Russ Thomas

John Russell Thomas (July 24, 1924 – March 19, 1991) was an American football tackle who played four seasons with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Lions in the third round of the 1946 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ohio State University after attending Charleston High School in Charleston, West Virginia.[1] His playing career ended in 1949 after he suffered a knee injury. Thomas was an assistant coach on the Detroit Lions' 1952 and 1953 NFL Championship teams. After a stint as a broadcaster, Thomas became the team's director of player personnel.[2] He served as the general manager of the Lions from 1967 until his retirement in 1989. He was unpopular with Lions fans for his tough stance at the negotiating table and the scapegoat for the team's mediocrity during his tenure.[3] He died in his sleep on March 19, 1991. The Detroit Lions players wore a silver football shaped patch on the left chest of their jerseys with the initials 'JRT' in his memory during the 1991 season.[4][5]

Russ Thomas
refer to caption
Thomas on a 1948 Bowman football card
Personal information
Born:(1924-07-24)July 24, 1924
Griffithsville, West Virginia, U.S.
Died:March 19, 1991(1991-03-19) (aged 66)
Naples, Florida, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:237 lb (108 kg)
Career information
High school:Charleston (WV)
College:Ohio State
Position:Tackle
NFL Draft:1946 / Round: 3 / Pick: 22
Career history
As a player:
As a coach:
  • Detroit Lions (1952–1953)
    Assistant coach
As an executive:
  • Detroit Lions (1964–1966)
    Director of player personnel
  • Detroit Lions (1967–1989)
    General manager
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

References
  1. "RUSS THOMAS". profootballarchives.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  2. "Lions' Owner Picks Thomas To Head Player Personnel". The New York Times. January 22, 1964.
  3. Klonke, Chuck. "Russ Thomas dead at 66," United Press International (UPI), Tuesday, March 19, 1991. Retrieved November 24, 2020
  4. "Russ Thomas; Sports Executive, 66". New York Times. March 21, 1991. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  5. "Russ Thomas". pro-football-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved September 21, 2014.


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