Russ Thomas
Tackle | |
| NFL draft: | 1946 / Round: 3 / Pick: 22 |
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| Career history | |
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| Career NFL statistics | |
| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |
John Russell Thomas (July 24, 1924 – March 19, 1991) was an
NFL Championship teams. After a stint as a broadcaster, Thomas became the team's director of player personnel.[2] He served as the general manager of the Lions from 1967 until his retirement in 1989. He was unpopular with Lions fans for his tough stance at the negotiating table and the scapegoat for the team's mediocrity during his tenure.[3] He died in his sleep on March 19, 1991. The Detroit Lions players wore a silver football shaped patch on the left chest of their jerseys with the initials 'JRT' in his memory during the 1991 season.[4][5]
References
- ^ "RUSS THOMAS". profootballarchives.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
- ^ "Lions' Owner Picks Thomas To Head Player Personnel". The New York Times. January 22, 1964.
- ^ Klonke, Chuck. "Russ Thomas dead at 66," United Press International (UPI), Tuesday, March 19, 1991. Retrieved November 24, 2020
- New York Times. March 21, 1991. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
- ^ "Russ Thomas". pro-football-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved September 21, 2014.