Norfolk State University Athletics

2019 (Senior)
Played in 10 games and started three times … Started the Howard, Bethune-Cookman and S.C. State contests … Finished the season with 31 tackles, 3.5 for loss and 2.5 sacks … Also deflected one pass, forced a fumble and recorded two QB hurries … Made a career-high six tackles at nationally-ranked Montana State … Posted three tackles, half for loss, vs. N.C. A&T … Registered four tackles, one for loss and half a sack at Bethune-Cookman … Also posted a sack, a pass deflection and a QB hurry against Morgan State … Made five tackles at North Carolina Central … Also had a sack and a forced fumble that a teammate returned for a touchdown in that game … Semifinalist for the William Campbell Trophy, the “academic Heisman” … NSU AD Honor Roll member for both semesters.

2018 (Junior)
Appeared in nine games and started seven times in his first season with NSU … Started the first two games of the year and the last five … Logged 18 tackles, 1.5 for loss, with half a sack for the season … Also was second on the team with four quarterback hurries … Posted four tackles with half a sack and a quarterback hurry against Virginia State … Made one tackle for loss and added another QB pressure vs. N.C. Central … Recorded three tackles at Savannah State and matched his season high with four (all solo) at N.C. A&T … Was in on three stops vs. Morgan State … Named to the NSU Athletics Director’s Honor Roll for both semesters.

At Nevada (Freshman/Sophomore)
Spent three years at Nevada … Redshirted in 2015 before lettering in 2016 and 2017 … Played in four games as a freshman in 2016, all in the final month of the season … Played in nine games as a sophomore in 2017, making five tackles, 2.5 for loss, with a half a sack vs. Washington State … Earned All-Mountain West academic honors … Graduated in three years with a degree in journalism.

High School
A three-year letterwinner in football and two-time team captain at McQueen ... Also lettered in track and field ... Earned first team all-region honors in 2013 and 2014 ... Posted 135 tackles, 37 tackles for loss, 25 sacks and five interceptions in his high school career.

Personal
Ricky Thomas Jr. was born on Dec. 25, 1996 … Son of Ricky and Kim Thomas … Enrolled in graduate school for mass communication at NSU … Father played football at Alabama.

Thomas’ Career Highs
Tackles: 6 (at Montana State, 9-21-19)
TFL: 1.0 (4x, last at N.C. Central, 11-9-19)
Sacks: 1.0 (2x, last at N.C. Central, 11-9-19)