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St. Luke's Alum Noel Thomas Jr. Signs with Detroit Lions
St. Luke’s alumnus Noel Thomas Jr. ‘13 made his NFL dream a reality on Saturday evening by signing for the Detroit Lions as a free agent.
Thomas Jr. played all four years for the St. Luke’s Storm ending his career with 53 touchdowns and 4,888 offensive yards with 1,206 yards and 25 touchdowns coming in his senior year.
The wide receiver went on to play for UConn and broke the school record for the number of receptions in a single season in his final year with the Huskies, tallying 100 catches.
Thomas, who will head to Detroit on May 11, is excited for the opportunity but is keeping his feet firmly on the ground: “It didn't really hit me yet to be honest. I signed a three-year contract but I still have to make the team and there is so much more work that has to be done.”
The Norwalk native will join up with all the other rookie players for a three-day mini-camp to help acclimatize to professional football before starting rookie-development training on May 15.
The Lions start their organized team activities (OTA’s) later in the month and it is there Thomas hopes to prove himself yet again: “The OTA’s are where I need to be on my game as I don’t have as much room for error as the guys who were drafted. All my life I have had to work my way up from the bottom so I am used to it and I’m excited for the challenge.”
Noel Thomas Sr., who is the head football coach at St. Luke’s, is extremely proud of his son’s achievements and is looking forward to seeing him in a Lion’s jersey: “I am really happy that Noel Junior is able to continue his dream to play football in the NFL. I know he is going to make the best of this opportunity. He has not only made me proud but he has made St. Luke’s and the Norwalk community proud.”
Thomas Jr. played for his father during his time at St. Luke’s and has fond memories of his four years on the Hilltop: “I am so happy I came to St. Luke’s. I don’t think I would be in this position without them and I think the love and support I received there made a huge impact on me. They pushed me academically and always made sure I was working hard. I’m thankful for everything they did for me.”
St. Luke’s School is a secular (non-religious), private school in New Canaan, CT for grades 5 through 12 serving over 35 towns in Connecticut and New York. Our exceptional academics and diverse co-educational community foster students’ intellectual and ethical development and prepare them for top colleges. St. Luke’s Center for Leadership builds the commitment to serve and the confidence to lead.
