Eqt Corporation Charleston Wv
Eqt Corporation Charleston Wv
James "JT" Thomas, a former linebacker at West Virginia Mountaineers will be included in the Minor League Football News Hall of Fame on Thursday, December 6, 2007 be to Oasis Resort Hotel & Casino in Mesquite, Nevada.
Thomas' candidacy was reviewed by the MLFN's Board of Directors, and he received Announced his acceptance speech on 30 July.
"It is truly an honor to this award," said Thomas. "I owe a big thank you for supporting me over the years, all of them. "
Thomas has taken strong leadership skills, tireless work ethic and passion for the game to become a driving force in the development and promotion of minor league and semi-professional football in the entire Midwest.
The history JT Thomas' football career can be broken into three sections: player, coach and executive. Thomas' collegiate career began with Fort Scott Community College (Kansas) in 1992. After his second season, Thomas moved to West Virginia University (WVU).
In two seasons at Fort Scott – both as a team captain – Thomas earned two All-Conference Kansas Jayhawk honors at outside linebacker and Defensive Player of the Game in 1992's Valley of the Sun Bowl. On the inside linebacker for WVU Thomas received two Mountaineer Club Awards for Excellence on-field, earned two All-Big East Team Awards, and won Defensive Player of the Game in 1994 Carquest Bowl. He also led both Teams in each season deals.
Thomas, a successful college career in the Semi-Pro Football circuit in 1996 with the Charleston Rockets, where he was with the former WVU great Major Harris led games. Return to outside linebacker, Thomas led the team in tackles and became an All-Star League as the Rockets finished their 11-game the regular season 10-1. Thomas tries his success of Semi-Pro ball to the Arena Football League lead in 1997 with the Albany Firebirds, but suffered a leg injury Careers ends on the third day of training camp.
Instead of a helmet and pads, the next step of Thomas' football career featured a headset and clipboard. After a stint as defensive coordinator for a championship team of 13-16 year olds, Thomas returned to the Semi-Pro Football in 2000 as head coach of the West Virginia Wham! Located in Morgantown, WV, Thomas placed a .695 winning percentage (41 wins, 18 losses), won three Awards of the Year Coach, Trainer and three league games in six All-Star Seasons as Wham! Head coach.
In 2001, Thomas led the Wham! the Mid-Ohio Football League (MOFL) Championship.
During the season 2003, Thomas took over full ownership of Wham! When he emerged from the Wham! Sidelines in 2005, he decided his Focus Shift full-time in the development the success of the semi-professional football and Wham! Franchise. In the two years since he stopped coaching, Thomas has leadership positions in the Ohio Valley Football League and MOFL instead. In January 2007, Thomas was promoted to MOFL Commissioner.
Thomas currently manages the day-to-day MOFL – a growing, 10-team semi-pro league in Ohio, Michigan and Kentucky. His love for semi-professional football matched only by his desire to MOFL be seen – and every minor league football organization – to produce a football product, the competitive, organized, developed, and entertaining for the players in the game and the fans in the stands.
Thomas also serves as a Semi-Professional Consultant with Sports League Level, LLC, a company that offers marketing and advertising strategies for organizations with a focus on amateur and semi-professional athletics.
He currently resides in Morgantown, WV, with his wife and two children, Rochelle, Jared, 3, and AJ, 10 months. Thomas also has son Thomas JT III, from a previous relationship.
Jonathan Bentz graduated from West Virginia University on the four year plan. He was once a stringer and wire contributor for the AP at WVU football and basketball games; now he markets Nemacolin Woodlands Resort online. Some say Jay-Z bit his style, and Tom Cruise has recently been cast to star in his biopic, due next Christmas. He bleeds BLUE and GOLD, pays homage to Mike Gansey with every 3-ball he swishes, and dreams of being the first whiteboy to dunk a 720. Check him out on MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/jonathanbentz