SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE, CODY THOMAS, ALLEN
Bob Jensen | Publisher – Huskerlandpreps.com
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Why play football? For Allen’s Cody Thomas the motivation is pretty straight forward.
Kid likes to hit people.
Oh, and his dad also played.
And that’s mostly what they talk about, football that is.
Turns out playing football was a pretty good idea for Thomas, who has carved out quite a little career for himself at Allen, a Class D-2 school located in far northeast Nebraska. Far enough up there you might not have heard of Thomas, which would be too bad, because the kid’s a pretty good player.
“Cody’s got a low center of gravity and he’s strong as an ox, so he’s a tough person to knock off his feet,” says Allen head coach Dave Uldrich. “Cody is a silent, lead-by-example player, but he is not going to get cheated when he steps on the field. The team sees that and it does positively influence the way his teammates play the game.”
Playing nose guard on defense he led the team last year in tackles with 99, and that was despite being double-teamed on almost every play. (That happens when you are a two-time returning all-district player.) When it comes to all the blocking attention from opponents, Thomas has come to grips with the idea that’s just how it is.
“It can be a little tiring, especially when you play both ways like I do, but you do your best to hold your own in the middle of the line. I like to try to get through one guy and make the other one move some, so I have an alley to the runner,” explains the 5-foot-9, 200-pound Thomas.
An acknowledged team leader, Thomas is joined in the Allen defensive line by junior Jacob Williams, sophomore Devin Twohig and freshman Brogan Jones. It’s a group that is learning to play together, and Thomas takes his leadership role seriously.
“They know I’m not going to say a lot because I like to lead by example, but I will give them tips as I can, and always remind them you need to stay low when you are playing in the line. Low man always wins,” he says.
Thomas moved into the starting lineup toward the end of his freshman season and he’s glad for the experience, and also glad it’s over. “I was nervous because you are playing against a bunch of bigger guys, especially in the line, but it taught me a lot. After that season was over I realized I still had a lot to learn,” says Thomas, who apparently has learned his lesson quite well.
Besides his work on the defensive side of the ball Thomas has played fullback most of his career, but was moved into the offensive line to start the 2016 season. That didn’t last long, though, as he was returned to the backfield midway through the first game, much to his joy.
“I’d rather play fullback, it’s what I know and where I have played most of my career. I like getting the ball some, getting to block some, especially since you get a running start before you hit the guy you are blocking,” he explains.
Born in Sioux City, Iowa, Thomas lived mostly in Allen, except for his family’s brief move to Newcastle, and he’s quite a horseman, enjoying several horses on the family acreage. He’s also a successful 4-H competitor, where he teams with his 15-year-old mare Cassie to dominate the world of barrels and poles at the Dixon County Fair.
Thomas has a 3.7 GPA and is also an outstanding wrestler, finishing sixth at state last year in Class D at 170 pounds. He also plays percussion in the school band and plans to become an electrical contractor, and maybe play football or wrestle at the college level.
Like every senior football player, Thomas has a simple goal for the season: have Allen make the playoffs. Difference is, Allen’s never made the playoffs during Thomas’s career.
“That would be great, to get to play some playoff football. I feel like we can make that happen, and if we do it would make my career complete, it really would.”