DANIEL WONG Linebacker Robert Thomas is
a semi-finalist for the Butkus award, which is given to the top
collegiate linebacker in the nation. Thomas aspires to be one of
the greatest linebackers in UCLA history.
By Joshua Mason
Daily Bruin Contributor
Robert Thomas began his collegiate career by coming in as the
nation’s top-recruited linebacker out of high school. He
wants to finish as one of the greatest linebackers in UCLA
history.
Westwood has certainly showcased premier linebackers in the
past, from Jerry Robinson to Ken Norton and Donnie Edwards to Jamir
Miller. The list goes on.
A third-year junior this season, Thomas clearly sees himself as
a future component of that prestigious mix.
“My goal and my plan is to be one of the greatest, if not
the greatest, middle linebacker to come out of here,” Thomas
said. “There have been some great linebackers that have come
from UCLA and I think I can play right up at any of their
levels.”
Despite rumors circulating about him leaving after this season,
Thomas has made clear his intent to play his senior season at UCLA
before entering the NFL draft. It was a decision that clearly
underscores Thomas’s desire to meet the standards he sets for
himself.
He wants most of all to create his own legacy at UCLA before he
departs.
Robert Thomas isn’t going to win an award for modesty any
time soon. He knows where he stands and isn’t bashful in
talking about it.
But this mentality of his does not seem to stem from cockiness.
Instead, it seems to be something ingrained in the 6-foot-2,
240-pound linebacker out of Imperial, Calif. In a sense, it almost
seems Thomas was destined for the life of a high-profile athlete.
It was simply in his genes.
His father, Stan, played seven years of professional baseball
for the Pittsburgh Pirates (’64-’69) and the California
Angels (’63-’64). His older brother, Stan Jr., was a
first-round NFL pick out of Texas in 1991 and played several years
for the Chicago Bears.
After years in the shadow of his older brother, Robert’s
football career now has the potential to take off and reach heights
that his father and brother could only dream of.
“I think Robert has a chance to be right up there with the
best of them,” said UCLA defensive coordinator Bob Field.
“He’s on track to do that and with a great senior year,
he certainly has the chance to be that type of player.”
So what type of player is Robert Thomas, anyway?
“He bangs,” sophomore cornerback Ricky Manning Jr.
said. “He just comes out there and brings a
helmet.”
Thomas certainly does that. Seven games into the season, he
leads the Bruin defense with 48 tackles, six more stops than No. 2
Jason Zdenek. He ranks second with seven tackles for a loss and
leads both the Bruins and the Pac-10 with five forced fumbles.
“We always joke around and say that 7, 8, and 9 is the
combination of our defense ““ for Marques (Anderson), me and
Robert,” Manning said referring to their jersey numbers.
“Robert controls it, though, and I feel very comfortable with
him up there.”
Even more impressive is the quiet notoriety Thomas is garnering
across the nation. Just last week, he was selected as one of 11
semi-finalists for the Butkus Award, which honors the top
collegiate linebacker at the year’s end. Thomas was one of
only three juniors selected as a semi-finalist.
“I set goals for myself like winning the Butkus because
those are the highest achievements for being a linebacker,”
Thomas said. “I think I have a good chance to win it this
year and an awesome chance to win it next year.”
Thomas recognizes that no other Bruin linebacker has won the
award before, but setting the standard has never been something
he’s had a problem with.
In high school, for example, he brought a new dimension to his
small-town team of Imperial High.
In a school where few athletes are recruited by colleges, let
alone major universities, Thomas defined the standard for
excellence in his three years as a player.
He made 600 tackles and accounted for 32 sacks, seven
interceptions, 16 forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries, four
blocked punts, four blocked kicks and 21 pass breakups in his time
with the team. By the time he was done, there was no wonder why
college recruiters were drooling over his talents.
“Robert (Thomas) was one of the most active linebackers
I’ve ever seen on high school film,” Field said.
He’s a very instinctive and very physical player. We kind of
knew what we were getting when he came here.”
“With all the attention I received, it was almost like I
was a god in high school,” Thomas recalled. “I
didn’t take it for granted, though. I made sure to make the
most of my time while I was there.”
Not only a high school football star, Thomas also shined on the
baseball field, a legacy seemingly passed on to him by his
father.
After three years of high school baseball and a few professional
tryouts, Thomas opted to focus solely on football his senior
year.
“There are times that I miss playing baseball,”
Thomas admits. “This next year after football season
I’m actually thinking about walking on to the baseball team
to play just for fun.”
Though baseball may have been his first love, football is surely
Thomas’ future.
Thomas’s bid for the Butkus may have been hampered in a
recent setback against Oregon State. He sprained his foot early in
the second quarter and has to wait until Saturday to determine
whether he’ll be fit to play against the Wildcats.
“Right now I’m just taking it day by day,”
Thomas said.
“Luckily, it was just a sprain and there was no ligament
damage. During the game, I was worried that it might be broken and
I was just out there hobbling around trying to make
plays.”
As for the future, Thomas is still a student of the game and
admits that he still has a while to go before the pros.
“I’ve still got a lot of learning to do,” a
smiling Thomas said. “I’ve still got a lot more time to
shine.”