Zach Thomas named Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalist

Zach Thomas is one step closer to heading to Canton.

The semifinalists for the 2020 Pro football Hall of Fame class were announced on Monday, and a former Miami Dolphins’ player was part of that illustrious group.  Furthermore, it was a name fans are sure to remember. Linebacker Zach Thomas was among the semifinalists.

Thomas, had a great career as a member of the Miami Dolphins. Playing from 1996-2008, he appeared in 182 games. Thomas started off his career strong, as he was selected as the AFC defensive Rookie of the year in 1996. Playing in a total of 184 games, Thomas recorded 1,727 combined tackles. He led the league in tackles in 2002 and 2006 with 156 and 165  respectively. In addition, he was also a seven-time Pro Bowler. Making the game in five consecutive seasons from 1999-2003, he was a familiar face in Hawaii.

Thomas received other accolades along the way. He was a First-Team All-Pro five times and finished his successful career in 2008 with the Dallas Cowboys. Thomas’ 94 combined tackles that year was certainly a fantastic way to conclude a productive career.

As some of you may recall, he was a successful linebacker in college as well. He was named to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2015 after what was a stellar career. He recorded seven interceptions during his four seasons at Texas Tech. In total, he amassed 157 return yards and two touchdowns. He was named a consensus All-American in 1995 .

Zach Thomas provided tremendous value for Miami Dolphins

Perhaps one of the more overlooked points was his value as a draft pick. He was selected in the fifth-round with the 154th-overall pick in 1996. The Dolphins certainly got tremendous production out of him and it’s amazing that Thomas slipped that far in the draft.

It’s great to once again see Thomas named as one of the semifinalists. Most importantly, I hope he gets the call to Canton, because he meant so much to the Miami Dolphins and the game of football. As a kid growing up, I remember watching him play with such ferocity and decisiveness. He was not somebody you wanted to face on Sundays. He never took plays off, and he always seemed to give 110% effort every single snap. Hopefully, he will have a bust in Canton very soon.