Chris Thompson (born October 20, 1990) is an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball,
and block. Ther ...
who is a free agent. He played
college football at
Florida State University and was drafted by the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
in the fifth round of the
2013 NFL Draft
The 2013 NFL Draft was the 78th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall ...
.
Early years
Thompson grew up in
Greenville,
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
and attended and played
high school football
High school football (french: football au lycée) is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, part ...
at
Madison High School Madison High School may refer to:
* Madison County High School (Alabama), Gurley, Alabama
* Madison High School (Idaho), Rexburg, Idaho
* Madison Consolidated High School, Madison, Indiana
* Madison High School (Kansas), Madison, Kansas
* Kentuc ...
. He received offers from Florida State,
Clemson,
Memphis
Memphis most commonly refers to:
* Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt
* Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city
Memphis may also refer to:
Places United States
* Memphis, Alabama
* Memphis, Florida
* Memphis, Indiana
* Memp ...
, and
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
. He chose to attend Florida State.
College career
2009
On October 10, 2009, Thompson ran for a 49-yard gain against
Georgia Tech
The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...
. On October 31, Thompson ran for his first and second touchdown as a Seminole against
North Carolina State
North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The unive ...
.
Thompson played in 13 games his freshman year, running for 120 yards on 23 carries and two touchdowns. He also caught two passes for 10 yards. Thompson returned six kickoffs for 150 yards (25.0 average).
2010
On September 4, 2010, Thompson ran for a touchdown and blocked a punt against
Samford. On September 18, Thompson ran for 123 yards on nine carries and a touchdown against
BYU
Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day S ...
. On October 2, 2010, Thompson ran for 76 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown against
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
. On October 9, Thompson ran for 158 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown against
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
. On November 20, Thompson ran for 95 yards and a touchdown against
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
. On December 31, Thompson ran 147 yards on 25 carries and a touchdown against
South Carolina
)'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
in the
2010 Chick-fil-A Bowl
The 2010 Chick-fil-A Bowl was a college football bowl game played at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia, on December 31, 2010, with kickoff at 7:30 p.m. EST. With sponsorship from Chick-fil-A, it was the 43rd edition of the game known thro ...
. On December 4, Thompson recorded a 20-yard touchdown reception against
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also has educational facilities in six re ...
in the
2010 Dr. Pepper ACC Championship Game.
Thompson played in 14 games his sophomore year, running for 845 yards on 134 carries and six touchdowns. He also caught 19 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown. Thompson returned 2 kickoffs for 33 yards (16.5 average).
2011
On September 10, 2011, Thompson ran for 21 yards and a touchdown against
Charleston Southern. On October 8, Thompson sustained T5 and T6 compression fractures in his back against
Wake Forest which ended his junior season.
Thompson only played in five games as a junior, running for 83 yards on 29 carries and a touchdown. He also caught three passes for 17 yards.
2012
On September 8, 2012, Thompson ran for his first touchdown of the season against
Savannah State
)
, established =
, closed =
, type = Public historically black university
, parent = University System of Georgia
, academic_affiliation = Space-grant
, endowment ...
. On September 15, Thompson ran for 197 yards on 9 carries and two touchdowns against
Wake Forest. On September 22, Thompson ran for 103 yards on 15 carries and two touchdowns against
Clemson.
He also caught 8 passes for 79 yards.
On October 6, Thompson ran for 141 yards on 25 carries against
NC State
North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The university ...
. On October 20, Thompson tore his ACL in his left knee against
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
which ended his season.
Thompson played in eight games his senior year, running for 687 yards on 91 carries and five touchdowns. He caught 21 passes for 248 yards.
On January 2, 2013, Thompson, along with teammate and cornerback
Xavier Rhodes
Xavier Rhodes (born June 19, 1990) is an American football cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida State, and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round (25th o ...
entered the
2013 NFL Draft
The 2013 NFL Draft was the 78th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall ...
.
Statistics
Professional career
Washington Redskins
Thompson was selected by the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
in the fifth round, with the 154th overall pick, of the
2013 NFL Draft
The 2013 NFL Draft was the 78th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall ...
. He signed a four-year contract on May 15, 2013. With
Richard Crawford on
injured reserve, Thompson was given the return specialist job. After struggling in the first four games of the season, he lost his returner position to
Josh Morgan
Joshua Lewis Morgan (born June 20, 1985) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia Tech. He also played for the Was ...
