NFF Hall of Famer Clendon Thomas Passes Away
A 1957 Consensus First Team All-American, Thomas helped OU win two national titles and 47 consecutive games.
Clendon Thomas, a 2011 NFF College Football Hall of Fame inductee who starred at Oklahoma from 1955-57, passed away Jan. 26. He was 90.
“Clendon Thomas was one of the great standard-bearers of Oklahoma football and a cornerstone of one of the most legendary teams our game has ever seen,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. “His excellence on the field, combined with his integrity and leadership off it, exemplified what it means to be a College Football Hall of Famer. He leaves behind a legacy that will endure. We are deeply saddened to learn of his passing.”
As an Oklahoma City kid during the Dust Bowl days, Clendon Thomas achieved his dream of playing football for the Oklahoma Sooners. “I got to do what I dreamed about doing,” Thomas said about his football experience at Oklahoma.
Thomas was a key contributor on undefeated, national title-winning teams his sophomore and junior years in 1955 and 1956. Those teams won 47 straight games through the 1957 season, which is still the longest major college football winning streak in history.
Thomas played on teams with fellow NFF Hall of Fame inductees Tommy McDonald and Jerry Tubbs, and he attributed the team’s success to the coaching skills of NFF Hall of Fame coach Bud Wilkinson. He earned consensus First Team All-American honors in 1957, finished ninth in the Heisman Trophy voting, and was a two-time all-conference pick.
The 19th Sooner to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, Thomas was the nation’s leading scorer in 1956 as a junior, registering 18 touchdowns. Thomas’ college record was 31-1. In total, Thomas accumulated 2,118 rushing yards in his three seasons, never averaging less than 6.3 yards per attempt. His 7.9 rushing average in 1956 led the nation.
His all-purpose yardage was spectacular. He gained 3,209 yards and scored 36 touchdowns on 355 touches by rushing, receiving, and returning punts, kicks, and interceptions. He averaged nine yards every time he touched the ball and scored once every ten plays. During the one-platoon era, Thomas also contributed as a defensive back.
Clendon was a second-round selection as a defensive back in the 1958 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. He played 11 seasons with the Rams and the Pittsburgh Steelers, appearing in 137 games with 27 interceptions and 10 fumble recoveries. He appeared in the 1963 Pro Bowl and was named a Second Team All-Pro three times.
After his playing days, Thomas served as the president of Putnam City Schools Foundation and on the Fellowship of Christian Athletes national board of directors. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.
Born on Dec. 28, 1932, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Thomas got his start at Southeast High School in his native hometown.
