http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/25/sports/f...amp;_r=2&hp<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>GALVESTON, Tex., April 21 On the edge of the Texas Gulf is a 370-pound football player who can execute a perfect forward flip.The players name is Walter Thomas, and as he kicked his size 16 feet overhead Saturday morning, onlookers studied the sculpted giant with curiosity and awe. It was the kind of reaction Thomas usually elicits from professional football scouts.I feel like Im a big secret, Thomas said. The secret of the draft.The National Football League draft, which begins Saturday, does not really have secrets anymore. Prospects are timed and tested, interviewed and investigated, over and over again. Entire dossiers are prepared for second-string players.Thomas is as close as modern football can come to an old-fashioned sleeper. In the past two years, his only playing experience was at Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia, Miss. He played in two games, both losses. Then he was arrested on a charge of conspiracy to commit robbery, according to the Tate County (Miss.) Circuit Clerks office, and never played college football again. Judging by his credentials, perhaps Thomas should not be drafted. Judging by his dimensions, however, Thomas has to be drafted.Big Walt, as he is known, is a 6-foot-5 defensive tackle who wears a size XXXXXXL jersey. He bench presses 475 pounds and squats 800 pounds. Weight lifters at the Galveston Health and Racquet Club stop their workouts to watch him.Football teams everywhere are filled with big men, but many of them can barely move. Thomas has run the 40-yard dash in 4.9 seconds, faster than some N.F.L. tight ends. He is the rare tackle who can catch a running back from behind.The guy is a dadgum Russian gymnast, said Randy Pippin, the head coach at Northwest Mississippi.Thomass flexibility has become part of his lore. He does handstands and handsprings, broad jumps and cartwheels. When he gets excited, he will do a back flip.I never thought a body that big could flip in the air, said Ron Holmes, who coached Thomas at Ball High School in Galveston. I wouldnt have believed it unless Id seen it with my own two eyes.Three months ago, Thomas was little more than a novelty act. He declared for the draft as a 21-year-old junior, but unlike most underclassmen heading to the N.F.L., he had no highlight reel to send scouts and few statistics for them to analyze. The Web site nfldraftscout.com ranked him as the 74th-best defensive tackle. It was a different situation, said Martin Magid, Thomass agent. He was coming from the basement.Magid, who represents several professional football players, lobbied for Thomas to be included in a predraft all-star game called Texas vs. The Nation. When the workouts for that game began, Thomas was an afterthought. When they ended, he was an Internet phenomenon.Draftniks found a new darling. Bloggers were breathless. Draftdaddy.com reported that Thomas was unstoppable and nimble and drew reactions ranging from gasps to smiles to a simple shake of the head in disbelief.In the draft evaluation process, workouts are nearly as important as games, and Thomas is a workout wonder. He was invited to Mississippi States annual Pro Day and seized much of the attention, even though he did not attend Mississippi State.N.F.L. scouts, always on the lookout for that unique blend of size and agility, were seduced by a dancing goliath. This month, Thomas was ranked as the 15th-best defensive tackle in the draft. He hopes to pattern himself after the N.F.L. tackles Ted Washington (6-5, 365 pounds) of the Cleveland Browns and Jamal Williams (6-3, 348) of the San Diego Chargers. He is definitely a topic of conversation right now, said Gil Brandt, former vice president for player personnel for the Dallas Cowboys, who is now an analyst for NFL.com. A lot of people are talking about him.Thomas represents the hard choice that every team faces at some point on draft day to pick a player with supreme physical ability and a questionable past, or to go with a player who has limited talent but a proven track record.Thomas would not be such a secret in the draft if he had not buried himself in college. He played at Oklahoma State as a freshman in 2004, but failed out of school before his sophomore season. He spent 2005 trying to regain his academic eligibility and went to Northwest Mississippi in 2006.People like to tell me, As big as you are, youll always get another chance, Thomas said. But I think Ive used up all my chances.Thomas acts contrite and gentle, but his behavior can still be erratic. An interview for this story was scheduled for Friday morning in Galveston. Thomas arrived early Saturday, apologizing profusely that he confused the dates.Thomas was accompanied by Martha Overton, a 54-year-old whom he calls his second mother. Thomas went to school with Overtons daughter, Elizabeth, and steadily ingratiated himself in her family. Now, he appears in all of their Christmas pictures. When he leaves Martha Overtons sight, he gives her two bearhugs.Walter has a lot of people who care for him very deeply, Martha Overton said.Thomas needs the support system, especially in the new N.F.L. Commissioner Roger Goodell recently announced a personal-conduct policy that threatens teams for repeatedly signing troublemakers. When Thomas visited the Jets, the Dolphins and the Browns, they grilled him about his arrest, he said.He might as well have answered in rhyme. Thomas stars in a Galveston hip- hop group called Tre Side, and he recently wrote a rap about football, the mistakes he has made and his desire to correct them.Thomas played his freshman season at Oklahoma State, but has played only two games