. On November 8, 2013, Thompson was placed on the team's injured reserve due to a torn left
labrum. He finished his rookie season with eight kick returns for 160 net yards and seven punt returns for 36 net yards.
The Redskins released Thompson for final roster cuts before the start of the
2014 season, losing the third-string running back position to rookie
Silas Redd
Silas Raynard Redd Jr. (born March 1, 1992) is a former American football running back. He played college football at Penn State and USC, and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Washington Redskins in 2014. His football career ended aft ...
. He was signed to the team's practice squad after clearing waivers the following day. Thompson was promoted to the active roster on December 11, 2014. Thompson scored a receiving touchdown against the
New York Giants in the Week 15 game. The touchdown was the first of Thompson's professional career. His only other action in the 2014 season came in the next game against the Philadelphia Eagles, where he had three receptions for five yards.
On September 24, 2015, Thompson recorded his second career touchdown reception against the
New York Giants. Overall, in the 2015 season, he had 216 rushing yards, 35 receptions, 240 receiving yards, and two receiving touchdowns.
On March 4, 2016, the Redskins extended a tender to Thompson. He officially accepted and signed the tender on March 17. On September 12, 2016, Thompson scored his first rushing touchdown of his career against the
Pittsburgh Steelers. On October 2, 2016, Thompson scored his fifth touchdown of his career, a 5-yard touchdown reception against the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (A ...
. On October 23, 2016, Thompson ran for a season-high 73 yards on 12 carries against the
Detroit Lions. On December 11, 2016, Thompson ran for 38 yards on three carries and a touchdown against the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
. Thompson ran in a 25-yard touchdown, his third touchdown of the season and the sixth of his career. Overall, in the 2016 season, he finished with 356 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns, 49 receptions, 349 receiving yards, and two receiving touchdowns.
On April 21, 2017, Thompson re-signed with the Redskins. On September 5, 2017, Thompson signed a two-year contract extension with the Redskins. On September 10, 2017, in the season opening 30–17 loss to the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
, Thompson recorded a 24-yard receiving touchdown from Cousins. In a Week 2 game against the
Los Angeles Rams, Thompson had three rushing attempts for 77 yards and two touchdowns. On September 24, Thompson amassed 188 total yards (150 receiving) in a 27–10 win over the
Oakland Raiders on ''
NBC Sunday Night Football
''NBC Sunday Night Football'' (abbreviated as ''SNF'') is an American weekly television broadcast of National Football League (NFL) games on NBC and Peacock in the United States. It began airing on August 6, 2006, with the Pro Football Hall of Fa ...
''. In Week 11, Thompson fractured his fibula and was ruled out for the season. He was placed on injured reserve on November 21, 2017. He finished the 2017 season with 294 rushing yards and two touchdowns, along with 39 receptions for a career-high 510 yards and four touchdowns.
In Week 2, against the
Indianapolis Colts, Thompson recorded a career-high 13 receptions for 92 receiving yards in the 21–9 loss. He suffered a rib injury and missed game action. Overall, Thompson played in ten games and had 178 rushing yards and 41 receptions for 268 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. In 2019, Thompson appeared in 11 games and recorded 37 carries for 138 rushing yards to go along with 42 receptions for 378 receiving yards.
Jacksonville Jaguars
On May 1, 2020, Thompson signed a one-year contract with the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team pla ...
. In Week 2 of the 2020 season against the
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their hom ...
, Thompson recorded his first receiving touchdown as a Jaguar during the 33–30 loss. He was placed on the reserve/
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...
list by the team on October 24, and activated on October 30. He suffered a back injury in Week 10 and was placed on injured reserve on November 16, 2020.
San Francisco 49ers
On September 22, 2021, Thompson was signed to the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
practice squad. He was released on October 5.
Chicago Bears
On October 19, 2021, Thompson was signed to the
Chicago Bears practice squad. He was waived by the team on November 3.
NFL career statistics
References
External links
Florida State Seminoles bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Chris
1990 births
Living people
People from Greenville, Florida
People from Madison, Florida
Players of American football from Florida
American football running backs
Florida State Seminoles football players
Washington Redskins players
Jacksonville Jaguars players
San Francisco 49ers players
Chicago Bears players
Ed Block Courage Award recipients