Mattapoisett College Player Tested by Green Bay Packers

Ryon Thomas has been playing football since he was just a little boy. His first games were as a Pop Warner player on the ORR field, where his late father, Rodney, was one of the coaches.

Thomas' dad was a college basketball star, and Ryon aspired to follow in his footsteps as a student-athlete at the collegiate level. He got his chance at Division III Fairleigh Dickinson.

As a freshman, Thomas worked his way through a depth chart crowded with quarterbacks ahead of him. His opportunity to start came in his sophomore year when Fairleigh Dickinson sought a quarterback who could execute a run/pass option offense. Ryon seized the moment and never looked back, leading the Devils this season to the top of their conference and qualifying for the Centennial Bowl for the first time in the school’s history.

While still savoring the victory of the bowl game—his final college appearance—Thomas received unexpected news from his coach on the field. He had been selected as one of only two quarterbacks in the country to play in the FCS National Bowl in Daytona.

"It was pretty cool because I thought I was done playing in college. To get another game and play another week—it was just awesome to hear," Thomas said.

At the National Bowl, Thomas was struck by the size of the linemen on both sides of the ball and the raw speed of the skill-position players.

Although his team lost the bowl game, Thomas earned MVP honors for his Nationals team. "I didn't think I had that great of a game, but when I looked back at the film, I guess I did kind of stand out," he said.

Green Bay Packers Scout Thomas

As you might imagine, a showcase like the National Bowl, featuring the best Division II and Division III college players from across the country, draws NFL scouts on the hunt for hidden talent. Thomas was thrilled when he was approached by the Green Bay Packers.

"The Packers scout had me take a Wonderlic test. It was sort of like a personality test. It was a great experience. They asked different types of questions with a 'strongly disagree/strongly agree' type format. I remember one of the questions was whether I liked to be alone. There were also several math questions. I guess it was kind of an IQ test," Thomas said.

Thomas acknowledges that his 6-foot, 170-pound frame is on the smaller side for an NFL roster, but he has plans to bulk up over the winter. Additionally, he is exploring opportunities to play football in Europe, with the competitive German league being a particular goal.

Coaching in the Future?

Will we see Ryon Thomas as a football coach someday? While he isn’t ready to transition from player to coach just yet, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him walking the sidelines in the future.

"I'll graduate in May with a sports administration degree. I think it's my calling to be a coach eventually. But for now, I want to keep competing in football—anything to keep my passion alive," Thomas said.