Buffalo. 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bookie Man Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 My all time favorite player 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skibum Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 Thurman was uncatchable in Madden '92. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoHuddleKelly12 Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 Always loved how he owned Miami—in the playoffs you could mark him down for 140+ all purpose yards without batting an eyelash. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solomon Grundy Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 In these highlights you will see Thurman playing against the Oklahoma Sooners and the Boz. This is when I became a fan 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PonyBoy Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 Anyone else notice how there were no flags after these touchdown runs? You can't have a kickoff with out a flag now, let alone a touchdown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0017 Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 9 minutes ago, ßookie_tech said: My all time favorite player I agree! My favorite player of all time! Allen is pushing to become that now though. 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BADOLBILZ Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 We didn't talk that much about RB speed back then because there wasn't any shortage of very fast RB's..........it's not like today where most teams have undersized LB's that can outrun their own RB's. And the backup RB's of that era were often still one of the best 4-5 athletes on the entire roster. RB corps were deep and CB corps were......not. Now most of those guys who would have played RB in the 80's or 90's grow up playing defense or WR.........where they can make a lot more money. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davefan66 Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 Underrated player IMO. Was a generational talent running and catching. Played at the same time as Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith, Dickerson, Marcus Allen. Kinda got lost in the fray. Pound for pound I’d take Thurman over all those guys, except Sanders. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davefan66 Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 3 minutes ago, BUFFALOBART said: Sanders looked like Thurman, on 'fast forward'. For sure. Sanders was incredible with his speed, cutting ability and vision. Dude was a beast, most likely best ever RB talent. His problem was the team he was on. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Punching Bag Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 1 hour ago, Nihilarian said: The one thing Dan Marino never had at Miami was a Thurman Thomas at RB. John Elway didn't win a SB until Terrell Davis. Dan Marino was terrible at faking handoffs which is why his RBs got banged up so much and he was no threat to run. Every time he would attempt a fake the whole bar would know it even if announcers didn't. Bledsoe was called a statue and Marino should have been called a monument for he was even less mobile. 1 minute ago, davefan66 said: For sure. Sanders was incredible with his speed, cutting ability and vision. Dude was a beast, most likely best ever RB talent. His problem was the team he was on. Sanders also make a lot of plays where he lost yards. Thomas was the better all around back who could catch like a WR and block like a FB. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCal Deek Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 47 minutes ago, LABILLBACKER said: He'll always be the greatest RB to play for Buffalo. All purpose RB yes….greatest RB, no. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshAllin Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 1 hour ago, Nihilarian said: The one thing Dan Marino never had at Miami was a Thurman Thomas at RB. John Elway didn't win a SB until Terrell Davis. No SB though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Turk Posted February 3, 2022 Author Share Posted February 3, 2022 (edited) 2 hours ago, Nihilarian said: Just think, Thurman had Barry Sanders on the bench behind him at OSU. Got injured as he tore his ACL... and when he returned...Sanders went back to riding the bench. Thomas fell to Buffalo in the second round, pick 40 because most teams thought he was overworked in College and all used up...also that knee injury. 7 RB's were taken ahead of Thurman in that 88 draft. The one thing Dan Marino never had at Miami was a Thurman Thomas at RB. John Elway didn't win a SB until Terrell Davis. knee injury that he never had surgery for...dude played his entire career in the NFL with a torn ACL. Edited February 3, 2022 by Big Turk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Almighty Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 Does anyone else remember how after being tackled he would lay on the grass for a while and scare you into thinking oh no 34 is hurt. He used to take a long time to get back up as I recall. Then he would get up do something huge and lay there for a minute again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southern_Bills Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 I'm not old enough to remember the games all that well, I was 8-11 during the prime years. Though I've always considered Thurman one of the first modern day RBs. His style is still relevant which can't be said for most of the league RBs in that era. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wnyguy Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 I can remember a catch he made diving stretched out parallel with the ground. Still one of the greatest catches I have ever seen by a RB. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo716 Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 2 hours ago, Greg S said: If Singletary isn't the answer then the Bills need to find a "Thurman Thomas" to help Allen out. I know Allen's ability to run is a weapon but I hope Dorsey reduces those designed runs for Allen next year and relies on Singletary doing the running. Allen will get hit plenty with sacks, QB scrambles avoiding the rush as it is. Thurman Thomas's don't grow on trees He's literally one of the most complete backs in NFL history.. easily top five in that category and one of the best ever They come out once every 20 years 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Coot Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 2 hours ago, I'm Spartacus said: The icing on the cake was when Thurman just handed to ball to a ref after his TD. No celebrations ever. True Pro. The pros used to act that way. Now every good play merits a flamboyant response. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.