| Dallas Cowboys — No. 28 | |
| Running back / Kick returner | |
| Date of Birth: May 21 1981 | |
| Place of Birth: Irving, Texas | |
| Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | Weight: 225 lb (102 kg) |
| National Football League Debut | |
|---|---|
| 2005 for the Dallas Cowboys | |
| Career Highlights and Awards | |
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| Career History | |
| College: San Jose State | |
| Undrafted in 2005 | |
Teams:
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| Stats at NFL.com | |
Tyson Thompson (born May 21, 1981 in Irving, Texas) is an American football running back and kick returner for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at San Jose State.
High School and College Career
Thompson played high school football at Irving High School (Texas). As a senior, he rushed for 2,418 yards on 358 carries and was a semi-finalist for the 1999 Texas Class 5A Player of the Year award.[1] He also rushed for 525 yards in a single game against L.D. Bell High School in 1998, third most in Texas high school history and the most ever by a runner in UIL Class AAAAA (which houses the state's largest schools).[1] In two seasons at Garden City Community College in Garden City, Kansas, he saw limited playing time but still rushed for 1,063 yards on 159 carries and 12 touchdowns. In his final game at the junior college level, he rushed 25 times for 323 yards and three touchdowns against nationally-ranked Glendale Community College. Thompson closed his collegiate career at San Jose State University, playing in all 11 games with eight starts at running back while also seeing action as a kick returner. His 811 rushing yards led the team and his five touchdowns were third best.
Pro career
He left college after his junior season, but was not selected in the 2005 NFL Draft due to concerns about his lack of experience at the Division I level. His agent, who also represented Dallas Cowboys running backs coach Anthony Lynn, arranged a tryout where Thompson impressed the Cowboys with his speed.[2] He was signed as a reserve running back and kick returner. Although he has been 3rd on the running back depth chart (behind Julius Jones and Marion Barber), he rushed 20 times for 75 yards and was named NFL Rookie of the Week in Week 5 of the 2005 season. He finished the 2005 season with team records for kickoff returns (57) and kickoff return yardage (1,399) while finishing ninth in the NFL with a 24.5 average. His 2006 season was ended after breaking his left ankle in week 8.[3]
