Thurman Thomas grew up playing football on the Missouri City Junior High School and Willowridge High School teams before attending college at Oklahoma State University and playing most of his NFL career for the Buffalo Bills. Thurman is a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

While more than 2,000 high schools will receive a Golden Football from the NFL, only 4 schools across the U.S. are part of this special tour in which the Golden Football will actually be hand-delivered by an NFL Legend. The Golden Football presentation at the school assembly is part of the Honor Roll program celebrating the 50 years of the Super Bowl in 2016.

Thurman presented the Golden Football and spoke to the students at his alma mater about his experiences at Willowridge High School.

I spoke with Thurman about fatherhood, his playing days in the NFL, and the extraordinary opportunity that Old Spice presented to him.

Art Eddy: You are teaming up with Old Spice for a special assembly at your alma mater high school at Willowridge today. Can you tell me about the work you are doing with Old Spice?

Thurman Thomas: They are coming up to Super Bowl 50. The NFL and Old Spice have gotten together and going around to four different high schools this year. There have been over 3,000 players and coaches who have played in a Super Bowl up to this point. They are delivering these golden footballs to all the guy’s high schools that has either played in or won a Super Bowl.

Being back here in Houston with a couple of other guys who played in Super Bowls is just a great thing that the NFL and Old Spice is doing. It is something that I am happy to be a part of.

AE: What were some of life lessons you learned in high school that you are going to share with the students?

Thurman with students at Willowridge High School at the Old Spice event

Thurman with students at Willowridge High School at the Old Spice event

TT: One of the things that I have always shared wherever I go is just this is where it started for me in Willowridge High School. This is where I put in the hard work. When things were bad we tried to turn it around not only as a school, but as a community. You just have to try and relay the message to the kids. In order to achieve what you want in life you have to put the hard work in. You have to be able to do things the right way. In my career I have been able to do that. It all started at Willowridge High School. A message to the kids is that hard work will get you to where you want to go.

AE: Jim Kelly, Andre Reed, Bruce Smith, Kent Hull, Cornelius Bennett, James Lofton, and I can go on and on about your fantastic teammates from the early 1990’s. Where do you think that Bills team ranks in the history of the league?

TT: We are not going to rank high on a lot of people’s list because we didn’t win a Super Bowl. I always say that this is for the Buffalo Bills fans. I don’t really get out and talk to Pittsburgh Steelers fans or New England Patriots fans or San Francisco 49ers fans. Somehow I get harassed by Cleveland Browns fans and Detroit Lions fans. You know guys who never made it to the Super Bowl. (Both laugh.)

It is just one of those things that obviously going to four in a row and didn’t win one, but we as former players and fans around the world still consider it an accomplishment to go to four straight Super Bowls. Obviously we all wish that we could have won one, but to have that opportunity four years in a row and have a lot of those guys still go into the Hall of Fame is great. I wouldn’t do it with any other group of guys than the guys that I had to try and thurmanaccomplish a goal. Even though we didn’t accomplish it we had one hell of a time trying.

AE: Your fantastic career landed you a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Talk to me about your emotions when you were inducted into the Hall of Fame.

TT: It was unbelievable. It is almost like your first kid being born. I went in 2007. I make it a point to take my family back every single year. It is like the ceremony happens all over again. You see the new faces going in, but you also get to see the guys that went in before you. Every year that I go back I look out for my hero Earl Campbell. I look for him every single year to see him and to see Gale Sayers, Dick Butkis, and Lance Alworth.

Just to go back and see the history of the league. Out of 15,000 players and coaches there are only like 300 coaches and players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. That is amazing. To go back every year and to see that number and to see your heroes is a dream come true of mine. It is something that I will remember for the rest of my life.

AE: I grew up in Buffalo for a bit and my mom and sisters are huge Bills fans. I will say there is nothing like Buffalo Bills fans. Is there a memory that you have of the Bills fans that you wouldn’t mind sharing with me?

