Las Vegas Raiders defensive lineman Solomon Thomas endured a rigorous rehabilitation but now looks to make an impact in 2021.Â
Thomas was once a promising top-five pick for the San Francisco 49ers, his career never quite took off in the Bay Area. Fast forward four seasons and Thomas can now turn things around with the Silver and Black. However, it wasn’t as easy as it sounds for Thomas. It’s been an intense and grueling process to get him ready for training camp next week. In an in-depth story regarding Thomas by Tashan Reed of The Athletic, his progress was meticulously documented.
After the team that drafted him decided to forego an extension, Thomas’s future was in doubt. A bevy of serious injuries nearly derailed his playing career as Reed stated. Thomas tore his ACL last September with just 49 snaps under his belt, but it went deeper than that. Reed pointed out that Thomas suffered a torn lateral meniscus and medial patellofemoral ligament. The surgeon responsible for Thomas’s procedure stated that the damage was much worse than a simple ACL tear.
Fortunately, Thomas successfully got through his procedure, only the first step in him returning to the football field. The defensive lineman worked with Scott Herrera of Legacy Sport & Wellness Center in Dallas, Texas as he rehabbed post-surgery. This wasn’t the first time that Thomas worked with Herrera but last year was the most intensive rehab.
‘I miss football’ says Raiders DL Solomon Thomas
After going through months of rehab, Thomas missed the little things such as being in the locker room with his teammates. He appears to be grateful for this opportunity with the Raiders as well. Going into the 2021 season, Thomas isn’t taking anything for granted, “I’ve been trying to soak it all up because I know in a second it could be gone. And I don’t want to be there. I want to play football. I want to play for a long time and I want to be a great player in this league.” With his health back and a new team, Thomas will certainly have an opportunity to make the most of it under Gus Bradley. The Raiders have their fair share of successful reclamation projects, Thomas might very well join that list.
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*Top Photo: Associated Press/John Locher