AT SAN JOSÉ STATE: In his fourth season with the Spartans... Played in 16 games with one starting call in his first three seasons... Tops the opening fall depth chart at a running back position... Could also see action as a kickoff returner... A pair of two-touchdown games as a Spartan... Career high 19 carries vs. New Hampshire (9/3/15)... Single-game best 94 rushing yards vs. UNLV (11/2/13)... One of two returning running backs with 20 or more receptions averaging more than 10.0 yards a catch... Signed a National Letter-of-Intent in February 2013.
2015: A productive running back and kickoff returner... Played in six games... Third on the team in rushing with 159 yards and two touchdowns... Only had two of his 40 carries result in negative yardage during the season... Both of his touchdown runs came in the season-opening win against New Hampshire gaining a season-high 74 yards on 19 carries... Had his career long reception of 36 yards against New Hampshire... Second best yards per catch average on the team with a 15.3 figure... Caught at least one pass in five of the six games he played... Returned four kickoffs for an 18.5 average... Had his career long of 32 yards in the AutoNation Cure Bowl win over Georgia State (12/19).
2014: An injury-redshirt season... Played in the opener vs. North Dakota (8/28) and briefly at Minnesota (9/20) before heading to the sidelines for the rest of the season... Made his first major-college start in the North Dakota win... Led all players with 81 yards rushing on 20 carries and added a 22-yard reception that was the big play in the Spartans' fourth touchdown of the game... Had three carries for 2 yards at Minnesota.
2013: Became a factor in the team's offense the last eight games of the season... Originally was on his way for a redshirt year as a defensive back... Made his season debut in the Hawai'i win (10/5) with 12 carries for 48 yards... One-third of the Spartans' reliance on the small freshman back to balance a potent passing attack... Finished as the number-two rusher with 338 yards and three touchdowns... His 5.1 yards per carry average led the Spartans and is the best average by a San Jose State player with at least 60 attempts since the 2007 season... Was the Spartans' leading rusher in the Fresno State win (11/29) with 65 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries... Season best was 94 yards and a touchdown on only eight rushes in the UNLV victory (11/2)... Scored his other rushing touchdown in the triple-overtime loss to Navy (11/21) as one-half of two six-pointers on the night... Added a season-high nine catches for 107 yards and a touchdown... His 23 receptions for the season was tops among Spartan running backs... Also took over the kickoff return duties for the final two games of the season... His 20.9 average for seven returns was best on the team.
HIGH SCHOOL: Two-sport letterwinner at Poly High in Long Beach, Calif. (Coach Raul Lara)... A wide receiver and defensive back during his high school career... Honorable mention All-C.I.F. and second-team All-Moore League pick as a senior... 33 receptions for 391 yards and three touchdowns for the 2012 Moore League champions that advanced to the C.I.F. Division I championship game... A second-team all-league pick as a junior.
MORE ON THOMAS: A communication studies major... Dad, Kenneth Tucker, earned a letter as a defensive back on the 1987 UNLV football team... Enjoys listening to the music of Dom Kennedy, Curren$y, and Kendrick Lamar... Contemplating a career as a firefighter... He is a native of Long Beach, Calif.
CAREER STATISTICS
RUSHING | G | NO. | YDS. | AVG. | TD | LG |
2013...FR | 8 | 66 | 338 | 5.1 | 4 | 39TD |
2014...Redshirt | 2 | 23 | 83 | 3.6 | 0 | 17 |
2015...SO | 6 | 40 | 159 | 4.0 | 2 | 13 |
CAREER | 16 | 129 | 580 | 4.5 | 6 | 39TD |
RECEIVING | NO. | YDS. | AVG. | TD | LG | |
2013...FR | 23 | 232 | 10.1 | 1 | 28 | |
2014...Redshirt | 1 | 22 | 22.0 | 0 | 22 | |
2015...SO | 11 | 168 | 15.3 | 0 | 36 | |
CAREER | 35 | 422 | 12.1 | 1 | 36 | |
KICKOFF RETURNS | NO. | YDS. | AVG. | TD | LG | |
2013...FR | 7 | 146 | 20.9 | 0 | 30 | |
2015...SO | 4 | 74 | 18.5 | 0 | 32 | |
CAREER | 11 | 220 | 20.0 | 0 | 32 |