Thurman Thomas
A versatile and relentless running back whose explosive play was the engine of the Buffalo Bills' record-setting four consecutive Super Bowl appearances.
Born 1966 (age 60)·American football player·Birthday: May 16·Generation X
Biography
Thurman Thomas arrived in Buffalo with a chip on his shoulder, having been passed over by every team in the first round of the 1988 NFL draft. He quickly made them pay for it. With a blend of vision, patience, and sudden acceleration, Thomas became the centerpiece of the Bills' no-huddle, hurry-up offense. He wasn't just a runner; he was a prolific receiver out of the backfield, making him a dual-threat nightmare for defenses. For four straight seasons, he led the league in total yards from scrimmage, a testament to his all-around dominance. While the ultimate championship eluded him and his team in four heartbreaking Super Bowl trips, his consistency and big-play ability defined an era of Bills football. His style was one of controlled fury, often waiting for a block to develop before hitting the hole with decisive force, leaving would-be tacklers grasping at air.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Thurman was born in 1966, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Thurman Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Thurman's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1971Started school
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1979Became a teenager
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1996Turned 30
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 40
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 50
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 60
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Named the NFL Most Valuable Player in 1991 after leading the league in scrimmage yards.
- Selected to five consecutive Pro Bowls from 1989 to 1993.
- Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007, his first year of eligibility.
- His 16,532 career yards from scrimmage ranked fourth in NFL history at the time of his retirement.
Did You Know?
He famously misplaced his helmet before Super Bowl XXVI, forcing him to miss the first two plays of the game.
At Oklahoma State, he played in a backfield that also featured future Pro Football Hall of Famer Barry Sanders.
He is one of only three players in NFL history to lead the league in total yards from scrimmage for four consecutive seasons.
Thomas wore jersey number 34 because his birthday is May 16th, 1966 (5+16+66=87, and 8+7=15, which he reversed to 51, but that was taken, so he chose 34).
“They all passed on me, so I had something to prove every single Sunday.”
