Players

NFL CAREER – Thomas has been an exceptional find for the Saints – initially signed as an undrafted free agent in 2007, he earned a roster spot as a rookie as a special teams ace. He’s evolved into a significant cog in the club’s offensive attack as an equally versatile threat in the backfield as a runner, receiver and blocker. In 47 games with 15 starts, Thomas has carried 411 times for 1,939 yards (4.7 avg) with 18 touchdowns and added 116 receptions for 938 yards with six touchdowns. He’s ranked third in club history with 4.7 yards per carry. In 2010, Thomas was limited to six games by an ankle injury, but  managed to finish second on the club in rushing with 83 carries for 269 yards and two touchdowns, 29 receptions for 201 yards and seven kickoff returns for a 22.0 average.

CAREER TRANSACTIONS – Agreed to terms on a four-year contract, 3/2/11; Placed on injured reserve, 1/5/11; Re-signed to a one-year contract (RFA), 6/15/10; Signed by the Saints to a three-year contract 4/30/07 as an undrafted free agent.

HONORS – 2008: NFC Special Teams Player of the Week (Week 14).

2010 – Despite appearing in only six games with three starts due to an ankle injury, Thomas gained 269 yards on 83 carries with two touchdowns to finish as the club’s second-leading rusher…Also had 29 receptions for 201 yards and returned seven kickoffs for 154 yards (22.0 avg.) following a December season-ending concussion by Courtney Roby…Led team’s rushing attack in opener vs. Minnesota, Sept. 9, gaining 71 yards on 19 carries with a TD and three receptions for 15 yards. Converted 7 of the team’s 18 first downs on the night…Led Saints in rushing and receiving with 18 carries for 46 yards and eight grabs for 57 yards at San Francisco, Sept. 20…Started and carried nine times for 30 yards and had six catches for 61 yards vs. Atlanta, Sept. 26. Declared inactive for the next nine games due to an ankle injury suffered at the end of Falcons game….Returned to action vs. St. Louis, Dec. 12 and carried 12 times for 39 yards and had four receptions for 29 yards…Gained 63 yards on 19 carries, including a two-yard TD, caught seven passes for 39 yards and averaged 21.5 yards on two kickoff returns at Atlanta, Dec. 27…Inactive for finale vs. Tampa Bay, 1/2/11, due to ankle injury and placed on injured reserve prior to NFC Wild Card Playoff at Seattle, 1/8/11.  2009 – Appeared in 14 games with six starts and for second straight season, led team in rushing with 147 carries for 793 yards (5.4 avg.), with six touchdowns and finished sixth in  receiving with 39 catches for 302 yards (7.7 avg.) and two touchdowns…Rushing average ranked fourth in NFL and was second-best single season total in club history…Led team with 1,095 total yards from scrimmage…Thomas (39) and Reggie Bush (47 receptions) combined for the third-most receptions of an NFL backfield duo in 2009…Led Saints in rushing in postseason with 36 carries for 143 yards (4.0 avg) with one TD to go with 12 receptions for 111 yards with two TDs, leading NFL backs in postseason receptions and tying for second with three total TDs. Thomas’ team-high postseason 254 yards from scrimmage was the sixth-highest total by an undrafted player in NFL history…After missing opener and seeing limited action in the second game recovering from a training camp knee injury, sprung into action in the second half at Buffalo, Sept. 27 and ran for a career-best 126 yards on 14 carries with a pair of fourth-quarter TD rushes of 34 and 19 yards, marking his fifth career multi-TD game…Again a second half workhorse vs. NY Jets, Oct. 4, as he churned out 81 of his 86 rushing yards in the second half and scored the Saints’ final TD, while also catching four passes for 46 yards, including a career-long 36-yard gain on a screen …For the third consecutive week, Thomas led Saints in rushing, carrying 15 times for 72 yards vs. N.Y. Giants, Oct. 18…Scored two TDs for the sixth time in his career, as he posted 100 total yards from scrimmage, rushing for 91 yards on 14 carries with a 22-yard TD and two grabs for nine yards with a one-yard TD vs. Atlanta, Nov. 2…Had 81 total yards from scrimmage as he led Saints in rushing with 13 carries for 50 yards with a ten-yard TD and also had five receptions for 31 yards vs. Carolina, Nov. 8…Rushed for 92 yards on 11 carries to go with three catches for 11 yards at Tampa Bay, Nov. 22…Vs. New England, Nov. 30, led the Saints in rushing with 11 carries for 64 yards, while adding three receptions for 23 yards with an 18-yard TD off a screen…Led Saints with 100 total yards from scrimmage as he carried 13 times for 47 yards and had six receptions for 53 yards at Atlanta, Dec. 13…Surpassed 1,000 total yards from scrimmage for first time, carrying six times for 20 yards and making