EAGAN, Minn. — Thayer Thomas doesn't hesitate.
Who is your hero? "My dad," he says.
Thomas whips out his phone, stares proudly at its screen and reads. There's a swell of nostalgia with every word.
Don't ever underestimate the importance of preparation, but understand it does not guarantee anything. It only improves your chances to be successful.
Thomas, the 26-year-old wide receiver who agreed to sign with the Vikings as a priority free agent minutes after the 2023 NFL Draft ended, is sitting at a table adjacent to the locker room at Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center.
At noon, during a rare break from training camp, Thomas pauses to think now and then, and retells the story of his life – as an undersized three-sport standout in high school; a walk-on who never wavered that he belonged; a hopeful for the 53-man roster.
He's reading aloud, verbatim, the letter that his dad, Trevor, placed on the family's kitchen table before leaving for work one day in 2010. It was addressed to Thayer and younger brothers Drake and Lex.
It lay there for the boys to read that morning. A printed-out article focusing on West Virginia basketball guards Darryl Bryant and Joe Mazzulla was stapled to the backside of it. Thomas keeps speaking.
I thought the best part of the article came from Coach [Bob] Huggins' halftime reflection, "I told them at halftime I didn't know if we could play any harder than we had in the first half. I also told them I didn't know if we could shoot it any worse." This is a huge statement about the players and the team.
Thomas' dad, described by Thayer as tough and scrappy, played left guard at Marshall and helped the Thundering Herd to the Division I-AA National Championship game three years in a row, winning in 1992.
Trevor Thomas gave his eldest son his middle name – and of all things, for Thayer, the middle name Rockne, after Notre Dame's legendary football coach – passing down a desire to be his best self, as well.
To outwork the room. To bet on his abilities. To fervently rebuke the odds stacked against him.
He continues sharing his dad's words.
Hopefully, you can enjoy the challenges you face in competition. Your attitude and work ethic will ultimately determine whether or not you achieve your dreams in life.
It sounds like a prophecy, knowing bits of how attitude and work ethic have defined Thomas' journey.
He showed up at Heritage High School in Wake Forest, North Carolina, where his mom accepted a teaching job the year the school was founded, standing as anything but a future football star. Thomas was 5-foot-6 and 110 pounds but possessed a special quality in his DNA.
Obsessed over proving to his peers – and reflection in the mirror – that he's good enough.
Thomas remembers a book he read in college, Relentless, by former Patriots star receiver Julian Edelman that shifted his stick-to-it-iveness to a higher gear: "That's kind of what my whole life has been, being relentless in everything that I've done and not taking no for an answer," he said.
The Vikings receiver, toiling to stake his claim to this year's roster "by the end of camp," definitely would not be here – with a shot to contribute – if his mindset was inferior.
Thomas wrapped a distinguished high school career in three sports (baseball, basketball, football) with two serious considerations: go play baseball at Davidson College or walk-on to North Carolina State's football team. One of his high school football coaches, Torry Holt – Ringing any bells? Yep, the Greatest Show on Turf member – was influential.
So was Thomas' dad, again.
Thomas, carefully choosing his words and speaking softly to avoid perceptions as vain while teammates and coaches pass nearby, recalls how he caught the attention of North Carolina State Head Coach Dave Doeren.
In a game against Raleigh-based Sanderson High School, a team with several big-time recruits, including current Lions defensive tackle Alim McNeill, Thomas showed promising two-way skills as a receiver and returner.
Afterwards, Doeren texted Holt, a record-setting wideout at N.C. State in the late '90s, asking where Thomas was continuing his football career. Holt told the truth, that Thomas was considering baseball.
At the request of Doeren, Thomas attended the next day's game against Boston College. Thomas was wanted, finally – as a walk-on. Davidson still was after his baseball talents. On an official visit to the school that Stephen Curry made famous, he contemplated a commitment. But his dad insisted he wait.
The next weekend, Thomas was part of a visit to N.C. State for prospective walk-ons. He fell in love with the resources of a major Division-I program and wondered how far proper nutrition and training could take him.
"I would hate people labeling me as a walk-on because I felt like I was just as good as [everyone else]," Thomas said. "It's always about proving yourself and giving your best foot forward each and every day."
Thomas arrived at N.C. State in 2017 with a clean slate – and belief from a significant figure in Doeren.
He experienced the same feeling when he joined the Vikings six years later.
After becoming the fastest player in program history with 100-plus receiving yards in his second college game, after totaling 215 career receptions – second in school history – and after winning Offensive MVP honors his last year at N.C. State, Thomas was looked over by 32 NFL teams making 259 selections. It didn't matter.
When Thomas and his brother Drake – a linebacker signed by Las Vegas as an undrafted free agent in 2023 and now with Seattle – were invited just days before the draft to sound the siren at a Carolina Hurricanes game, an unknown area code popped up on Thomas' phone. Ignored!
Thomas let the call, from Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell, go to voicemail. He listened and then responded via text, asking to chat once Siren Sounder duties were handled.
That conversation was the first time in the draft process that Thomas spoke with anyone affiliated with the Vikings, despite having played in the Hula Bowl and East-West Shrine Game. It lasted about 45 minutes.
Much like this sit down in the early days of camp, Thomas told O'Connell about his path; his ascent.
In the fifth round on Day 3 of the draft that year, O'Connell and Thomas connected, again. The team had just selected quarterback Jaren Hall with the 164th pick – O'Connell let Thomas know he was on their radar.
