Paving The Way

Donald Thomas doesn't remember how it all happened. It all came so fast.

Two years ago, Thomas stepped onto the UConn practice field for walk-on on try outs, simply looking for a chance to be part of a team again and improve his chances of getting into law school.

In one day, with one phone call, the UConn senior offensive guard may have a chance to step onto the field for one of 32 NFL teams and step into a life he never dreamed could come true.

"All this happened pretty much this year," Thomas said. "Seeing things progress for me has definitely been, like, a wow-factor for me … It just happened so fast."

When Thomas stepped onto the Storrs campus nearly five years ago, it wasn't with the ballyhoo or hype that surrounded most of the pro prospects with which he'll be fighting for draft positioning in this weekend's draft. In fact, there was none at all.

Despite standing at 6-foot-3, 303 pounds and looking as if he was born with a pair of cleats on, football wasn't even a consideration when Thomas walked on to campus.

Enrolled as a regular student, it had been almost three years since he had even seen a football field.

Although his profile in the UConn media guide states that he lettered in football three times while at Career High School (New Haven) and recorded six sacks his junior year, the senior said that's just a tad off the mark - by a good two and a half years.

Thomas doesn't know exactly where that information came from, but he said that he actually only played in three games his freshman year for a neighboring school before he was told he could no longer participate.

"My school didn't have a team but [I] played for a school that had one and they told me I could no longer do that," Thomas said. "So I had to stop playing and my mom wouldn't let me transfer."

Instead, he shifted his focus to basketball and baseball, where he helped lead his team to a Southern Connecticut Conference championship in 2002 and was named an All-Division selection, respectively.

His exploits in the two sports wouldn't get him any scholarship offers - Thomas said he only received minor interest from schools wanting him to play first base - but his athletic prowess would ultimately be the key for a shot at an NFL contract.

A Fortuitous Meeting

Danny Lansanah remembers meeting Thomas for the first time like it was yesterday.

As freshman, both were on their way to the same party, and once they got to talking, they realized they had similar interests.

Soon, the two acquaintances formed a strong bond, and began lifting weights and playing basketball together on Saturday's in Guyer gym - something they still do now.

During these pick-up games, Lansanah, then in his first year as a linebacker on the football team, began noticing Thomas' athleticism.

"I just saw how well he moved, and I was like, 'How's a big guy like you not playing any sports in college,'" Lansanah said.

The linebacker told Thomas that his athletic gifts shouldn't go to waste and proposed that he should try out for the football team. Hesitant about the idea, Thomas was noncommittal at first.

But after a semester or so of college, he began to miss all of the camaraderie he reveled in as an athlete in high school.

"I got bored of just going to class," Thomas said. "Now it's like, I've got two classes a day, what else am I going to do for the rest of the day? It was just a big difference, and I wanted to be a part of something. Not just graduate from UConn, but be able to say, 'Yeah, I was an athlete, too.'"

Making Strides

From the moment head coach Randy Edsall saw him, he knew he had something special on his hands.

"To see a guy that big that could move as well as he could, and the intelligence he has," Edsall said, "those were the things that stood out about him."

Thomas was accepted as a walk-on and after serving on the scout team and redshirting his first year with the team in 2004, he immediately began to contribute.

As a redshirt sophomore, Thomas appeared in all 11 games on kickoffs, and the next season he continued to work on special teams while serving as the primary backup at left guard.

But just as Thomas' assent from scrub to starter was starting to unfold, he hit a bump in the road.

In the 2006 season, the then-redshirt junior was charged with misdemeanor assault and breach of peace for allegedly striking a Wings Over Storrs employee during an altercation at the restaurant and Edsall suspended Thomas for two games.

"He understood, but he was disappointed in himself," Edsall said. "He was disappointed he made his family look bad, the program look bad, his teammates look bad."

His actions were hard to believe for some, especially from an Eagle Scout who spent his entire childhood learning discipline and skills to help others.

But once the aftermath from the incident cleared, Thomas vowed to make a change and friends and coaches could tell the impact it had on him.

"He totally transformed from that situation," Lansanah said. "He was a guy that always liked to go out. But after that situation, he seldom went out, and was just focused on football."

"You knew he would respond from it," Edsall said. "It made him grow up a bit It made him realize that you have to be humble and respectful in all the situations that arise."

He showed the difference on the field. As a starter for all 13 games last season, Thomas didn't yield a single sack and was named First Team All-Big East.

Despite logging just 14 career starts, Thomas' rare combination of size and speed got him an invite to the NFL combine, where he continued to impress.

Thomas blazed the second-fastest 40-yard dash time of all offensive linemen (5.00 seconds) In Indianapolis and his three-cone drill time of 7.45 seconds ranked fifth out of the 48 linemen invited - including players from traditional power schools such as USC, Michigan and Nebrasaka.

Despite questions regarding his past infractions, Thomas was able to breeze through the interview process. And even though he said he was forced into Boy Scouts as a child because his dad was heavily involved in the organization, all the campouts and badges paid off.

In a meeting with Kansas City Chief's offensive line coach, Bob Bicknell, Thomas revealed he was an eagle scout. Turns out, so was the coach. The two began talking about their experiences.

"He looked at me in a different light after that," Thomas said. "Sometimes I didn't want to stick with [Boy Scouts] because guys would tease me about it, but it really pays off in the long run."

Starting Anew

Thomas is still a bit shocked when he sees his name on official NFL documents or when reporters ask him for interviews.

He still sees himself as a freshman looking to be a part of a team again.

But NFL scouts see Thomas as pro, someone with the chance to make a difference in the trenches.

And while working his way from the scout team to the starting team to now a professional team has taught him to never look to far ahead, when he takes the time to slow down and think about, he sees it, too.

"People start patting you on the back and you get an all star invite and then another one," he said. "And then you get invited to the combine and it's like - wow, I guess I really do have a shot at playing."

Contact Justin Verrier at

Justin.Verrier@UConn.edu.