Thomas attended Miami Beach Senior High School, where he received third-team All-American and All-Conference honors in football as a senior. He also lettered in basketball and track. He moved on to Butler Community College, where he registered 7 interceptions as a freshman and 10 as a sophomore, on his way to becoming one of the top cornerbacks in junior college. In 1990, he transferred to the University of Tennessee, where he played in 13 games as a backup cornerback, posting 17 tackles, one interception and one pass defensed. The next year he was redshirted. In October 1991, an off-field incident caused him to lose his final year of sports eligibility at Tennessee. He would still stay at the school and graduate.
Even though he was out of football for two years, the Dallas Cowboys selected him in the eight round of the 1993 NFL Draft. During his time with the team he was one of the tallest cornerbacks in the NFL and showed promise playing special teams and in some of the nickel packages. He was a part of the Super Bowl XXVIII winning team.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars selected him from the Cowboys roster in the 1995 NFL Expansion Draft. He became the starting left cornerback after replacing Vinnie Clark in the fifth game of the 1996 season, but in the ninth game while playing against the Cincinnati Bengals, he sustained a fractured left femur while covering an onside kick after colliding with teammate Dana Hall. Although he regained his starter job in 1997, it has been speculated that he was never the same player after his injury. That season, he started 16 games, registered a career-high 88 tackles, along with two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. The next year, he started 12 games, recorded 69 tackles, a team-leading 4 forced fumbles, one interception and one fumble recovery. In 1999, he was relegated to backup rookie Fernando Bryant and playing in the nickel defense, finishing with 15 tackles, 2 interceptions, 4 passes defensed, 18 special teams tackles, one punt block and one forced fumble on special teams.
On April 11, 2000, he signed as a free agent with the New York Giants to play special teams and in the nickel defense, but was named the starter when Conrad Hamilton was injured and later waived. He was a part of the Super Bowl XXXV team. In 2001, he was replaced as the starter at left cornerback with Will Allen. He was released on March 1, 2002.
