James F. Thomas (May 6, 1917 – June 4, 1981) was an

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 ...

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison gu ...

. Thomas was born in 1917 at Oilton, Oklahoma. He attended Oilton High School. Thomas attended the

University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two territories became the ...

and played for the

Oklahoma Sooners football The Oklahoma Sooners football team represents the University of Oklahoma (OU) in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The program began in 1895 and is one of the most succ ...

team from 1935 to 1938. He was a member of the

1938 Oklahoma Sooners football team The 1938 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the 1938 college football season. In their second year under head coach Tom Stidham, the Sooners compiled a 10–1 record (5–0 against conference opponents), wo ...

that compiled a 10–1 record and was ranked No. 4 in the final Associated Press poll. He was known as "Singer" Thomas at Oklahoma because of his constant singing in the shower room. He was drafted by the

Chicago Cardinals The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons. Roots ca ...

with the 102nd pick in the

1939 NFL draft The 1939 NFL draft was held on December 9, 1938, at the New Yorker Hotel in New York City, New York. With the first overall pick of the draft, the Chicago Cardinals selected center Ki Aldrich. Player selections Round one ...

. He appeared in 13 games for the Cardinals during the 1939 and 1940 seasons. Thomas was also an opera singer who sang with the Metropolitan Opera for a year. He served in the Army during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, attaining the rank of lieutenant and serving in the field artillery under General George Patton. He was a school teacher in

Florence, South Carolina Florence is a city in and the county seat of Florence County, South Carolina, United States. It lies at the intersection of Interstates 20 and 95 and is the eastern terminus of the former. It is the primary city within the Florence metropol ...

, starting in 1966. He died of an apparent heart attack in 1981 in Florence.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Jim 1917 births 1981 deaths Chicago Cardinals players Oklahoma Sooners football players Players of American football from Oklahoma People from Creek County, Oklahoma