Zach Thomas "Baby Elephant" Career Highlights | NFL Legends

[@woodyyyyyy9820]

the 2000’s were the golden era for Linebackers. Thomas, Lewis , Urlacher, ect.

[@Ginga]

Fletcher, Bruschi, Wilson, Farrior, Vilma and Brooking; so many great MLBs.

[@YoungerPrice]

Spikes seau Donnie Edwards lavar arrington merriman

[@edwardguertin3448]

Bruschi was awesome

[@samhooper8829]

Derrick brooks

[@YoungerPrice]

Bill Romanowski hate it or love it 😆

[@Ginga]

People throw the word “underrated” around plenty but Thomas epitomises it. 7 All-Pros, 7 Pro Bowls and 10 seasons of 100+ tackles as a 5th-round pick; he had an insane career. He deserved to go in earlier but glad he’s finally going into the HoF. His technique on numerous stops was flawless. And him being short made it easier to stay low and gain leverage; 2:23 is just beautiful.

[@rustyshackleford1114]

He was OVERRATED.

[@Ginga]

@@rustyshackleford1114 Saw your other post mentioning guys like Nickerson, Tuggle, Bennett, Matthews, Jackson and others. It’s obviously all subjective but I don’t see how all of them are more deserving of a bust in Canton than Thomas. Swilling is a great shout and I had never heard of Gradishar but he was a beast too.

[@bjchit]

@@rustyshackleford1114 Obviously anyone with sense doesn't think so.

[@stefanlal3060]

​@@rustyshackleford1114Stick to cheerleading rusty. Leave football to the grown men.

[@FlamingChickenTA]

@@rustyshackleford1114are you high

[@adamdesanti6713]

Just came here from a Hall of Fame reaction video that he was in. Knew absolutely nothing about the player but his reaction was so genuine I had to come here. The comment section was overflowing with Zach Thomas "well overdue". So I came here to check out his work. Wow, what instincts and tackling ability. Very impressive.

[@jamaljennings5734]

It’s about time Zach Thomas got his due into the Hall of Fame, well deserved, can’t wait to see him on Saturday.

[@scottw5526]

gotta give credit to the defensive tackles that kept blockers off of Zach Thomas so he could run to the ball and make plays. Tim Bowens was immovable, Daryl Gardner played with a nasty streak and had the best handwork I've seen in a defensive lineman

[@rafaelfermin4619]

And the fact that he achieved all of this while playing in the exact same era as Ray Lewis makes his career even better. If Ray didn’t play Zach would have definitely got more 1st team All-Pros. Absolute machine and glad he finally got in the Hall

[@Hollisbot]

Derrick brooks as well

[@mr.brenman2132]

Brian Urlacher was better then Ray Lewis.

[@Topgglerd]

Zach Thomas was so good, he was my mom’s favorite player when he was playing, I was almost named after him actually

[@tronsnow4763]

He truly was blessed with some of the best awareness/play recognition ever seen. Him, Jason Taylor, and Junior Seau together for a few years was awesome…

[@patrickstiefel3296]

As a lifelong Dolphins fan, I'll admit that I might not be entirely objective, but I genuinely believe that Zach Thomas deserves a spot in my all-time top 5 of MLBs. His skills on the field were absolutely remarkable, and he was a force to be reckoned with. What a phenomenal player!

[@jg772006]

