John Thornton (American football)

For others of the same name, see John Thornton (disambiguation).

John Thornton
refer to caption
Thornton in 2006 with the Cincinnati Bengals
No. 78, 97
Position:Defensive tackle
Personal information
Born: (1976-10-02) October 2, 1976 (age 48)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:297 lb (135 kg)
Career information
College:West Virginia
NFL draft:1999 / round: 2 / pick: 52
Career history
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles:303
Sacks:27.5
Forced fumbles:4
Fumble recoveries:6
Interceptions:1
Stats at Pro Football Reference

John Jason Thornton (born October 2, 1976) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers and was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the second round of the 1999 NFL draft.[1][2]

In addition to four years in Tennessee, Thornton also played six seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. He retired following the 2008 season.[3][4]

Early life

Thornton attended Scotland School for Veterans' Children in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, a residential school for relatives of veterans. Thornton played football and basketball at SSVC, winning a PIAA-A state championship in basketball in 1994.[5][6][7][8][9]

College career

Thornton attended West Virginia University and was a two-time All-Big East selection. As a senior, he was defensive co-captain and earned First-team All-America honors from The Sports Network. He also started every game his last three seasons. He also became a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.[10][11]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 3 in
(1.91 m) 		299 lb
(136 kg) 		5.00 s 1.72 s 2.89 s 4.46 s 8.09 s 32.0 in
(0.81 m)		 9 ft 3 in
(2.82 m)		 26 reps
All values from NFL Combine[12]

Tennessee Titans

Thornton was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the second round (52nd overall) in the 1999 NFL draft.[13] He made his debut against the Cincinnati Bengals on September 12 and recorded one tackle. During the regular season he made 4.5 sacks which was the most made by any rookie defensive tackle. He appeared in Super Bowl XXXIV for the Titans against the St. Louis Rams.

In 2000, Thornton started in every game for the Titans and finished the season with 55 tackles. He recorded eight tackles, his seasonhigh in the game at the Buffalo Bills on September 3. Due to a shoulder injury, he only played in the first three games in 2001. In 2002, just as he did in 2000, he started in every game for the Titans and was part of the defense that limited their opponents to 89.0 rushing yards per game. He recorded 44 tackles in the regular season.

Cincinnati Bengals

In 2003, Thornton signed with the Cincinnati Bengals and recorded a career-high six sacks. In 2004, he started in every game and recorded 74 tackles. In 2005, he played 16 games, making 24 solo tackles, 18 assists, and two sacks. In 2006, he played 15 games, making 28 solo tackles, 15 assists, and two sacks. In 2007, he played 14 games, making 24 solo tackles, eight assists, and one sack. In 2008, he played in 13 games, recording 24 solo tackles, six assists and three sacks.[14]

References

  1. ^ Rineer, Joel. "John Thornton excels in NFL." Chambersburg, Pennsylvania: Public Opinion, January 23, 2007, Sports Section, p. 1 (subscription required).
  2. ^ Greenberg, Mel. "Penn running back is final player drafted." Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 19, 1999, p. F2 (subscription required).
  3. ^ Rineer, Joel. "Thornton: 1st half of Super Bowl was a blur." Chambersburg, Pennsylvania: Public Opinion, January 23, 2007, p. 4B (subscription required).
  4. ^ "Local Briefs: Scotland grad John Thornton helping Cincinnati Bengals." Chambersburg, Pennsylvania: Public Opinion, December 22, 2005, Sports Section, p. 1 (subscription required).
  5. ^ "Closing Scotland School would end a proud athletic tradition, especially in boys' basketball". February 4, 2009.
  6. ^ "NFL Update." Chambersburg, Pennsylvania: Public Opinion, November 11, 1999, Sports Section, p. 3B (subscription required).
  7. ^ Greenberg, "Penn running back is final player drafted," The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 19, 1999.
  8. ^ Reed, Eric. "Scotland coaches, players pull for Thornton." Chambersburg, Pennsylvania: Public Opinion, January 15, 2000, p. 2B (subscription required).
  9. ^ "Scotland school to retire John Thornton's number." Chambersburg, Pennsylvania: Public Opinion, January 18, 2007, p. B1 (subscription required).
  10. ^ "Local Briefs: Scotland grad John Thornton helping Cincinnati Bengals," Public Opinion, December 22, 2005.
  11. ^ Reed, Eric. "Former cadet finds a new home: John Thornton signs 6-year contract with Cincinnati." Chambersburg, Pennsylvania: Public Opinion, July 12, 2003, p. B1 (subscription required).
  12. ^ "John Thornton, Combine Results, DT - West Virginia". nflcombineresults.com. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  13. ^ "1999 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  14. ^ Reed, "Former cadet finds a new home: John Thornton signs 6-year contract with Cincinnati," Public Opinion, July 12, 2003.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to John Thornton (American football).