(Football 1968-71)
Leonard Thomas was a
four-year letterman in football from 1968-71 and rushed for 2,271 career yards and ranked
as the Lions career rushing leader from 1971, until his mark was surpassed by Lawson
Fletcher in 1981. He was named to the 50th Anniversary UNA Football Team for 1949-98. He
was selected for the Lions Team of the Decade for 1959-68 as a running back on the Times
Daily's First Forty Years UNA Football Team.
He led the Lions in rushing in both 1968 and
1969. He rushed 130 times for 659 yards in 1968 for a 5.1 averaged and carried the ball
141 times for 657 and a 4.7 average in 1969. He rushed 463 times in his career and scored
25 career touchdowns, which still ranked sixth best in UNA history at the time in his
induction. He was named the team's Most Valuable Back in 1969 and received his B.S. degree
in Secondary Education in 1972. During his career he was selected All-Alabama Collegiate
Conference and All-Mid-South Conference.
Following his graduation he later served as an
assistant coach at Butler High School for 13 years before being named head coach in 1983.
He later taught at Challenger Middle School and was teaching and coaching at Johnson High
School at the time of his induction.
