John Thornton (American football)
 Thornton in 2006 with theCincinnati Bengals | |||||||||||
| No. 78, 97 | |||||||||||
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| Position: | Defensive tackle | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | October 2, 1976 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,U.S. | ||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 297 lb (135 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| College: | West Virginia | ||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1999/ round: 2 / pick: 52 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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| Player stats atPFR | |||||||||||
John Jason Thornton(born October 2, 1976) is an American former professionalfootballplayer who was adefensive tacklein theNational Football League(NFL). He playedcollege footballfor theWest Virginia Mountaineersand was selected by theTennessee Titansin the second round of the1999 NFL draft.[1][2]
In addition to four years in Tennessee, Thornton also played six seasons with theCincinnati Bengals.He retired following the2008 season.[3][4]
Early life
[edit]Thornton attended Scotland School for Veterans' Children inChambersburg,Pennsylvania, aresidential schoolfor relatives of veterans. Thornton played football and basketball at SSVC, winning a PIAA-A state championship in basketball in 1994.[5][6][7][8][9]
College career
[edit]Thornton attendedWest Virginia Universityand was a two-time All-Big Eastselection. As a senior, he was defensive co-captainand earned First-teamAll-Americahonors fromThe Sports Network.He alsostartedevery game his last three seasons. He also became a member ofAlpha Phi Alphafraternity.[10][11]
Professional career
[edit]| Height | Weight | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
299 lb (136 kg) |
5.00 s | 1.72 s | 2.89 s | 4.46 s | 8.09 s | 32.0 in (0.81 m) |
9 ft 3 in (2.82 m) |
26 reps | |||
| All values from NFL Combine[12] | ||||||||||||
Tennessee Titans
[edit]Thornton was selected by theTennessee Titansin the second round (52nd overall) in the1999 NFL draft.[13]He made his debut against theCincinnati Bengalson September 12 and recorded onetackle.During theregular seasonhe made 4.5sackswhich was the most made by anyrookiedefensive tackle. He appeared inSuper Bowl XXXIVfor the Titans against theSt. Louis Rams.
In2000,Thornton started in every game for the Titans and finished the season with 55 tackles. He recorded eight tackles, his seasonhigh in the game at theBuffalo Billson September 3. Due to a shoulder injury, he only played in the first three games in2001.In2002,just as he did in 2000, he started in every game for the Titans and was part of thedefensethat limited their opponents to 89.0 rushing yards per game. He recorded 44 tackles in the regular season.
Cincinnati Bengals
[edit]In2003,Thornton signed with theCincinnati Bengalsand recorded a career-high six sacks. In2004,he started in every game and recorded 74 tackles. In2005,he played 16 games, making 24 solo tackles, 18 assists, and two sacks. In2006,he played 15 games, making 28 solo tackles, 15 assists, and two sacks. In2007,he played 14 games, making 24 solo tackles, eight assists, and one sack. In2008,he played in 13 games, recording 24 solo tackles, six assists and three sacks.[14]
References
[edit]- ^Rineer, Joel. "John Thornton excels in NFL."Chambersburg, Pennsylvania:Public Opinion,January 23, 2007,Sports Section,p. 1 (subscription required).
- ^Greenberg, Mel. "Penn running back is final player drafted."Philadelphia, Pennsylvania:The Philadelphia Inquirer,April 19, 1999, p. F2 (subscription required).
- ^Rineer, Joel. "Thornton: 1st half of Super Bowl was a blur."Chambersburg, Pennsylvania:Public Opinion,January 23, 2007, p. 4B (subscription required).
- ^"Local Briefs: Scotland grad John Thornton helping Cincinnati Bengals."Chambersburg, Pennsylvania:Public Opinion,December 22, 2005, Sports Section, p. 1 (subscription required).
- ^"Closing Scotland School would end a proud athletic tradition, especially in boys' basketball".February 4, 2009.
- ^"NFL Update."Chambersburg, Pennsylvania:Public Opinion,November 11, 1999, Sports Section, p. 3B (subscription required).
- ^Greenberg, "Penn running back is final player drafted,"The Philadelphia Inquirer,April 19, 1999.
- ^Reed, Eric. "Scotland coaches, players pull for Thornton."Chambersburg, Pennsylvania:Public Opinion,January 15, 2000, p. 2B (subscription required).
- ^"Scotland school to retire John Thornton's number."Chambersburg, Pennsylvania:Public Opinion,January 18, 2007, p. B1 (subscription required).
- ^"Local Briefs: Scotland grad John Thornton helping Cincinnati Bengals,"Public Opinion,December 22, 2005.
- ^Reed, Eric. "Former cadet finds a new home: John Thornton signs 6-year contract with Cincinnati."Chambersburg, Pennsylvania:Public Opinion,July 12, 2003, p. B1 (subscription required).
- ^"John Thornton, Combine Results, DT - West Virginia".nflcombineresults.com.RetrievedNovember 8,2022.
- ^"1999 NFL Draft Listing".Pro-Football-Reference.com.RetrievedMarch 28,2023.
- ^Reed, "Former cadet finds a new home: John Thornton signs 6-year contract with Cincinnati,"Public Opinion,July 12, 2003.
External links
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