five catches for 50 yards vs. Dallas, Dec. 19…Carried 13 times for 52 yards and had four receptions for 18 yards in first half vs. Tampa Bay, Dec. 22, before departing with bruised ribs…Inactive with rib injury at Carolina, Jan. 3…In NFC Divisional Playoff vs. Arizona, carried 13 times for 52 yards along with making four catches for 18 yards…In NFC Championship, led the Saints in rushing with 14 carries for 61 yards with one TD and added two receptions for 38 yards, all 38 on a screen where he dodged Viking defenders all the way to the end zone. Saved more heroics for the game-winning field goal drive in overtime, where he set up the drive with a 40-yard kickoff return and converted on a key fourth-and-one situation with a two-yard dive over the offensive line. Thomas became only the ninth undrafted player since the merger to score two TDs in a postseason contest…In Super Bowl XLIV, led Saints with 85 total yards from scrimmage on nine rushes for 30 yards and six receptions for 55 yards, including a third quarter 16-yard TD. 2008 – Led club in rushing with 625 yards on 129 carries (4.8 avg.) with nine touchdowns, finished seventh with 31 catches for 284 yards (9.2 avg.) and three TDs and led team with 31 kickoff returns for 793 yards (25.6 avg.)…Also led team in scoring with 72 points…Played in 15 games, with five starts, inactive for finale with back and wrist injuries…Rushed for 475 yards and six touchdowns, had three TD receptions and added an 88-yard kickoff return in his final six contests…Scored a touchdown in six straight games (11/16-12/21), tying a team record held by Dalton Hilliard, who reached the milestone twice…At Denver, Sept. 21, reached end zone on runs of five and 10 yards…Top kick return day of year came vs. Minnesota, with five for 168 yards, including a 56-yarder…Emerged as club’s top backfield threat at Kansas City, with 16 carries for 88 yards and a TD, and four catches for 56 yards, including a 24-yard catch-and-run…Nov. 24 vs. Green Bay, had 87 yards on 15 attempts with two TDs and hauled in three passes for 34 yards…Scored on a 20-yard TD catch at Tampa Bay and added 34 rushing yards, Nov. 30…Posted Saints’ lone 100-yard performance of the season with 102 on 16 carries with a TD vs. Atlanta, Dec. 7. Added a seven-yard TD catch and an 88-yard kickoff return, and was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week…At Chicago, Dec. 11, had a season-high 22 carries for 87 yards, including a 42-yard burst for a TD, and added seven catches for 59 yards and a TD. His 146 yards of offense were a season-high, and he added three kickoff returns for 63 yards…Posted 77 yards on 13 attempts with a TD at Detroit, Dec. 21. Performance included a 29-yard run, and he added three grabs for 26 yards. Tied team record by scoring a touchdown for his sixth straight game, but back and wrist injuries kept him on inactive list for finale. 2007 – One of only two rookie free agents to make opening day roster…Played in 12 games with one start, inactive for four games…Rushed for 252 yards on 52 attempts (4.8 avg.) with a touchdown, caught 17 passes for 151 yards and a TD, returned 36 kickoffs for 865 yards (24.0 avg.) and made five special teams tackles…Also scored on special teams fumble recovery and added a two-point conversion run…Inactive for first three games…Made NFL debut Oct. 7 vs. Carolina, averaging 25 yards on four kickoff returns and also had a carry for three yards…Scored a touchdown in just his second career game at Seattle, Oct. 14, scooping up a loose ball on a botched punt snap and carrying it five yards into the end zone to give the Saints a 7-0 lead less than three minutes into a 28-17 victory…Against Atlanta Oct. 21, scored his first career offensive TD on a 24-yard draw and totaled two rushes for 26 yards…Tied a team record with eight kick returns against St. Louis, Nov. 11, totaling 233 yards (second-highest single-game total in team history) to average 29.1 yards, with a season-best 64-yard return…Inactive Dec. 2 vs. Tampa Bay with bruised kidney suffered previous week at Carolina…Playing in hometown of Chicago, Dec. 30, made first career start and turned in one of the finest statistical performances by Saints RB in club history. Posted 20 carries for 105 yards and caught 12 passes 121 yards and an 11-yard TD, becoming the first player in team annals to gain more than 100 yards rushing and receiving in the same game. His 226 total yards from scrimmage marked the third-highest total in club history. Also ran for a two-point conversion following his fourth quarter TD catch, gained 16 first downs on his 32 touches and stripped the ball from CB Charles Tillman on an interception return that Lance Moore recovered, setting up a Saints field goal just before halftime.

