His relationship with Zach Thomas, however, might be the one that made the deepest impact on Jason, both professionally and personally. And out of those games and the each players competitive spirit was forged a mutual respect so strong that when Mawae was inducted into the Hall of Fame last year, he used his acceptance speech to state Thomas also belonged in the Hall. Well he has 22 interceptions to his name whilst Zach has 17. Dolphins reporter Hal Habib can be reached athhabib@pbpost.com and followed on Twitter@gunnerhal. I understood the whole business part of it. Zach Thomas was my nemesis, Mawae said 22:16 into his 27-minute Hall of Fame speech. For The defensive duo combined for 13 Pro Bowl selections during their It was indeed a dream come true. Required fields are marked *. 1 on that list., He made everybody that played with him better. And Im right in front of my defense. He also becomes the second linebacker chosen, joining the late Nick Buoniconti. And Im a veteran, Im not part of their future. Learn how your comment data is processed. And while coaches prepared their defense by showing players clips of the opponents previous three games, Thomas would spend time alone going back years. 54 in Miami. I got a laugh out of Bill Belichick, Thomas says. Zach and Maritza were engaged the bye week of the 2005 season on a St. Maarten beach with shooting stars as the audience. It was all just for motivation.. And I felt like they mishandled that part. I had to do it off premises, saying good-bye. Former Miami Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas has been on the doorstep of the Pro Football Hall of Fame a couple of times but still hasnt gotten in. But on the first play of the second game, [Dallas] brought in a LB at fullback to take me on. 2021 Ninety-Nine Yards: American Football, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Why Zach Thomas belongs in the Hall of Fame. So he wanted to trade me. I teach my kids to be grateful for everything they do and get. Equal to his peers. I went to the sideline, but I couldnt sit down because I was falling asleep on the bench, Thomas says. I knew right then I was going to have issues when the symptoms kicked in.. I am not alone in that thinking. Katina, 42, who happens to be the sister of former Taylor teammate Zach But it worked out.. I was trying to get the call, Thomas says. "Im finally in, man," Thomas said. Each of you made me a better player and are a big part of where I am today. When asked about whether Thomas belonged in the Hall of Fame he had this to say, Theres a handful of guys that I played with that are elite status as far as players, people, competitors, teammates, and Zach Thomas is No. Former Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas, who made a career out of stonewalling running backs with thunderous hits, made the loudest noise of all Thursday night by being named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In the stands, at about the 40yard line, there were several of Taylors family members, including his mother (Katina), younger sister (Zoe) and uncle (Zach Thomas, the seven-time Pro Bowl linebacker). Those past teams came to their regular seasons with plans more than hope. Yet Zach Thomas had a much more productive career in terms of tackles per game. To me, is he a Hall of Famer? It was a great visit, Thomas says. Taylor was no stranger to sacking the quarterback as Recognised by his direct opponents. I met with Belichick. Lets just agree that it was a mutually beneficial arrangement for both parties. But I understood. I love my Dolphins and you cant control what coaches want to do to turn a team around, but I thought it was mishandled.. He is adamant that Zach Thomas should be in the hall as well, as are most of Thomas former teammates. Former Dolphins coach Jimmy Johnson will be his presenter. Thats humbling. Like it or not, those who make a fuss in an entertainment business (which sport essentially is) can often capture the attention. Thomas playing from 1996-2008 & Urlacher from 2000-2012. fl-miami-dolphins-1010B - Retired Miami Dolphins linebackers Jason Taylor, left, and Zach Thomas, right, entered the Dolphins Ring of Honor on Tuesday, October 9, 2012. When he arrived in Davie, Thomas goal was to make the roster through special teams. Image from miamidolphins.com, Your email address will not be published. Zach Thomas is holding his wife Maritzas hand as they sit in the gazebo by their pool. He gets hired here and Im thinking Im ready to learn this new defense, a 3-4, and I guess he didnt think I fit the part, Thomas says. For me, man, its always about respect. While Thomas said he would remain patient through the process, insisting the game didn't owe him anything, his fans voiced louder objections with each passing year, pointing out that many of his statistics surpassed those of linebackers already enshrined. Starting middle linebacker? In 184 games Thomas had 1107 solo tackles (6.01 per game). A lot of Hall of Fame voting can come down to statistics. It represents all the great teammates I had. WebThere are a number of guys waiting to get in, so, he may not be a first ballot in 2017 due to the HoF back log of competition, but he will surely make it within the following year or Thomas was inducted in 2012 into the Dolphin Honor Roll along with Jason Taylor, the other half of the Dolphins' Because while Thomas reaped rewards and perhaps soon the biggest individual honor from the game, he poured heart and soul into the sport and made