As a die hard, HARDCORE Phins fan who watched EVERY SINGLE GAME ZT54 ever played in ... I swear, I would give ANYTHING to watch him play football again for us. ZT54 was an absolute MISSILE ... a BEAST ... and a BOSS for us for so many years, many of them "down years". ZT54 busted his ass for the Dolphins and us Phin fans for a long time, and he never complained ... he never cheated himself ... and he never cheated the Phin fans, and you can tell when you watched him play. Its why he is UNIVERSALLY LOVED by Phin fans everywhere, and by god do I miss him. I was through the moon when he finally got his call to the hall ... he most definitely deserves it no doubt, and even still, hes still one of the most CRIMINALLY UNDERRATED great LBs in NFL history. For a "5th round", "too small", "too short", "too slow", "non-athletic" LB who apparently was never suppose to make it in this league according to the "experts" ... I think ZT54 did pretty well for himself: Anchored a Top 10 Defense for 7 straight seasons (1998-2004), and in 8 of 9 years (2006) ... 7x Pro Bowler ... 7x 1st/2nd Team All-Pro ... AFC DROY of 96' ... 2x tackles leader ... 5th all time in tackles in NFL history ... All-Rookie selection ... 2x LB of the Year ... NFL 2000s All-Decade Selection. An all-time great "underdog" story ... an all-time "draft steal" ... maybe the best Phins "draft choice" that was "post-Shula" ... and one of the greatest NFL & Dolphin legends of all-time. I'm gonna shed a tear watching his speech. I miss him so much. I swear, Id GIVE ANYTHING to watch this guy play football again. Thanks for the memories "Zach Attack"!

[@DeDe_SCLA]

💯 he's the Reason I became a DolFan thanks 🐬💚🧡💪

[@leemonglandscapes3109]

Well said 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@noble6882]

well said

[@tronsnow4763]

Him, Seau, and Jason Taylor all on the same D…

[@kenesealo7982]

🏳️‍🌈

[@mluongo5689]

A top 10 Inside Linebacker. Zach Thomas was a tackle machine who just had a nose for the ball. Patriots fan here.. I played LB in high school and he was one of my favorite guys to watch

[@noble6882]

Top 10 all time maybe. For the era he was top 3, and that's only because you could probably put Lewis and urlacher ahead of him

[@PaulGaither]

You didn't have to be a Dolphins fan to appreciate and love watching that man play.

[@SPTO]

I've been watching a lot of Dolphins games from that era and Thomas was like a mini-tank. The guy just hit opposing players with force. He and Dat Nguyen were very similar in their style of play. I couldn't like Thomas at the time (i'm a Bills fan) but I LOVED Nguyen and in watching Thomas again I LOVE his play. It took way too long for him to get in the HOF.

[@OfficalMrBlue]

I hated the Dolphins but, Zack Thomas was one of my favorite MLB's of all-time. #Legend

[@trentonbates1807]

Respect ❤️

[@sports3117]

He’s more deserving of the HOF induction. He put his whole imprint on the 2000s

[@SamirChaboun-w3k]

Zach Thomas legend of the legends 🙏🏻

[@steven-9481]

Maybe top 5 most underrated players ever! He was GOOOOOD. That Taylor/Thomas combo was legit! Super happy to see him in the Hall.

[@MattBooher-ng4qi]

A+ INSTINCTS. Something you just have or you don't, Also has very soft hands for a LB. What a freak show out there. Love the way he played. Just a ball of energy ready to explode.

[@luiszavala9728]

Zach Thomas made that style of collar iconic. Dude looked like a beast and played like one

[@drago8264]

It's great to hear Jim (Mad dog) Mandich in these historic pieces of Zack Thomas RIP Mad dog miss you.

[@ByronJames7]

Purest definition of "Football Player" = Zach Thomas

[@dioncooper2844]

Man, he was Great. So much fun to watch. One of my favorite Dolphins ever.

[@bradleystraley6165]

Dude was legitimately ALWAYS AROUND THE BALL. Smart, instinctive, sure tackler, good coverage. Just always in the right place. Still one of my favorites (and I'm a Jets fan)

[@MsFLYBOY05]

Amazing career. Phenomenal dolphins' legend.

[@WilzFargo8056]

Zack Thomas was the whole show💯 different breed

[@croixR]

So Underrated and Under appreciated Career

[@coltonlaursen7852]

I knew he was a hitman, but im blown away by his ball hawk abilities. Wow, more amazingthan i remember

[@Fireyninjadog]

Glad he's in the hall of fame. He's a great combination of instinct, intelligence, and strength. 54 is a linebacking number

[@Papayajoseph]

Man, this was the NFL play at its finest.

[@brentgresham6544]

Arguably the greatest underdog story in sports history.

