| Clevan Thomas | |
|---|---|
 Clevan Thomas during his tenure with the San Jose SaberCats. | |
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Position: |
Defensive Back (#8) |
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Team: |
Free Agent |
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Age: |
40 |
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Height: |
5' 10" |
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Weight: |
199 lbs. |
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AFL Achievements: |
4x ArenaBowl Champion (XVI, XVIII, XXI, XXVIII), 3x Defensive Player of the Year (2002-03, 2013), AFL Rookie of the Year (2002), 4x First-Team All-Arena (2002-03, 2007, 2013), 2x Second-Team All-Arena (2006, 2008), AFL Hall of Fame Inductee (2012), Six Pick-Sixes and 334 Interception Return Yards in a Single Season (AFL Records) |
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Career History: |
San Jose SaberCats (2002-08, 2013-15), Los Angeles KISS (2016), Baltimore Brigade (2018) |
Clevan Nathaniel Thomas (born April 6, 1979) is an American football defensive back who is currently a free agent. Thomas's Hall of Fame career looked apparent from the very beginning, debuting for the San Jose SaberCats in 2002 and immediately winning Rookie of the Year, First-Team All-Arena, and Defensive Player of the Year awards—on his way to his first ArenaBowl victory. He repeated the process (sans Rookie of the Year) the very next season after recording 13 interceptions in a single season, returning three for touchdowns, though wouldn't reach ArenaBowl XVII. Thomas would play for the SaberCats until the AFL announced it would be suspending operations in 2009. Thomas would not return after the league resumed operations and was inducted into the Arena Football Hall of Fame in 2012.
In 2013, Thomas inexplicably returned to the SaberCats after a five-year hiatus. And despite this, he had debatably the greatest season of his career, recording 15 interceptions, returning six for touchdowns, and earning his third Defensive Player of the Year award. His play would continue for the SaberCats until the team's final year in the league in 2015, where they went out with a victory in ArenaBowl XXVIII. He signed with the Los Angeles KISS the next season, his first new team since joining the AFL in 2002, for their final season in the league. After sitting out the 2017 season, Thomas was signed near the end of the 2018 season by the Baltimore Brigade.
Clevan Thomas is among the most decorated players in AFL history, notably on the defensive side of the ball. His 81 career interceptions ranks him second on the AFL career leaderboards behind Kenny McEntyre—McEntyre would be the only reason Thomas didn't own nearly every record one could have as a defensive back. As implied, Thomas is ranked within the top five, and normally top two, in almost every statistical category relevant to defensive backs in AFL history.