O'Connell's phone calls, a similar unfolding of events to Doeren being Thomas' first point of contact at N.C. State, was a weighty gesture. Signing as an undrafted free agent kind of mirrored his college start.
Again, Thomas had a clean slate.
Steeped in faith
When Thomas graduated high school, he was gifted a Bible by one of his mentors, Raleigh native and former MLB outfielder Pat Watkins. Thomas often turns to scripture, a tool for him to navigate life.
"It sets the intention for times of hardship and times of battle and times when you're being tested," Thomas said. "That's something that I like to fall back on, ever since I was a young kid."
Luke 1:37 is one verse that especially resonates with Thomas (he noticed it in former MLB star Josh Hamilton's autobiography that detailed his battles with addiction; Hamilton won the American League MVP Award in 2010, two years after the book's release): For with God nothing shall be impossible.
Thomas has adopted that Gospel. God's word is his refuge. His personal path is his motivation.
He's easily inspired. A glance in the rearview, a peek at his past, reminds Thomas that he is more than capable of prevailing when circumstances look unfavorable. He's done it before. He wants to do it again.
"If I sometimes take a moment to [reflect], it's like I'm right where I need to be," said Thomas, repeating that what's carried him this far in life is a relentless pursuit of perfection. "If I can just continue to do some of the things I've done – the same blueprint that I've used throughout my whole life – I'll be fine."
Thomas is willing to do whatever it takes to keep his foot in the door.
He said his initial aim was to gain the respect of everyone in the Vikings building; to convince the coaching staff he was good enough. That goal was realized in 2023 as Thomas was awarded one of 16 spots on the Vikings practice squad. He writes down his goals in increments. Next on the list? Be one of 53.
"We have a few different routes that I like to get called, and I feel like it's my route to win," said Thomas, detailing how critical it is as a receiver to identify defensive techniques on the fly. "In the NFL, spacing and timing and being where you need to be at the right time is way more important than it is in college."
In training camp this year, Thomas is trying to expand his wheelhouse – he wants to impact special teams, both as a returner and tackler on kickoffs, and believes he's in sync with the intricacies of that phase of the game – stay even-keeled, mentioning he rode the roller coaster emotionally in Year 1, and improve his separation. The key to that, according to Thomas, is winning on his release and applying vertical pressure on opponents. Defensive backs in this league are way too savvy to bite on bad routes.
A front-row study of Justin Jefferson is helpful. Many Vikings teammates act as big brothers to Thomas.
He's particularly appreciative of Trishton Jackson and Brandon Powell, a couple veterans whose care for Thomas goes beyond the gridiron. They check on his mental state – and they're examples of what's attainable.
"They've really got out of the mud in their careers as far as being where they've been and having the success they've had," Thomas said. "Those are guys that I really can relate to in that regard, and they've definitely taken me under their wing and shown me the way and are always trying to help me out."
Jackson appeared for the Vikings in seven games last season, nabbing two receptions for nine yards on 80 offensive snaps. He made the Rams 53-man roster as an undrafted free agent in 2020 but saw no action, and he's been a member of Minnesota's practice squad for the majority of the 2021-23 seasons.
Powell has a history of being a small-role player, with 76 catches for 678 yards and three scores entering Year 6 (his second with the Vikings). Also, he has a Super Bowl ring and punt return touchdown — against the Vikings — on his résumé.
Either outcome seems a reachable destination for Thomas thanks to his fixation on beating the odds.
Keep working
The repetitive themes in Thomas' life so far can't be missed. They're omnipresent at every single stop.
He's looked over. He's resolute in his goals. He's respected, but only after doing what people doubted.
Thomas played junior varsity football as a freshman and sophomore at Heritage. His own coaches encouraged him to specialize in one sport. Instead, he excelled at three. Thomas wasn't the player on Doeren's radar when the N.C. State coach visited his school's game. He's a former walk-on – in title; it's a label he never paid mind to – and undrafted free agent, striving to punch down the obstacles in his way.
Thomas looks back at the letter his dad penned to him and his brothers nearly 15 years ago.
Now, it's a symbol of his story. Of where his confidence was born. Of where it can take him.
"For him to say something like that at such a young age shows the type of dad he is," said Thomas.
Keep working! You have a lot in front of you!
Four Quarters
- Thomas was indoctrinated by elite football minds early. When he reached the varsity football team as a junior at Heritage, the program had Holt, a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, on staff as the receivers coach, along with two-time Super Bowl champion Willie Parker (running backs), nine-year NFL veteran receiver Charles Johnson (offensive coordinator) and Vikings first-round draft pick Dewayne Washington (head coach; No. 18 overall in 1994). Johnson passed away in 2022.
- Rapper Drake is Thomas' go-to artist. On the big screen, he's a fan of superhero movies – anything in the Marvel Universe, The Dark Knight trilogy starring Christian Bale as Batman – and especially the Spider-Man films (he likes them all but grew up in the Tobey Maguire spidey-era).
- Thomas played in the outfield on the North Carolina State baseball team for several seasons and was chosen by the Red Sox in the 33rd round of the 2019 MLB June Amateur Draft. In 2021, the Wolfpack were part of the College World Series but met a fateful end due to COVID-19 protocols.
- Thomas has implemented pool workouts at least once per week since the beginning of his college career. It's a big part of his routine. The training puts no load on his body and allows for quicker recovery, helping fight against lactic acid buildup and activating fast-twitch muscle fibers.
