Julius Thomas finished out his last year of basketball eligibility this year, but decided not to end his sports career. The senior basketball forward is currently playing spring football as a tight end and has hopes to hit the field in the regular fall season.
As a two-time Big Sky Conference All-Tournament basketball player, Thomas has had to start anew on the football field. The transition to the football field is almost like being a freshman again, he said.
“I’m learning things that they (the team’s leaders) learned in high school, and I’m looking to those leaders that are out there.”
This is quite a departure from the senior leadership he portrayed on the court, but basketball head coach Tyler Geving said it will just take time for him to get more comfortable on the field.
“He has to show that this is something that is important to him,” Geving said. “The harder he works and the more time he puts into it, I think, he will start to show his leadership qualities.”
Geving and head football coach Nigel Burton agree that they are excited to have him part of the program. Both coaches agree that a lot of his physicality from basketball will transfer to Thomas’ new football career.
“Obviously he is in good shape,” Burton said. “Basketball is an explosive game and him being able to get out of his stance and go zero to sixty has transferred really well for him…There’s not a lot of 6-foot-6-inch guys that can run like he can.”
According to Geving, another element that Thomas brought to the table is his jumping ability. Burton also noted that Thomas’ rebounding ability is something that will help him on the field.
Although some of his physical attributes may have transferred, the two games are far from similar.
“Football is a sport that is much more regimented on positions,” Thomas said. “You have an assignment and you have to execute that assignment. The new coaches are doing a good job of letting me know what is expected of me.”
Burton said he is going to work with Thomas “about his willingness to block and about playing big.”
It’s going to take a lot for the athlete that hasn’t played football in seven years to come into the college level, but Thomas is ready for the challenge. He said he is serious about playing fall-ball and that, “This is a great opportunity, and I really enjoy playing the sport.”
By NCAA rules, student-athletes are allowed five years of eligibility. They can play a red-shirt season for a sport, meaning they practice with the team but do not play, and then four regular seasons of that sport. Because Thomas was a true freshman four years ago, meaning he did not red shirt, he now has one year left in which he is eligible for a different sport other than basketball.
In the end, having Thomas on the football field is what Geving called “a win-win situation for both teams.”