zach thomas - football athlete of the year 1994, 1995, 1998
Zach Thomas - Pampa & Texas Tech University
Why Honored: Thomas' senior year at Pampa, he was named a first-team all-state selection. He went on to continue his playing career at Texas Tech.
While at Tech, Thomas was a three-year starter at linebacker. His junior and senior seasons, he was a first team All-American. His senior year, he was also named the Southwest Conference Defensive Player of the Year and a finalist for the Butkus award.
Throughout his college career, Thomas recorded 390 tackles. This included a school-record 20 tackles in a single game.
Thomas was drafted in the fifth round of the 1996 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins.