[@romegrey2600]

Its criminal how Zach Thomas had to wait this long to be in rhe HOF and sadly this is the same with too many Dolphins legends

[@scizorbullet8185]

So glad Zach is going into the hof he was good at everything as a MLB

[@SuperBoomshack]

Some of the best instincts i have ever seen

[@TeachinTV]

To my eyes, he was Buoniconti reborn. Only we old 'uns can remember Nick Buoniconti, another short, light-ish ball hawk who brilliantly diagnosed offenses and was always around the ball. He set records for tackles and interceptions that only one other linebacker could ever break--Zach Thomas--who looks like a carbon copy (remember THEM?) with blond hair and blue eyes. Generational talent comes along so rarely at any position. I'm grateful to have had them both in my Miami.

[@starry53]

Now I can see why he deserved to be on the Hall of Fame. He's quite unstoppable LB in the Miami Dolphins.

[@BeastNation1998]

Thank you nfl throwback for listening!!! 🙂

[@Tenormic3]

Zach Thomas is a guy nobody talks about because he spent his whole career with the dolphins but what a force he was.

[@craigbond4909]

Back when football was football. I miss those days.

[@truthistruth4186]

Thomas, Taylor, Madison, Surtain. Man I miss those days.

[@tronsnow4763]

Seau for few years, also…

[@rafaelestrada5261]

One of the best to ever play. Congratulations on your Hall of Fame career.

[@autumnsfunworld9622]

Dood was simply amazing at playing middle linebacker.

[@DRoyale1]

John Madden: “That’s why Zach Thomas is Zach Thomas…” that’s awesome lol

[@chrisuncleahmad666]

The greatest Dolphins draft pick of the post-Shula era

[@lancelindqvist8848]

my favorite player of all time

[@ApacheScalper]

His front flip pick 6 was great. I’ll never forget it

[@bigcush100]

Him and Jason Taylor were beast for Miami

[@Goateemasonlim7710]

Zach Thomas was awesome

[@qmechanics]

Zach and the defense he led made the Dolphins enjoyable to watch back then. Forget the offense, the defense was the grp to watch...

[@JoseSanchez-vg6nu]

And the haters say that he shouldn’t be in the hall of fame…dude was that guy and then some 🙌🏻🙌🏻

[@AustinJones-r9n]

Zach thomas was a beast son

[@packersauburneric3625]

Texas tech legend like pat mahomes lmao

[@luissolares7007]

Can’t believe idiots saying he didn’t belong in hall of fame and he wasn’t afane changer. He was th ultimate game changer . Bring a fan of the dolphins that is what you would hear every Sunday always a spectacular play……

[@Finnsup]

Best middle linebacker in the history of the Fins and maybe NFL because of his tackles , interseptions for TDs. The reason he was the best was , being able to make everyone better without fighting or trying to be the big dog in the yard like Singletarry , LT and others. Zack didn't get much much more sacks cause he would just miss QBs due to him coming at 100 miles an hour. Saw him play and my favorite player in the NFL. Congrats Zack Thomas

[@ajohn502]

LT and Mike Singletary didn’t “try” to be the big dog. They WERE the big dogs.

[@williamkoscielniak7871]

He played quite similarly to Singletary, who was also an undersized linebacker with impeccable instincts, smarts, and leadership qualities. He didn't fight or try and be a "big dog in the yard".

[@MeauxGreenMusic]

I grew up watching Zach.. I didn't know anything about defensive schemes.. I just watched and he was ALWAYS where the ball was!

[@russetburbanks275]

I miss watching these games with my dad. ZT54 legend.

[@joelatu]

When you look up underrated in the NFL 💯

[@nigelkhan9278]

Congratulations to Zach Thomas. He was absolutely relentless, tremendous leader and fearless. He was such a huge pain my NY Jets ass. You always had to account for him on every play. Respect!!!

[@YusukeKnight]

Zack was awesome loved watching him play

[@Ralphdawg]

Man just look at the tackling back then, smh I miss this football

[@hawaii-state-of-mind]

Zach played full speed and no fear for the smallest middle linebacker in his era. Legend.

