Thayer Thomas’ fall routine was more hectic than his high school classmates’ schedules. After football practice ended, Thomas headed to Heritage (North Carolina) High School’s gym to shoot free throws. Following Friday football games, Thomas spent all weekend on the travel baseball circuit.

“He was not the most athletic player in any of those sports, but he made it up with hard work and intelligence,” Heritage athletic director Patrick Kennedy said. “His dedication to each sport was amazing to witness because of the time commitment that each sport demands.”

After his tri-sport career, Thomas stayed close to home and accepted a preferred walk-on offer to play football for NC State. His experiences in all three sports grew his athleticism, and he’s developed into the No. 15 Wolfpack’s primary receiving option over the past two seasons.

In the fall, Thomas spent the majority of his time on the football field. Wallace Clark, Heritage’s current head coach and an assistant at the time of Thomas’s 3-year varsity career, said Thomas was a “quiet leader” who led by example, putting in extra work on the field after practice daily.

Thomas’ work ethic came into fruition junior year, when he earned all-conference despite being injured for a portion of the season. Thomas continued his success in senior year, leading his team in receptions (74) and receiving yards (965). The 74 receptions also made him Heritage’s all-time receptions leader, a record he still holds today.

In the winter after football, Thomas played point guard for Heritage’s basketball team. Unlike football, Thomas only made the varsity team as a junior, but was diligent to perform to the best of his ability. On a star-studded team led by Thomas and Jayden Gardner, a current starter at Virginia, the Huskies won their first-ever conference championship.

Heritage basketball head coach Tilden Brill said Thomas wasn’t an athlete who jumped off the map, but his steady work ethic helped him become a key contributor. Thomas’ speciality on the court was distributing the ball as he holds the school record in assists (226).

“(Thayer) was an awesome teammate and really set the tone for the program’s future,” Brill said.

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In the spring, Thomas positioned himself in the middle of Heritage’s infield. He won all-conference honors as a junior and senior as the Huskies’ top power hitter. In his senior season, Thomas became Heritage’s leader in hits, batting average and on base percentage. He produced 35 hits while maintaining a batting average of .473 and an on-base percentage of .561.

Thomas’ success on the diamond gave him more Division I offers than he received in football.
After his first year at NC State, Thomas played baseball as well, starting four games in the outfield as a redshirt freshman in 2019 and made 14 total appearances with the Wolfpack. In the 2019 MLB draft, the Boston Red Sox drafted Thomas in the 33rd round.

Although Thomas succeeded in baseball, he struggled playing two sports in college, his mother, Shelly Thomas, said.

“Playing both sports at this level was very difficult physically and mentally for Thomas,” Shelly said. “There really were not enough hours in the day to prepare for both sports and his education.”

Shelly said Thomas’ heart led him to choose football. The fall before his only season on NC State’s baseball team, Thomas hit the ground running on the football field, earning ACC Rookie of the Week honors and catching nine passes for 114 yards against Georgia State.

Thomas played punt returner throughout his first season, but improved heavily in 2019. He took one to the house against Ball State, later throwing a touchdown against Syracuse in a 16-10 victory. In 2020, Thomas caught 42 passes for 529 receiving yards. And in 2021, his eight touchdown catches were the eighth-best in school history.

In his final year of eligibility, Thomas leads the Wolfpack with 301 receiving yards, 24 receptions and two touchdowns. His work ethic over the last few seasons caused NC State to invest in his younger brothers Drake and Lex, who are set to make an impact for the Wolfpack in the upcoming years.

“Drake and Lex were recruited by NC State because Thomas set the tone for his younger brothers,” Clark said. “Once the program got a feel for the Thomas family, they had a great understanding of great quality kids coming to the program, which makes it a win-win for the program.”

Published on October 13, 2022 at 1:55 am

Contact Aiden at: amstepan@syr.edu | @AidenStepansky