Cameron Jamel Thomas (born December 12, 1986) is a former
American football
American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...
nose tackle
A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that typically lines up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the Guard (American football), offensive guards; however, he may also line up opposite one of the offensive Tackle (gridir ...
. He was selected by the
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...
in the fifth round of the
2010 NFL draft
The 2010 NFL draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The 2010 NFL draft, draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first ...
. He played
college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
at
North Carolina
North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
. Thomas was also a member of the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
,
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...
,
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
Established in 1959 ...
, and
Northern Arizona Wranglers.
Professional career
Pre-draft
Thomas was considered one of the top defensive tackle prospects for the
2010 NFL draft
The 2010 NFL draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The 2010 NFL draft, draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first ...
.
San Diego Chargers
Thomas was selected by the
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...
in the fifth round (146th overall) of the
2010 NFL draft
The 2010 NFL draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The 2010 NFL draft, draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first ...
. During his rookie season in 2010, Thomas played 6 games and has 2 sacks on 7 tackles. In 2011, he played all 16 games with 2 starts making 19 tackles with 4 sacks. In 2012, he played 16 games with 21 tackles. In 2013, he played 16 games with 26 tackles and an interception. He became a free agent after the 2013 season.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Thomas signed with the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
on March 14, 2014. During his first season with Pittsburgh in 2014, he played in all 16 regular season games, recording 19 tackles (11 solo) and half a sack. In the Steelers' opening round playoff game against the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...
, Thomas assisted on one tackle.
In 2015, he played in 15 regular season games, recording 11 tackles (9 solo). In the Steelers' first playoff game against the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...
, he assisted on one tackle and recovered an
A. J. McCarron fumble, returning it for 11 yards. The turnover would help lead the Steelers to a
Chris Boswell field goal in a game they eventually won 18–16. Thomas would also play in the Steelers' second playoff game against the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
.
Los Angeles Rams
On June 6, 2016, Thomas along with
Dylan Thompson, Benson Browne, and
Terrence Magee
Terrence Tyler Magee (born March 16, 1993) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the LSU Tigers and was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as ...
signed contracts with the
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...
. On September 3, 2016, he was released by the Rams as part of final roster cuts. Three days after his release, he re-signed with the Rams.
Kansas City Chiefs
On June 8, 2017, Thomas signed with the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
Established in 1959 ...
. He was released on September 2, 2017. On November 13, 2017, Thomas re-signed with the Chiefs. He was released on November 23, 2017.
Northern Arizona Wranglers
On October 10, 2020, it was announced that Thomas had signed with the
Northern Arizona Wranglers of the
Indoor Football League
The Indoor Football League (IFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional indoor American football league in the United States. The league comprises 14 teams, divided equally between the Eastern Conference (EC) and Western Conference ...
(IFL) for the team's inaugural
2021 season
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
.
Thomas became a free agent following the 2021 season.
NFL career statistics
Regular season
Playoffs
References
External links
North Carolina Tar Heels bio*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Cam
1986 births
Living people
People from Moore County, North Carolina
Players of American football from North Carolina
American football defensive tackles
North Carolina Tar Heels football players
San Diego Chargers players
Pittsburgh Steelers players
Los Angeles Rams players
Kansas City Chiefs players
Northern Arizona Wranglers players