at a community college in the past two years. Judy Battista discusses the depth at wide receiver in the N.F.L. draft and answers your quesitons. As a prospect, Thomas is intriguing because of both his baggage and his potential. In the two games he did play last season, his numbers were mind-blowing: 16 tackles, 9 tackles for a loss and 4 sacks.You absolutely cannot run at him, said Les Miles, the Louisiana State University coach, who recruited Thomas to Oklahoma State. You have to go in another direction.Thomas cannot expect to be picked until the second day of the draft rounds four through seven but he should immediately become one of the biggest players in the league, and probably the biggest player on his new team.Thomas has always been the largest guy in the room. In the fifth grade, he was barred from Pop Warner games in Galveston because parents felt he had an unfair advantage. By the time he entered Austin Middle School, he was pushing 300 pounds.He took up a whole side of the line, said Jim Yarborough, a Galveston County judge whose son played against Austin Middle School.More than any specific game, Yarborough remembers the first time he shook hands with Thomas. It was like he swallowed my whole hand, Yarborough said.Growing up, Thomas was somewhat self-conscious about his size, so he befriended the smallest kids in school. They played a game called Cut the Cake, in which they found the biggest building in town and raced each other around it.Today, Thomas still has many of the same friends, and few of them weigh more than 150 pounds. He could bench-press three of them at a time.Thats where I got my speed, Thomas said. I had to keep up with all those little guys.To demonstrate, Thomas took off his size 16 sneakers, slid into a white tank top and did one of his forward flips on the grass next to a beachfront apartment building. He stuck the landing. The expression on his face was part grimace and part grin.A man watching from his apartment balcony came running. The man wore an Ohio State T-shirt and had many questions. Who is this specimen? Does he play football? Would he be interested in going to college at Ohio State?But Thomas was already in his Expedition, driving down Seawall Boulevard, blasting music by the rapper Slim Thug, another performer who is not particularly slim.For a few more days, Thomas can still keep himself a secret.</div>I don't care about his arrest or his academic suspension. Someone that big with that kind of measureables is the exact kind of Nose Tackle the Jets need. Bend the rules a bit on this one Mangini. :thumbsup:6'5, 370 lbs, 475 lb Bench Press, 800 Pound Squat, 4.9 40 Yard Dash. Goddamn.
Tony Mandarich was also a huge physical specimen. It doesn't mean a lot... someone you would bring in as an undrafted FA.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (PurplePeopleEaters @ Apr 25 2007, 09:03 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Tony Mandarich was also a huge physical specimen. It doesn't mean a lot... someone you would bring in as an undrafted FA.</div>Oh, I know being a great athlete doesn't make someone a great player, but in the short time he's played he's also looked very good. He had the 4 sacks in the 2 games he played last year, and was a standout at the 'Texas vs the Nation' bowl. Sure, he's raw, but give him a year on the bench to learn technique and then watch out.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (PurplePeopleEaters @ Apr 25 2007, 10:03 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Tony Mandarich was also a huge physical specimen. It doesn't mean a lot... someone you would bring in as an undrafted FA.</div>He's got as good a chance of panning out as anyone else tacken on the 2nd day.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><u>Overview</u> Every so often, an athlete comes along with minimal or no college experience to simply dazzle professional scouts. Former collegiate wrestlers Carlton Haserling (Pittsburgh) and Stephen Neal (New England) had success as offensive linemen in the NFL, and players like Eric Swann (Arizona) and Antonio Gates of San Diego are perhaps the most successful of recent "Cinderella" stories.While Thomas has some collegiate experience, he is a relative unknown to the media. In scouting circles, however, he has drawn considerable attention leading up to the 2007 NFL Draft.Thomas attended Ball High School, where he excelled as a two-way lineman. He earned All-District honors twice and was also a member of the Texas Top 100 prospect list as a senior.The massive lineman enrolled at Oklahoma State in 2004. He saw reserve action in 11 games that year, recording nine tackles (eight solos) with a stop for a loss, a forced fumble and a blocked kick. He was scheduled to take over strong-side defensive tackle duties for the Cowboys in 2005, but was ruled academically ineligible and new head coach Mike Gundy announced before the season that he had dismissed Thomas from the team for "not adhering" to team rules.Thomas spent the 2005 season away from football. He next emerged at Northwest Mississippi Community College, starting the first two games for the Rangers before spending the rest of the year on the sidelines (academics). In those two games, he was simply unstoppable, coming up with 16 tackles (12 solos), four sacks, five more stops behind the line of scrimmage and five quarterback pressures.Because of academic difficulties, Thomas decided to apply for the 2007 NFL Draft. His short college career spanned just 13 games. He went on to produce 25 tackles (20 solos) with four sacks for minus-18 yards, 10 stops for losses of 43 yards and five quarterback pressures. He also blocked one kick and recovered a fumble.