it more interesting and exciting for all of us. They went 108-100 and went 3-6 in the playoffs. I would always say no, but I said, Im coming with you. So we would have never met if Junior hadnt brought me out. Zach being Zach, its not going to disappear until after Aug. 5, when he unveils a bust that may as well have a grin. Zachs accomplishments on the field made him one of the greatest players in NFL history. But when Taylors choice was announced a few months back, it left more than a few wondering why he didnt pick Zach Thomas his former brother-in-law, close Ive been doubted my whole life and Ive used that. They would go on to have quite similar career numbers (more below) but one was feted much more than the other. So now Im in his head. His development from a fifth-round draft choice to a perennial Pro Bowl selection to receiving the most prestigious honor this game has to offer is a testament to his ability as both a player and a student of the game. Former Jets center Kevin Mawae took time during his Hall acceptance speech to say the one opponent who isnt in the Hall but needed to be was Thomas. I told him, I dont think Im the right guy to try to make a point with. On behalf of the entire Dolphins organization and our fans around the world, I want to congratulate Zach on his election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross said. Saban was mortified. I could never have accomplished this without your love and support. In December 2022, the couple welcomed their second child, a daughter named Liliana Marie. The 2021 Miami Dolphins? And then in college, I was two-time All-American and then I go, the 154th pick. Jason Taylor deserved better. He was routinely putting in 150+ tackles per season at the height of his career. And Im going to be here when you get here to work and Im going to be here when you leave. He starts, Zach, Im trying to make a point to get it to the team, Thomas recalls. Between 1996 & 2008 they won two division titles. Thats humbling, Thomas said. By Armando Salguero What gives? You never replace that, going back and forth with one of the best in the game.. So [Saban] stopped practice and made a scene. Thomas holds up his hand as if stopping someone from talking. God bless, Tua Tagovailoa throws interception. On the other hand the former Bears player forced 11 fumbles as a player whilst Thomas forced 16. Thomas, who narrowly missed making the cut in 2020, becomes the 11th man whose career is primarily associated with the Dolphins to make the Hall. Thomas says he came to love Sabans ability to prepare the Dolphins. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. But as agent Drew Rosenhaus predicted to Thomas, if Belichick made him an offer, others would follow suit. He instead celebrates the years that came before. ZACH THOMAS' HALL OF FAME CREDENTIALS. I kind of wanted to be part of that, but when I thought about it, I knew that would let all my fans down. At some point they need more, Grading the Miami Dolphins roster and what that might mean for 2021 regular season, Armando Salguero farewell: It was never about me, it was always for you. They brought me in and I had a 1-on-1 talk with Bill, Thomas says. Zach certainly has the stats. Dolphins enter 2021 season with hope in a lot of areas. After Saban left, the Dolphins hired Cam Cameron as their next coach. And whats crazy is after it died down, and Im not naming the coaches, but a couple of them came up together and said, Youre our hero, man. Because he treated them pretty badly, Thomas says. I feel like Zachs focus now is being a great father and husband. Its a blessing that he can do that.. They were trying to get Javon Walker. That year he had 122 tackles, (17 for loss), 5 passes defended 1 forced fumble, no interceptions and 6 sacks. Hes one of those guys that never got the respect he deserved, never got the attention he deserves. He was trying to get into my head and it fired me up, Thomas says. And, oh yes, the stories he authored are fascinating. WebKatina Thomas and Jason Taylor have been married for 21 years since Jun 2001. view relationship Relationships Katina Thomas has had no other relationships that we know of. Its all about perception play on a successful team (the Bears were 126-98 & went to a Superbowl during Urlachers career), and you get the recognition. Seeing his bust in Canton will complete a storybook climb for Thomas, who arrived in South Florida with little fanfare. And if it wasnt a lead draw, Id have been in trouble, but I hit it and made the tackle. About Katina Thomas is an American TV News. This time as one of the games all-time greats. Thomas had not received much attention as a free agent before that visit. I dont look the part. The Colts, in the same division as Miami then, were almost exclusively a one back and one tight end team. I was on the passenger side and I was talking to my brother on the phone and I didnt know if the phone hit me in the head or it was the headrest that felt so hard.. And even months later when they called to bring him back, Thomas was still not recovered. Im looking forward to celebrating this with all of you. He was a 2016 APSE Top 3 columnist nationwide. So he told me he was going to bench me, or whatever. And thats the stuff I miss. They say its 1/10th of 1 percent just to make it to the NFL. WebRelationships. She is famous for sister of NFL player Zach Thomas. 