TT: One of the memories that always stands out to me especially with the Bills fans is that you look at the last 15 years. They haven’t been in the playoffs for the last 15 years. One of the things that stands out about them is that even throughout the Super Bowl years when we were actually winning football games, they just set a record this past year with the most season tickets that they have sold in the history of the Buffalo Bills.

They went over 60,000 season tickets that were sold this year. This is after 15 years of no playoffs. That is the major thing about Bills fans. They come out in droves no matter what the weather is like, what the team is like, what the record is like or what the coach is like. They come out and they cheer on their football team. If you have ever been in Buffalo it is the same way with the hockey team. This fan base in the city of Buffalo and really around the world get behind this sports team. There have been a lot of devastating defeats, but they come out and support the players. They support the organization. I am just happy with a lot of teammates to be a part of it.

AE: Switching to fatherhood now, what are some of the core values you looked to instill in your kids as they grow up?

TT: My number one thing for all four of my kids is respect. Respect other people. That is really the one thing that I tell my kids to do all the time. Say thank you. Say excuse me. Be polite. Be a real person. Do not be one of those kids who does not have respect for other people. I tell my kids all the time to respect what you are doing and respect other people.

Thurman with his family

Thurman with his family

AE: What is the biggest difference from the time you were growing up to now as your children were growing up?

TT: Obviously a lot has changed. You got cell phones. You got iPads. (Both laugh.) The one thing about my kids that I had when I was growing up was that we go out and do stuff. Back in the day, Saturday morning you would be out on the street playing football at eight o’clock in the morning. I try and get my son to do that. He gets up in the morning on a Saturday and plays basketball at the YMCA.

I don’t want my kids to not learn about life and not be around other people. I want them to get out and explore the world. Explore different things. That is how I was raised. I was always at my friend’s house or playing baseball or basketball. That’s what I had my kids doing since they were born. Now they are older. Hopefully they can rely this message onto their kids when I start having some grandkids.

AE: What advice do you have for new dads out there?

TT: Enjoy the moment. Enjoy every day that you possible can with your kids. That was one of the things that I did when I retired back in 2001. I tried to make up for some of the time that I missed with my kids because of pro football. After I retired I started spending every single day with my kids and doing certain things them. Going to plays. Going to the choir. Just love them to death.

Life of Dad Quick Five

AE: What is your favorite family movie that you guys like to watch together?

TT: Our favorite family movie that we like to watch together would definitely be Nacho Libre. (Both laugh.) My family is crazy. Trust me. Some of the answers that are going hear you will be like what? If we had to sit down and watch a movie it would be Nacho Libre.

tt and daughterAE: Do you guys have a favorite song that you all like to dance to?

TT: We listen to a variety of things. If there is one song that came on the radio my wife and my kids we would all sing would be the new Hello song by Adele.

AE: Describe the perfect family vacation.

TT: It would probably be in the summertime in the Bahamas. We are water people. We love to go on the boat. We love fishing. That would be our perfect vacation. We have done it at least five to six times already.

AE: Did you keep all your footballs you scored with from your time in the NFL?

TT: No. I did not. I was never and I am still to this day not a big memorabilia guy. I got one autograph in my entire career. I was afraid to even ask this guy for an autograph, but he sent me an autograph jersey. It was an old college teammate of mine, Barry Sanders. That is the only autograph that I have. (Both laugh.)

AE: Which team was your biggest rival during your playing days?

TT: There are probably a couple teams. Obviously the biggest rival for Buffalo Bills fans were the Miami Dolphins. My biggest rivalry among the teams when I played was probably the Houston Oilers. They were a very talented football team led by Warren Moon. I think that they were my rival because I was in Buffalo and I had an opportunity to get drafted by Houston. They didn’t draft me and they became my rival. It was a team that I always really looked forward to play against.

Thanks to Old Spice for setting up time with Thurman Thomas. Go to http://oldspice.com for more info on this program.

Follow Thurman on Twitter at @thurmanthomas