Da'shawn Thomas (August 31, 1987, in

Newport, Arkansas Newport is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County, Arkansas, Jackson County, Arkansas, United States located on the White River (Arkansas), White River, northeast of Little Rock, Arkansas, Little Rock. The population was 7,879 at the 20 ...

) is a

Canadian football Canadian football, or simply football, is a Sports in Canada, sport in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete on a field long and wide, attempting to advance a Ball (gridiron football), pointed oval-shaped ball into the opposi ...

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 American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...

from the

U.S. The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...

who plays for the

Western Ontario Mustangs The Western Mustangs are the athletic teams that represent Western University in London, Ontario, Canada. The school's athletic program supports 46 varsity teams. Their mascot is a Mustang named J.W. and the school colours are purple and white. ...

. He was signed as a

street free agent A street is a public thoroughfare in a city, town or village, typically lined with buildings on one or both sides. Streets often include pavements (sidewalks), pedestrian crossings, and sometimes amenities like streetlights or benches. A stree ...

by the

Georgia Generals Georgia Generals were a professional soccer team in the United States. They played for one season (1982) in the ASL. They were formed when the Cleveland Cobras franchise moved to Atlanta, Georgia. Their owner was Walt Russell Walter Brown Ru ...

in 2007.

Professional career

Toronto Argonauts

Thomas was signed as a free agent by the

Toronto Argonauts The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team based in Toronto, Ontario. The Argonauts compete in the East Division (CFL), East Division of t ...

of the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...

on February 29, 2008, and placed on the

practice roster In gridiron football, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. They serve as extra players during the team's practices, often as part of the scou ...

for the 2008 Toronto Argonauts season. He re-signed with the Argos on January 19, 2009, but was released at the end of training camp.

College career

In an unusual move, Thomas, who had never attended university and only a few days of a junior college in Kansas, registered with the

University of Western Ontario The University of Western Ontario (UWO; branded as Western University) is a Public university, public research university in London, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land, surrounded by residential neighbourhoods and the Thame ...

and will play for the

in the

2009 CIS football season The 2009 CIS football season began on August 29, 2009, and concluded its campaign with the 45th Vanier Cup national championship on November 28 at PEPS stadium in Quebec City, Quebec. Twenty-seven universities across Canada compete in CIS football, ...

. The

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

does not permit an athlete with any professional sports experience to play on a college team. However, since CIS football typically discounts one year for every year of professional experience, it is the only opportunity for Thomas to prepare for the

2010 NFL draft The 2010 NFL draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The 2010 NFL draft, draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first ...

. Former Mustang

Vaughn Martin Vaughn Martin (born April 18, 1986) is a Jamaican-born Canadian former professional football defensive tackle. He was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL draft, the first Canadian university football player dra ...

was drafted in the

2009 NFL draft The 2009 NFL draft was the 74th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft c ...

and former Mustangs receiver and current Argonaut Tyler Scott and former Argonauts coach Rich Stubler recommended Thomas to Mustangs coach Greg Marshall.

References

1987 births Living people Players of American football from Arkansas American expatriate sportspeople in Canada Players of Canadian football from Georgia (U.S. state) Canadian football running backs American football running backs Western Mustangs football players Toronto Argonauts players People from Newport, Arkansas Players of Canadian football from Arkansas {{Canadianfootball-runningback-stub