| Rodney Thomas |
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 | Hometown:
Dublin, GA
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| High School:
West Laurens
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| Position:
LB
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| Experience:
4VL
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Overview Has had at least 100 tackles each of the last two seasons…second on the team and third in the ACC in tackles per game in 2002…had 167 tackles overall, just two behind the 169 by John Leake for the team lead…led Clemson in solo tackles with 82…had 15 tackles against Texas Tech in the Tangerine Bowl…had 82 first hits and 85 assists for the season…the 167 total tackles ranks sixth best in Clemson history…finished his career with 321 total tackles, a figure than ranks 10th in Clemson history…became 13th Clemson player to reach 300 tackles when he had 12 in the win over South Carolina in his final home game…played just 43 snaps in that game…had a career high 19 tackles in the win at Duke, he had 11 first hits…had 16 at Florida State and 18 in the loss to Maryland…had back-to-back 16-tackle games against Florida State and Virginia…also got back in pass coverage to record four passes broken up…had a 19-yard fumble return against Georgia Tech, one of two fumble recoveries for Thomas as a senior…had at least eight tackles in every game and reached double figures in 10 of the 13 contests…had eight games with at least a dozen tackles…averaged a tackle every 4.4 plays, second on the team behind Brandon Jamison…did not have double figures at North Carolina, but had his most memorable hit of the year, a sack of the North Carolina quarterback that resulted in a 10-yard loss…had two tackles for loss against North Carolina and NC State… played 742 snaps on defense, fifth on the defensive side of the ball…started 24 of his last 25 Clemson games and played 47 games overall…joins John Leake as active Tigers who have had consecutive 100-tackle seasons…had seven tackles for loss, third on the team, first among linebackers…had two tackles for loss in the Tangerine Bowl, including a sack… a productive player throughout his career, averaging a tackle every 5.5 plays on defense…
Prior to 2002 Solid player who started 11 of the 12 games in 2001…ranked fourth on the team in tackles with 100, he had 10 in the Humanitarian Bowl to reach the 100 mark for the season… had season high 16 stops in win over Wake Forest…tied for second on the team in quarterback pressures with 14…had three sacks for the season…had four total games with double figures in tackles, he had 16 against Wake Forest, 14 against South Carolina and 12 against Georgia Tech to go with the Louisiana Tech game…a key to win over Yellow Jackets, he had 10 first hits, three tackles for loss, a sack and three quarterback pressures…set Clemson single season record for special teams tackles with 26 in 2000...broke record of 23 in a season set by Shane Scott and David Joye in 1990...had 26 special teams tackles and 25 from scrimmage plays...did not start a game that year, but ranked eighth on the Clemson team in total tackles with 51...also had five tackles for loss even though he played just 116 snaps...played 10 snaps from scrimmage in the Gator Bowl against Virginia Tech and had three tackles in those 10 snaps...a productive player, he averaged a tackle every 4.6 snaps on defense, best on the team....began the season with a career high 12 stops against The Citadel, he had eight on just 20 scrimmage plays and four on special teams...had at least one special teams tackle in every game...had four in win against Wake Forest and three against North Carolina.... played 116 snaps from scrimmage as backup to Academic All-American Chad Carson... won team special teams award on defense for the 2000 season… reserve linebacker in 1999 who played in 10 games and 22 snaps from scrimmage...had three tackles as a first-year freshman...had 138 tackles and caused an incredible 12 caused fumbles his senior year at West Laurens High School in Cadwell, GA...also had 745 yards rushing and scored nine touchdowns from the fullback position...born 10-16-80…majoring in parks, recreation and tourism management.
Thomas Career Stats |
| Year |
GP-GS |
PL |
Hit |
Ast |
Tot |
TFL |
Sacks |
QP |
CF-RF |
| 1999 |
10-0 |
22 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
0-0 |
0-0 |
0 |
0-0 |
| 2000 |
12-0 |
116 |
27 |
24 |
51 |
5-18 |
1-4 |
0 |
0-0 |
| 2001 |
12-11 |
660 |
48 |
52 |
100 |
9-34 |
3-16 |
15 |
1-0 |
| 2002 |
13-13 |
742 |
82 |
85 |
167 |
9-37 |
2-20 |
6 |
0-2 |
| Totals |
47-24 |
1540 |
159 |
162 |
321 |
23-89 |
6-40 |
21 |
1-2 |
