Thurman Thomas is a Hall of Fame running back whose career earned one of the highest career value scores of 97 in the Knox value model. Thomas's enshrinement reflects a career that consistently placed him among the elite of his generation.
Career Value · VORP
383 career value over replacement — #46 all-time of 4,695. 29.5/season above a replacement-level RB.
Pick #40 (Rd 2) · BUF · 1988 · +46.2 vs expected KV-H
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Season totals or exact team stints. Career totals count each season once.
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Yds | TD | Y/A | TD% | 1D | 1D% | Fmb | Tgt | Rec | Yds | TD | Ctch% | Y/R | Y/Tgt | AirYd/T | 1D | |||||
| 1988 | 22 | BUF | 15 | — | 207 | 881 | 2 | 4.3 | 1.0 | — | — | — | — | 18 | 208 | 0 | — | 11.6 | — | — | — |
| 1989 | 23 | BUF | 16 | — | 298 | 1,244 | 6 | 4.2 | 2.0 | — | — | — | — | 60 | 669 | 6 | — | 11.2 | — | — | — |
| 1990 | 24 | BUF | 16 | — | 271 | 1,297 | 11 | 4.8 | 4.1 | — | — | — | — | 49 | 532 | 2 | — | 10.9 | — | — | — |
| 1991 | 25 | BUF | 15 | — | 288 | 1,407 | 7 | 4.9 | 2.4 | — | — | — | — | 62 | 631 | 5 | — | 10.2 | — | — | — |
| 1992 | 26 | BUF | 16 | — | 312 | 1,487 | 9 | 4.8 | 2.9 | — | — | — | — | 58 | 626 | 3 | — | 10.8 | — | — | — |
| 1993 | 27 | BUF | 16 | — | 355 | 1,315 | 6 | 3.7 | 1.7 | — | — | — | — | 48 | 387 | 0 | — | 8.1 | — | — | — |
| 1994 | 28 | BUF | 15 | — | 287 | 1,093 | 7 | 3.8 | 2.4 | — | — | — | — | 50 | 349 | 2 | — | 7.0 | — | — | — |
| 1995 | 29 | BUF | 14 | — | 267 | 1,005 | 6 | 3.8 | 2.2 | — | — | — | — | 26 | 220 | 2 | — | 8.5 | — | — | — |
| 1996 | 30 | BUF | 15 | — | 281 | 1,033 | 8 | 3.7 | 2.8 | — | — | — | — | 26 | 254 | 0 | — | 9.8 | — | — | — |
| 1997 | 31 | BUF | 16 | — | 154 | 643 | 1 | 4.2 | 0.6 | — | — | — | — | 30 | 208 | 0 | — | 6.9 | — | — | — |
| 1998 | 32 | BUF | 14 | — | 93 | 381 | 2 | 4.1 | 2.2 | — | — | — | — | 26 | 220 | 1 | — | 8.5 | — | — | — |
| 1999 | 33 | BUF | 4 | — | 36 | 152 | 0 | 4.2 | 0.0 | 10 | 27.8 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 37 | 1 | 60.0% | 12.3 | 7.4 | — | 2 |
| 2000 | 34 | MIA | 8 | — | 21 | 112 | 0 | 5.3 | 0.0 | 6 | 28.6 | 1 | 21 | 13 | 91 | 1 | 61.9% | 7.0 | 4.3 | — | 5 |
| Career | — | 180 | — | 2,870 | 12,050 | 65 | 4.2 | 2.3 | 16 | 0.6 | 1 | 26 | 469 | 4,432 | 23 | 1803.8% | 9.4 | 170.5 | — | 7 | |
13 seasons · peak 17.6 in 1991
VAL (Value Above League) measures each NFL season against that season's league; the dashed line is zero — a season that added nothing above the league's fringe. ● peak · ○ league-best season.
6.5 career wins over 13 seasons · 1 win = 13.08 VAL
Best season · 1991 · +1.4 wins
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Cmp | Att | Cmp% | Yds | TD | Int | TD% | Int% | Y/A | AdjY/A | TD:INT | Rate | Sk | VAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career | — | 0 | 1 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 39.6 | — | 84.6 |
Career line only: the source has this as a career total, without seasons.
