Aurealius Thomas
Born:(1934-04-06)April 6, 1934
Muskogee, Oklahoma, U.S.
Died:February 5, 2021(2021-02-05) (aged 86)
Career information
Position(s)Guard
CollegeOhio State University
NFL draft1957 / Round: 22 / Pick 257
(By the Pittsburgh Steelers)
Career highlights and awards

Aurealius Thomas (April 6, 1934 – February 5, 2021), sometimes spelled Aurelius Thomas, was an American football player. A native of Columbus, Ohio, Thomas was six feet, one inch tall and weighed 204 pounds.[1] He attended the Ohio State University where he played college football at the guard position for the Ohio State Buckeyes football team from 1956 to 1957. He was selected by the All-America Board, the American Football Coaches Association, the Associated Press, and the Football Writers Association of America as a first-team guard on their respective 1957 College Football All-America Teams.[2][3][4] He averaged 57 minutes a game during the 1957 season,[5] and Ohio State coach Woody Hayes said, "For consistent play on both offense and defense, there is no better guard in college football today."[1] Thomas was drafted in 1958 by the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he was released by the Steelers in late August 1958 before the start of the regular season.[6] After graduating from Ohio State, Thomas worked as a teacher for several years, worked for New York Life Insurance Company and later started his own insurance brokerage business in Columbus, Ohio. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1989.[5]

He died on February 5, 2021.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b Dick Strite (December 13, 1957). "High Climber". Eugene Register-Guard. p. 2B.
  2. ^ Ted Gangi (ed.). "FWAA All-America Since 1944: The All-Time Team" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 27, 2004. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  3. ^ ESPN College Football Encyclopedia. ESPN Books. 2005. p. 1248. ISBN 1401337031.
  4. ^ "Iowa Tackle Is Lone Repeater On All-America Team". The Gettysburg Times. December 5, 1957. p. 5.
  5. ^ a b "Aurealius Thomas". College Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
  6. ^ "Steelers Release Aurelius Thomas". The Milwaukee Journal. August 26, 1958. p. 12.
  7. ^ Harrison, Phil (13 February 2021). "Former Ohio State football player Aurealius Thomas passes away". Buckeyes Wire. Retrieved 14 February 2021.


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