Marcus Thomas

Marcus Bernard Thomas (born May 28, 1984) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas-El Paso. Early years Thomas attended Tolleson Union High School in Tolleson, Arizona. As a sophomore, he was the backup of future NFL player Mike Bell. As a junior, he was a two-way player at running back and free safety. He registered 2,087 rushing yards, 27 touchdowns and 25 receptions for 580 yards, while leading Tolleson to the 4A state playoffs. He received All-Region and All-state honors. As a senior, he was named Arizona State High School Player of the Year and a Parade All-American, after setting Arizona high school records for rushing yards in a single-season with 3,573 yards and 47 touchdowns. He also made 10 receptions for 350 yards and 3 receiving touchdowns. Thomas set the state record for career 400-yard rushing games, single-season 400-yard rushing games and the single-game rushing record with 424 yards against Moon Valley High School. He left as the state of Arizona's all-time leading high school rusher with 5,878 yards and only the third back in state history with back-to-back 2,000-yard rushing seasons.