Dolphins DB Michael Thomas Aims to impress on field and off

DAVIE — The term professional football player describes Michael Thomas but doesn’t define him. It never will.

He’s the type of athlete who holds a summer football camp that teaches kids how to score — on the SAT. His social involvement is such that Congress can’t agree on much but summoned him to Capitol Hill this summer to present him with the President’s Volunteer Service Award.
Defensive back aims to impress on field and off photo
Allen Eyestone
Dolphins safety Michael Thomas, on violence by and against police: ‘It’s terrible. Nobody wants to see it.’ (Allen Eyestone / The Palm Beach Post)

And even though Thomas, a special teams captain and defensive back, is fighting to impress a new coaching staff on the Dolphins under the broiling South Florida sun, it hasn’t blinded him from another battle.

“Enough’s enough,” Thomas said of violence by and against police. “We’re tired of this.”

It’s an issue close to Thomas through his role in philanthropist Scott Van Duzer’s The First Step, a movement whose service to underprivileged youth was working toward “bridging that gap” between kids and cops — even before this string of fatalities, Thomas said.
Defensive back aims to impress on field and off photo
Allen Eyestone
Dolphins safety Michael Thomas (31) talks with fellow defensive back Isa Abdul-Quddus at training camp in Davie. (Allen Eyestone / The Palm Beach Post)

His first step toward a solution: “It has to be both sides, getting in that community and creating a relationship.”

Some athletes won’t touch such hot-button issues. Thomas can’t avoid it.

“Just being a human being, period, seeing people getting mistreated or senseless killing, regardless of which side it’s on — that’s tough,” said Thomas, 27. “It’s terrible. Nobody wants to see it.
Defensive back aims to impress on field and off photo
This is the proclamation Dolphins defensive back Michael Thomas received from President Obama for his community service.

“But I will say as an African-American man, just seeing either the profiling of people that look like me or are my age, and the senseless killings of people that look like me or are my age, that’s tough.”

During a “whirlwind” summer that included earning an MBA from the University of Miami, Thomas attended the ESPYs in Los Angeles, where Dwyane Wade and LeBron James opened the program by imploring both sides to stop the violence. Now, Thomas has the spotlight.

“As an African-American man — or any man who has a platform — you’ve got to speak positively,” Thomas said of why he chooses to speak out. “You’ve got to speak about things in existence. I have a great relationship with law enforcement. Obviously, I’m an African-American male, so anytime injustice like that happens in my community, I’m affected by it.”
Defensive back aims to impress on field and off photo
U.S. Rep Michael Thomas? The Dolphins’ defensive back tries out the office of Alcee Hastings in Washington.

Gun violence hit close to home with the shooting death this summer of former New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith after a traffic accident. Smith had participated in the NFL-backed MBA program at UM with Thomas. They did projects together, shared visions of the future together. The last time they spoke, Smith was urging Thomas to launch his own business before his NFL career concludes.

While in his native Houston for “Camp Mike T” at his old high school, Thomas participated in a “Walk for Prayer” to end violence after five police officers were ambushed in Dallas. At his camp, kids learned to punt, pass and kick, but also learned about computer science, about the ACT and SAT, and how to fill out college applications.

The Dolphins honored Thomas with their community service award last season before U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, D.-Jupiter, bestowed the presidential honor upon him.
Defensive back aims to impress on field and off photo
U.S. House Office of Photography
Dolphins defensive back Michael Thomas (left) was given the President’s Volunteer Service Award in July 2016. Thomas is shown with Congresswoman Maxine Waters, wife Gloria and U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy. (Photo courtesy of Congressional office of Patrick Murphy.)

“I had no idea I was getting it,” Thomas said. “Not often do you even meet your congressional members, people who represent you. But to meet them and get an award from them, that’s pretty special.”

Little about Thomas’ story is routine. A former 49ers practice squad player out of Stanford, he splashed onto the scene with an out-of-the-blue, game-clinching interception of Tom Brady that goes down in Dolphins lore. As his duties have increased, so has his production, leading to 13 starts and a career-best 71 tackles last season. He finished second on the team with 14 special-teams tackles and now is competing to be the extra defensive back when the Dolphins go to their nickel package under coordinator Vance Joseph’s system.

“Love it, love it,” Thomas said. “I feel like I’m going to fit in great with the system.”

Every year, he said, he tries to “improve my role.” He was talking about on the field. He easily could have been referring to off it.