53 instead, which in New England belonged to former teammate and roommate Larry Izzo. Wed go play other schools and our best dude (Zach) was better than their best dude by a lot and thats when we started to realize there was just something different about him, said Koby Abney, Thomas Zach Thomas was not much of a self-promoter. Jimmy Johnson came to me and was like, Zach, were starting you. He wasnt demonstrative, but Zach Thomas was top of the tree good a true great at his position. Just couldnt do it. This is about individual recognition. It wasnt until months later when they ran into each other again in Fort Lauderdale that they clicked. He recalls playing Hall of Fame running backs like Marshall Faulk and Curtis Martin and fondly speaks of his meetings against Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, which felt as much like a chess match as a football game. And the truck behind us didnt even hit their brakes before they hit us. Then on the turnpike ride home, with Maritza driving, the couple was rear-ended. Thomas talks about how much he loves Saban as a coach and greatly enjoyed playing in his defense. But as the rest of the team was floundering, Thomas was flourishing, averaging more than 10 tackles per game and collecting tackles for loss, passes defensed, and quarterback hits. Maritza is listening to these stories with a smile. It certainly wasnt that way when Thomas and Saban were yelling at each other during a practice in the fall of 2005. In 168 games for the Dolphins all starts he had 1,640 tackles and 19.5 sacks. I dont have to work right now -- even though it is work and challenging with kids. Tori Deal & Jordan Wiseley (Off) Tori Deal and Jordan Wiseley were considered one of the ultimate power couples. So he did give me a 1-on-1 but they wouldnt allow me to meet with [reporters] at the facility. The problem is Thomas sustained multiple serious concussions that year. (No, this isnt going to be a rip job on Cameron, whose 2007 team managed only one victory in 16 games). When he regained consciousness, Thomas wanted to keep playing as it was before the NFLs concussion protocol rules. This is Zach Thomas life now. Those five games I played that year were probably the best five games I put together, Thomas says. Yeah, no one knew that until now but it happened in 2005. You might say theyre a team of hope. Thomas had to prove himself every step of the way, even as a linebacker at White Deer High in Pampa, Texas. WebHe actually drafted and coached Zach, Jason Taylor, Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain during his tenure as Miamis head coach. So before the play, I see this and Peyton is calling signals, and I yell, Lead draw! Thomas says. Columnist. As great as he was on the field, he is even better as a family man and a role model. Urlacher was a first ballot Hall of Fame inductee in the class of 2018. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. When I look at back to being an 8-year-old kid starting football, I had big dreams and for it to play out like it has, Im grateful. Thomas knew he had another concussion. He is one of 48 Pro Football Hall of Fame voters. Thomas defensive partner and former brother-in-law, Jason Taylor, was elected a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2017. I want to stay. Now hes a big Dolphins fan, Maritza says of her father. So in 2009, Thomas signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. I feel hes very unselfish because of all the things he could be doing, he chooses to be part of our lives and loves being at the kids sporting events and activities. Certainly better than having to join the Jets. Hence, it is unclear if the two are still He and Zach had significant cultural differences because Lozanos first home in the United States was in Queens, New York, and he was a New York Jets fan. Obviously I think (know) that Zach Thomas should be in the Hall of Fame. | NFL Draft 2023, Top 5 Quarterback Preview - 2023 NFL Draft | Draft Talk, Top 5 Tight Ends Preview - 2023 NFL Draft | Draft Talk, Top 5 Safety Preview - 2023 NFL Draft | Draft Talk, Top 5 Cornerback Preview - 2023 NFL Draft | Draft Talk, Top 5 Linebacker Preview - 2023 NFL Draft | Draft Talk, Top 5 OT Preview - 2023 NFL Draft | Draft Talk, Top 5 IOL Preview - 2023 NFL Draft | Draft Talk, Free Agency Highlights & Your Draft Questions Answered. And I said, Oh, really? And that was him exploding into tackles a whopping 1,734 of them before anyone got the better of him. But that motivated me even more than usual, the Dolphins trying to get rid of me, thinking I couldnt play in that defense. Thomas sat out three weeks. Thomas went to Dallas instead. 2000s All-decade team member and Hall of Fame inductee Kevin Mawae thinks it too. Both of them stand 5-foot-11, and both of them know what its like to be underrated. And I said, No disrespect, but there are so many other guys who have already gone home. Taylor was enshrined in 2017. View in 2021:Habib: Hall voters didn't 'rob' Dolphins' Zach Thomas. This undersized linebacker was chosen 154th overall in 1996 and coincidentally assigned jersey No. Or he was my favorite player. . Whatever Thomas said to Maritza that night neither really remembers and it doesnt matter because she didnt give him her number. Former Miami Dolphin, Zach Thomas introduced his teammate, Jason Taylor to his sister, Katina. She grew up in Texas with her brothers, Zach and Bart. Both Zach and Katina graduated from Texas Tech University, where she earned her degree in broadcast journalism. This is when Maritza and I were still dating and shes like, Were moving to Green Bay? And it didnt go through. Anyway, I