Earl Thomas had been waiting for this moment for a long time — the moment NFL commissioner Roger Goodell walked up to the podium and called out his name, bringing a future in the NFL, millions of dollars, and most importantly, a new house.
Not a mansion for himself, but a home for his parents after Hurricane Ike destroyed his childhood home in Orange, Texas, on the Louisiana border.
“That’s the first thing I want to do,” Thomas said. “They’ve been taking care of me all my life, and it’s just going to feel good to finally take care of them for once.”
The Seattle Seahawks, with the 14th pick in the draft, chose Thomas, bringing a childhood dream to completion and setting the All-American safety on course for another year as an NFL player.
His parents’ housing situation weighed heavily on Thomas, who declared with two years of eligibility left as a redshirt sophomore after an outstanding second season in the Texas secondary. Thomas matched the UT record with eight interceptions, returning two for touchdowns, as the Longhorns, propelled by their defense, made it to the BCS Championship Game and finished with a 13-1 record.
“It was a big decision, and we all decided as a whole family,” Thomas said about declaring for the draft. “That was one of the main reasons I came out was because of the house situation, and most of all, there was no doubt in my mind that I was ready to play in the NFL, so I made the jump.
“It’s not only a big day for me, but for my entire family and everybody in Orange. I’d like to thank God and everyone who has helped me get here, especially all my coaches. I feel blessed.”
Thomas continued a tradition of Texas defensive backs going high in the draft. He is the ninth UT defensive back to be drafted in the last nine years, joining fellow first-rounders Michael Huff, Aaron Ross, Michael Griffin and Quentin Jammer.
In Seattle, Thomas will be joining a team that appeared in the Super Bowl as recently as 2006 but has fallen in a slump since. Seattle finished with a 5-11 record last season, leading to a new coaching staff coming in, lead by former USC head coach Pete Carroll.
In Thomas, Carroll, who made his name as a defensive coordinator, will have a versatile and explosive defender who can play as a corner or safety and make plays all over the field.
“Earl probably had as productive a year as defensive back that I’ve ever seen as a coach, as far as getting his hands on balls and making plays,” Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp said. “He was truly a ball hawk. He made so many plays for us. He’s got great game speed. His most talented attribute is his heart, desire and competitive edge. He competes every day, and that’s why he’s a difference-maker.”
Big 12 Dominance
So much for the decline of the Big 12. The conference flexed its muscles Thursday night at the NFL Draft with an unprecedented sweep of the top four picks. Oklahoma led the way, providing three of the top four picks, highlighted by No. 1 overall pick quarterback Sam Bradford, who went to the Rams. Defensive tackles Ndamukong Suh of Nebraska and OU’s Gerald McCoy rounded out the top three, while OU’s Trent Williams, an offensive tackle, followed. After Eric Berry of Tennessee broke the streak, picked fifth by Kansas City, Oklahoma State’s Russell Okung went sixth.
Overall, nine of the 32 players selected in the first round came from the Big 12.
However, some big names were left on the board, highlighted by Texas stars Colt McCoy and Sergio Kindle, who stay on the board for the second round, which starts tonight on ESPN.