<u> Analysis</u> Positives: Has a thick, massive frame with long arms, large hands, very thick chest, broad shoulders, thick thighs and calves...Demonstrates excellent foot speed for a player carrying his girth, but he could be even more efficient if he shed roughly 30-40 pounds...Short stepper who gets out of control at times, but shows a non-stop effort...Has very good explosion off the snap and is explosive penetrating the gaps...Lays it on the line every play and, despite his tall frame, he shows a low center of gravity and very good upper body strength to deliver vicious arm swipes...Can be sudden off the snap and shows quickness on the edge of a blocker...Once he gains advantage over an opponent, he keeps it...Instinctive and quick on the move, doing a nice job of recognizing blocking schemes and reacting to play-action...Stacks at the point of attack and uses his leverage and strength to hold ground firmly...Keeps his feet free and is a powerful force shooting the gaps...Demands constant double-team action to contain him and is not moved off his mark quickly...Makes quick use of his hands, working across the face of the blocker and will engage with good urgency, keeping his hands active in attempts to shed...Delivers a strong hand punch, especially in tight quarters and there is no leakage working inside...Will create problems if an opponent attempts to single block him...Gets a good push coming off the snap and arrives in the backfield with intent on getting to the passer...Has the hand usage to control blockers on strength alone...For a player his size, he is very nimble and light on his feet, showing good stop-and&-go action.Negatives: Light on his feet, but needs to be placed in a nutritional program to shed at least 30-40 pounds from his frame...Plays until the whistle early in games, but the added girth causes him to tire quickly...Struggled in the classroom and might have problems digesting a playbook...Gets out of control in his pursuit, but shows loose hips and change of direction agility to recover...Plays mostly on brute strength and will need patient coaching to develop...While not moved off the line quickly by blockers, he needs to do a better job of using his hands to protect his feet...Better tackler inside the box, as he will get his base narrow and take arm swipes on the move (will miss in space).Compares To: TERDELL SANDS-Oakland...Actually, Thomas is a mixture of Ted Washington, for size and ability to occupy multiple blocker; Sands, for his explosion and long reach; and Marcus Stroud, for his ability to shoot the gaps and wreak havoc in the backfield. Don't be surprised if Jacksonville takes this player to develop behind Stroud and John Henderson, who could be perfect mentors to unearth his hidden talent. This might be the best "unknown" player in the 2007 draft.</div><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Numbers from Miss St Pro day, 03/28/07.Height: 6043Weight: 37440 Yrd Dash: 5.1120 Yrd Dash: 2.9610 Yrd Dash: 1.73225 Lb. Bench Reps: 27Vertical Jump: 24 1/2Broad Jump: 8'4"20 Yrd Shuttle: 4.843-Cone Drill: 7.76</div>
I've known about him for awhile. Didn't know much other than the fact that he's huge and could do a flip though. I saw a video of him doing it once, it was pretty impressive.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Brooksie5 @ Apr 25 2007, 12:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I've known about him for awhile. Didn't know much other than the fact that he's huge and could do a flip though. I saw a video of him doing it once, it was pretty impressive.</div>I've known about him since I read about as many prospects as possible on NFLDraftScout. He's projected as a 5th or 6th rounder there. But seeing as how he's not smart and has off the field issues, I doubt the Jets take him.
I've known about him before all of you. Pretty much every team wants him Venom, especially all the 3-4 teams.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (david81 @ Apr 25 2007, 12:23 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I've known about him before all of you. Pretty much every team wants him Venom, especially all the 3-4 teams.</div>I've heard about him for a while, it's just the first I've seen those ungodly workout numbers from him.
Beside the 4 sacks in his 2 games, he took 16 tackles in those games, 9 were for a loss. I'd take him.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Brooksie5 @ May 1 2007, 10:26 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Thomas signed with the Saints as an UDFA.</div>Damn them! Lol. I just don't like it cause they cut my boy Mike Hass in favor of some fuck named Marques Colston.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jon_Vilma @ May 1 2007, 09:41 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Brooksie5 @ May 1 2007, 10:26 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Thomas signed with the Saints as an UDFA.</div>Damn them! Lol. I just don't like it cause they cut my boy Mike Hass in favor of some fuck named Marques Colston.</div>I thought it was the Eagles.....whatever. My guess is the Jets weren't very interested because of his character issues.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (AdropOFvenom @ May 1 2007, 12:12 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jon_Vilma @ May 1 2007, 09:41 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Brooksie5 @ May 1 2007, 10:26 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Thomas signed with the Saints as an UDFA.</div>Damn them! Lol. I just don't like it cause they cut my boy Mike Hass in favor of some fuck named Marques Colston.</div>I thought it was the Eagles.....whatever. My guess is the Jets weren't very interested because of his character issues.</div>My guess is he didnt wanna be a Jet