blitzed myself. "It was powerful. Were eating and Nick asks me what I think of Kevin, Thomas says. The somber thoughts often drifted into Jason Taylor's mind as he friend and brother-in-law Zach Thomas. Those early mornings and late nights during the week were an investment so that the squatty guy who doesnt look like a football player could often perform better than anyone else on the field those three violent hours on game day. The same year Thomas had 162 tackles (13 for a loss), 3 passes defended, 4 forced fumbles, 1 interception and 2 sacks. Hes the man. To where? And they told me it was to Green Bay. It gave me purpose, it gave me family, it gave me wealth. Thats his goal right now and any goal he has he goes all the way. Ninety-Nine Yards launched in 2018 and covers all aspects of the American football. WebDefensive End Jason Taylor was selected in the third round, 73rd player overall, in the 1997 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. His secret? Yes, life has changed for Thomas since he stopped playing in 2009. The tough decisions are picking which real estate investment to try and what workout to do to keep trim. Maritzas father Guillermo Lozano immigrated from Bogota when he was 19 years old. Armando Salguero has covered the Miami Dolphins and the NFL since 1990, so longer than many players on the current roster have been alive and since many coaches on the team were in middle school. Urlacher put in 315 assists on tackles (1.73 per game), Thomas had 627 career assists (3.4 per game). Recently, there has been a shroud of mystery over the current status of Zachary Todd and Alexandra Terans relationship. And Im grateful to football. That was him during with the Dolphins and one season with the Dallas Cowboys, investing 14 hours every day during football season, studying tape coaches didnt dig up, honing his body in ways few players tried (like hyperbaric chamber sessions and Botox treatments for concussions). Jason Taylor is the Dolphins Hall of Fame defensive end and Zach Thomas is one of the 14 2020 I said, Hes the guy that will play hard to the whistle but hell be away from the play and hell cut you, youll blow your knee out, and as hes walking away, hell say, God bless you. . So for me, wow, man. So I was getting a call from the sideline and another coach was trying to coach me on what I did wrong the play before. And maybe I should have bit my tongue, but thats just not me.. Thomas always prided himself in preparation. After a preseason game, Junior Seau says, You want to go out with me tonight? Thomas recalls. Born Zachary Michael He was the archetypal character that NFL commentators love to label a Bring his own lunch-pail to work guy. Your support means everything to me.. Together, they formed the heart and soul of the Dolphins It was a love Saban maybe didnt fully understand in the spring of 2006 when Mawae visited. I havent even thought that far up., The 17th LB in draft?Oops! That was going to be my title for this piece. I didnt know he was a starter. They would go on to have quite similar career numbers (more below) but one was feted much more than the other. Coupled with the 2008 season spent with Dallas, Thomas finished his career with 1,734 tackles (74 for loss) and 20.5 sacks. Well thats over now. I didnt like how he treated a couple of those guys, but he works in ways that no one gets too comfortable, too relaxed. But I used it all the time in Washington and I still And it was something of a mistake because Wade Phillips was running a defense that was totally foreign to him. He pretty much said that any linebacker hed had, once they hit 35 it was downhill. Couldnt believe it.. Thomas playing from 1996-2008 & Urlacher from 2000-2012. Thats why hes a winner.. To go from being a fifth-round pick to football immortality? But I definitely dont want to disrespect the game by thinking I deserve any of it. I was so fired up and I took him on.. She graduated Nova Southeastern University with a doctorate in Pharmacy degree but she never was a huge football fan, especially not in 2003 when she and Thomas met. Zach made 182 starts over his 13 season career whilst Urlacher made 180 over his 13 year career. And soon, Saban came to love the player he initially wanted to trade so much so that the following offseason when the Dolphins were recruiting Pro Bowl center Kevin Mawae as an unrestricted free agent, Saban asked Thomas to accompany him to dinner with Mawae to convince the player to sign with Miami. But if I called out that one play in a game, hed be thinking I know whats coming the whole game. Why Steve Hutchinson belongs in the Hall of Fame - Ninety-Nine Yards: American Football, Why Tony Boselli belongs in the Hall of Fame - Ninety-Nine Yards: American Football, 2023 Final NFL Mock Draft Live - Texans Pass On QB! Mawae laughed and still laughs at the story to this day. Thats because while the rest of the country (and parts of the world) will be captivated by Super Bowl 54 on Feb. 2, Thomas will be more focused on Feb. 1, when he and 14 other finalists are considered for election into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Thomas will be enshrined along with the other members of the Class of 2023: cornerback/safety Ronde Barber, coach Don Coryell, linebacker Chuck Howley, defensive end/defensive tackle/nose tackle Joe Klecko, cornerback Darrelle Revis, cornerback Ken Riley, offensive tackle Joe Thomas and linebacker/defensive end DeMarcus Ware.
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