COLLEGE  – Played 40 games at Illinois and ranks sixth in school’s history with 2,545 rushing yards…Averaged 5.6 yards per carry over his career and ran for 20 TDs…Also caught 57 passes for 411 yards and three TDs…Led team in rushing in each of the final three seasons, and had eight 100-yard games… Had a school-record 1,495 career kickoff return yards…Averaged 24.1 yards as a kick returner for his career including a 99-yard return for a TD…Second in school history with 4,451 all-purpose yards…Majored in sports management.

PERSONAL – Prepped at Thornton-Fractional South (Lansing, Ill.) HS, where he was a two-time all-state selection by the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times…Totaled 5,565 yards in his career and scored 88 TDs, with 27 100-yard games and 11 of over 200…Racked up 2,365 yards and 38 TDs as a senior and was named the Champaign News-Gazette Player of the Year…A lifelong Chicago White Sox fan, threw out the first pitch at a contest in the spring of 2010…A native of Lynwood, Ill., Charles Pierre Thomas, Jr. was born Dec. 18, 1984 in Chicago.

2009 - Played in 14 games and started six, leading the team with a career-best 793 yards on 147 rushing attempts (5.4 avg.) with six touchdowns and also caught 39 passes for 302 yards with two touchdowns. Also had one kickoff return for 19 yards and made one tackle on special teams. Detroit (9/13): Inactive with a knee injury. at Philadelphia (9/20): Saw limited action in his return from a knee injury, playing on special teams and caught one pass for a loss of four yards. at Buffalo (9/27): Saw extended playing time in the backfield for the first time on the season and ran for a career-best 126 yards on 14 carries with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown runs of 34 and 19 yards, marking his fifth career multi-touchdown game. Also made one tackle on special teams. vs. NY Jets (10/4): Started at RB and led the team both in rushing and receiving, carrying 19 times for 86 yards and a touchdown along with catching four passes for 46 yards and a career-long 36-yard gain on a screen pass. vs. NY Giants (10/18): Led the team with 72 rushing yards on 15 attempts. at Miami (10/25): Gained 30 yards on eight rushing attempts and also caught one pass for 14 yards. vs. Atlanta (11/2): Scored two touchdowns in a game for the sixth time in his career, rushing for 90 yards on 14 carries with a 22-yard touchdown and catching two passes for nine yards with an acrobatic one-yard scoring reception that saw him take a swing pass and leap into the end zone. vs. Carolina (11/8): Led the team with 50 yards rushing on 13 carries with a 10-yard touchdown and also caught five passes for 31 yards. at St. Louis (11/15): Played in the running back rotation and rushed for 37 yards on 11 carries and additionally caught one pass for five yards. at Tampa Bay (11/22): Started at running back and led a balanced rushing attack with 92 yards on 11 carries to go with three receptions for 11 yards. vs. New England (11/30): Started at running back and posted a team-high 64 rushing yards on 11 carries with three reception for 23 yards, including an 18-yard touchdown on a swing pass early in the second quarter that gave the Saints a lead they would not relinquish in the 38-17 victory. at Washington (12/6): Carried the ball six times from his starting RB spot, gaining 18 yards and caught a season-best eight passes for 64 yards in the victory. at Atlanta (12/13): Posted 100 yards of offense, gaining 47 yards on 13 carries from his starting RB position and also tied for the team-lead with six receptions for 53 yards. vs. Dallas (12/19): Played in a running back rotation, gaining 20 yards on six carries and caught five passes for 50 yards. vs. Tampa Bay (12/27): Started at running back and carried six times for 60 yards with an eight-yard touchdown in the first half before leaving the game with bruised ribs. at Carolina (1/3): Inactive with the rib injury. vs. Arizona (1/16 – Divisional Playoff): Started at running back and carried the ball 13 times for 52 yards along with making four catches for 18 yards in the win. vs. Minnesota (1/24 – NFC Championship Game): Scored two of the team’s four touchdowns in the win, first on a 38-yard reception on a screen pass and later on a nine-yard run as he led the team with 14 carries for 61 yards along with two catches for 38 yards. He also played a key factor in the game-winning field goal drive in overtime, first setting up the drive with a 40-yard kickoff return and converting on a key fourth-and-one with a two-yard dive over the line. vs. Indianapolis (2/7 – Super Bowl XLIV): Started in the team’s two-back set and carried nine times for 30 yards, also catching six passes for 55 yards with a 16-yard touchdown on a screen pass early in the third quarter that gave the Saints their first lead of the game...