Bryan Thomas life and biography

Bryan Thomas is a linebacker for the New York Jets of the National Football League.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

◊ Played in 109 regular-season games with 64 starts, recording 317 tackles, 23 sacks, five forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and five passes defensed.

◊ Moved from defensive end to linebacker in 2006 when team changed to 3-4 defense, posting a career-high 77 tackles and 8.5 sacks in 2006, including 6.5 sacks during a six-game span.

◊ Owner of two career games with two sacks, victimizing former teammate Chad Pennington twice in Pennington’s debut against the Jets at MIA, 9/7/08, and David Carr twice vs. HOU, 11/26/06.

SEASON-BY-SEASON REVIEW

◊ 2008 (JETS) Played in 16 games, starting 15…Recorded 47 tackles, 11 tackles-for-loss, 5.5 sacks, one fumble recovery, three forced fumbles, seven quarterback hurries and one pass defensed…Ranked second on the team for tackles-for-loss and third for sacks…Contributed to defense that led the NFL with 26 forced fumbles and tied for the League lead in fumble recoveries…One of 17 players who registered at least half a sack for the Jets, an amount that led the NFL…One of 13 Jets players that forced fumbles on defense or special teams. SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: (12/28 vs MIA)…Registered sack and forced fumble of Chad Pennington on the same play. (11/23 at TEN)…Recorded a fumble recovery. (11/9 vs. STL)…Contributed a forced fumble. (10/12 vs. CIN)…Made half sack of Ryan Fitzpatrick. (9/28 vs. ARI)…Produced sack of Kurt Warner. (9/14 vs. NE)…Collected sack of Matt Cassel. (9/7 at MIA)…Matched career high with two sacks of Chad Pennington…Forced a fumble.

◊ 2007 (JETS) Played in 16 games with 14 starts…Responsible for 43 tackles, 2.5 sacks and forced one fumble. SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: (12/2 at MIA)…Sacked John Beck for a five-yard loss, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Victor Hobson. (10/21 at CIN)…Sacked Carson Palmer. (10/14 at PHI)…Contributed half sack of Donovan McNabb.

◊ 2006 (JETS) Started all 16 games in first season as outside linebacker…Posted ◊ 77 tackles, a career-high 8.5 sacks, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble. POSTSEASON: (1/7 at NE)…Started and recorded five tackles and half a sack of Tom Brady. SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: (12/25 at MIA)…Registered sack of Cleo Lemon. (12/10 vs. BUF)…Notched sack of J.P. Losman. (12/3 at GB)…Sacked Brett Favre for a loss of four yards and forced a fumble that led to the first Jets touchdown…Finished with 1.5 sacks. (11/26 vs. HOU)…Recorded career-high two sacks of David Carr. (11/12 at NE)…Produced sack of Tom Brady. (10/29 at CLE)…Notched a sack of Charlie Frye. (10/15 vs. MIA)…Recorded career-high 11 tackles…Earned Jets Defensive Player of the Week. (9/17 vs. NE)…Blocked a Stephen Gotskowski field goal, the first block of his career, late in the fourth-quarter of the loss. (9/10 at TEN)…Garnered sack of Kerry Collins.

◊ 2005 (JETS) Started 16 games, including four starts…Posted 40 tackles, 3.5 sacks and three passes defensed. SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: (1/1 vs. BUF)…Recorded a sack of Kelly Holcomb. (12/11 vs. OAK)…Collected half sack of Marques Tuiasosopo. (12/4 at NE)…Posted half sack of Tom Brady. (10/24 at ATL)…Contributed half sack of Michael Vick. (9/25 vs. JAC)…Sacked Byron Leftwich.

◊ 2004 (JETS) Played in 14 games with five starts…Recorded 41 tackles and 1.5 sacks. POSTSEASON: Started both postseason games…Accounted for eight tackles. SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: (11/14 vs. BAL)…Led team with 1.5 sacks of Kyle Boller in overtime loss.

◊ 2003 (JETS) Played in 16 games, earning 10 starts…Recorded 58 tackles, one sack, one pass defensed and one fumble recovery. SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: (11/2 vs. NYG)…Started at right defensive end in place of an injured John Abraham, and recorded six tackles plus a batted pass. (10/12 vs. BUF)…Earned his first career start…Tallied a fumble recovery and two tackles. (9/21 at NE)…Recorded the first solo sack of his career, dropping Tom Brady for a four-yard loss.

◊ 2002 (JETS) Appeared in 15 games…Posted 11 tackles and half a sack. POSTSEASON: Played in both games…Contributed two tackles. SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: (9/22 at MIA)…Contributed half sack of Jay Fiedler.

BEFORE THE NFL

◊ Four-year starter at University of Alabama-Birmingham, who set school and Conference USA all-time records with 35 sacks, and posted 148 tackles (78 solos), two fumble recoveries, eight forced fumbles, 12 passes defensed and 46 pressures.

◊ Earned first team All-Conference USA honors as a senior in 2001 when he ranked fifth in the nation with 14 sacks and contributed 46 tackles, including 21 for losses, four passes defensed, three forced fumbles.

◊ Two-year starter and letter winner at Minor HS in Birmingham, where he posted 75 tackles with two interceptions and a fumble recovery in six games as a senior, and 140 tackles with an interception and three fumble recoveries as a junior.

OFF THE FIELD

◊ Graduated with a degree in Criminal Justice.

◊ Named to the UAB Athletic Director’s Academic Honor Roll twice during his career.

◊ Participated in the Club’s Football Fanfare/Kid Reporter of the Week Program with Newark Star-Ledger.

◊ Attended the MDA 2004 Muscle Team Kickoff.

◊ Attended the United Way Gridiron Gala in 2007 to help celebrate the NFL’s 30-year partnership with the United Way.

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