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Att | Yds | TD | Y/A | TD% | 1D | 1D% | Fmb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 22 | BUF | 15 | — | 207 | 881 | 2 | 4.3 | 1.0 | — | — | — |
| 1989 | 23 | BUF | 16 | — | 298 | 1,244 | 6 | 4.2 | 2.0 | — | — | — |
| 1990 | 24 | BUF | 16 | — | 271 | 1,297 | 11 | 4.8 | 4.1 | — | — | — |
| 1991 | 25 | BUF | 15 | — | 288 | 1,407 | 7 | 4.9 | 2.4 | — | — | — |
| 1992 | 26 | BUF | 16 | — | 312 | 1,487 | 9 | 4.8 | 2.9 | — | — | — |
| 1993 | 27 | BUF | 16 | — | 355 | 1,315 | 6 | 3.7 | 1.7 | — | — | — |
| 1994 | 28 | BUF | 15 | — | 287 | 1,093 | 7 | 3.8 | 2.4 | — | — | — |
| 1995 | 29 | BUF | 14 | — | 267 | 1,005 | 6 | 3.8 | 2.2 | — | — | — |
| 1996 | 30 | BUF | 15 | — | 281 | 1,033 | 8 | 3.7 | 2.8 | — | — | — |
| 1997 | 31 | BUF | 16 | — | 154 | 643 | 1 | 4.2 | 0.6 | — | — | — |
| 1998 | 32 | BUF | 14 | — | 93 | 381 | 2 | 4.1 | 2.2 | — | — | — |
| 1999 | 33 | BUF | 4 | — | 36 | 152 | 0 | 4.2 | 0.0 | 10 | 27.8 | 0 |
| 2000 | 34 | MIA | 8 | — | 21 | 112 | 0 | 5.3 | 0.0 | 6 | 28.6 | 1 |
| Career | 180 | 2,870 | 12,050 | 65 | 4.2 | 2.3 | 16 | 0.6 | 1 |
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Tgt | Rec | Yds | TD | Ctch% | Y/R | Y/Tgt | AirYd/T | 1D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 22 | BUF | 15 | — | — | 18 | 208 | 0 | — | 11.6 | — | — | — |
| 1989 | 23 | BUF | 16 | — | — | 60 | 669 | 6 | — | 11.2 | — | — | — |
| 1990 | 24 | BUF | 16 | — | — | 49 | 532 | 2 | — | 10.9 | — | — | — |
| 1991 | 25 | BUF | 15 | — | — | 62 | 631 | 5 | — | 10.2 | — | — | — |
| 1992 | 26 | BUF | 16 | — | — | 58 | 626 | 3 | — | 10.8 | — | — | — |
| 1993 | 27 | BUF | 16 | — | — | 48 | 387 | 0 | — | 8.1 | — | — | — |
| 1994 | 28 | BUF | 15 | — | — | 50 | 349 | 2 | — | 7.0 | — | — | — |
| 1995 | 29 | BUF | 14 | — | — | 26 | 220 | 2 | — | 8.5 | — | — | — |
| 1996 | 30 | BUF | 15 | — | — | 26 | 254 | 0 | — | 9.8 | — | — | — |
| 1997 | 31 | BUF | 16 | — | — | 30 | 208 | 0 | — | 6.9 | — | — | — |
| 1998 | 32 | BUF | 14 | — | — | 26 | 220 | 1 | — | 8.5 | — | — | — |
| 1999 | 33 | BUF | 4 | — | 5 | 3 | 37 | 1 | 60.0% | 12.3 | 7.4 | — | 2 |
| 2000 | 34 | MIA | 8 | — | 21 | 13 | 91 | 1 | 61.9% | 7.0 | 4.3 | — | 5 |
| Career | 180 | 26 | 469 | 4,432 | 23 | 1803.8% | 9.4 | 170.5 | — | 7 |
A all-time great career by KV-H: a peak-driven profile that scores 97 of 100, era-normalized against rush yds/g peers across 13 scored seasons.
Blend 88 × longevity 1 = KV-H 97· confidence 96%
Neal Anderson
RB
92% match
1988 Draft ClassmatesFull class →
Famous Partnership
Andre Reed
12 shared seasons · combined KV-H 1784
VAL 3.0 measures each part of a NFL player's game in his sport's own currency against what that season's fringe players produced, converted to team wins with rates fitted from every team-season in the encyclopedia.
#4 of 1,228 all-time RBs by KV-H
Season-by-season quality (era-relative rush yds/g)