[@rafaelgonzalez7230]

Underrated af imo

[@SneakerheadMissingThe90s]

As a Cowboys fan, I use to play with Dolphins a lot! Besides Jason Taylor, he's the #1 reason why I played with them in the AFC

[@duwayneengram9483]

Seems like he always tackled the right way.

[@mariogaona8308]

My favorite linebacker of all time.

[@musclebone7875]

Zack was a beast!

[@Chillionaire]

he was truly insane

[@gsactotube]

YET ANOTHER Hall of Fame NFL player, Drafted by Jimmy Johnson (The GREATEST Talent evaluator ever!) "ALL HAIR JIMMY!!!"

[@packersauburneric3625]

He just couldn't draft running backs with the dolphins at all whatsoever....

[@Ballaholic17]

Rip Mad Dog Mandich! Alright MIAMI. He would be proud to see Zach make it to the HOF

[@chuckharst8676]

I miss that guy on the field. What a baller.

[@luissolares7007]

People that say he didn’t belong in hall of fame never watched him play

[@shelby7707]

Even Brady said the tuffest player he has played against was Zack Thomas his IQ was like no other man to walk the field what a legend Miami was so lucky to have him

[@garypellerin5576]

It's so good to see a guy that can tackle.

[@JWex-jy7sk]

Wish this guy won a Super Bowl in his career! He did get to play in 8 playoff games and saw his team win a playoff game 3 times. But found it shocking he never made it back to the postseason final 7 years of his career.

[@BarcelonaChill]

Z.T. has tackled some of the best RBs ever.

[@Gotti89]

Was anyone better at timing the snap than Zach Thomas?

[@DJMYSTERYYGC]

Zach Thomas is underratd great middle LB

[@BrandonJamol]

Def one of the greats at the position frfr

[@lightingbolt8148]

That’s why Zach Thomas is Zach Thomas 😂😂😂

[@MrBrooklyn295]

🫡🫡🫡 true dog glad I was able to witness his whole career

[@USMCCEB]

Great player!

[@dagmonrabal7547]

True line backer in out inside 🎉🎉🎉 lets go hall fame

[@leemonglandscapes3109]

One of the baddest men to ever do it, and don’t you forget it! Go dolphins 🐬 FINZ UP BABY!

[@Mma-basement-215]

If you play middle linebacker off-ball linebacker today and you want to learn technique and how to play the game watch and study his game he was awesome he was undersized but you wouldn't know that watching his game him and Mike singletary 2 of my favorite

[@williamkoscielniak7871]

I've always thought Zach Thomas is most comparable to Singletary as a MIKE linebacker. I'm glad I'm not the only one to make the connection.

[@GregzVR]

_“He’s now the Dolphin’s all-time leader, in interceptions returned for a touchdown.”_ When did ‘Pick-6’ become a thing, and who coined it first?!!

[@debatedking7523]

Your late

[@rustyshackleford1114]

Pick-6 was first coined about 12-15 years ago.

[@austin31bennett]

I love watching linebackers be great

[@andrewjones2133]

Congratulations getting into the HOF…… well deserved for sure.

[@williewideback]

ZACH!! DEE!! ATACK!! THOMAS!! LETS GO DOLPHINS !!!!

[@Phartmonster1]

I remember him being a sure thing tackler, forgot he was a pick 6 machine

[@Supbros1902]

Just good when nfl throwback post

[@darickbonebrake6774]

Grew up in South Florida. It's weird how I think a quarterback should have a laser cannon and line backer should tackle like Zach fuckin Thomas. I just naturally think these things are normal because of the dolphins.

[@PaulMaudDib2677]

My favorite player 🐬🏈❤

[@sinepari9160]

Sometimes God blesses people with a job they were made to do..Zach Thomas is one of those.

[@thehamiltonshow]

Legend

[@JjJj-lx7xx]

See this makes me wanna buy ps2 play 2001-2007 maddens

[@bradleyrorick9926]

Mike Vrabel and Willie Mcginest were two really good OLB during the Patriots first few superbowls in the 2000's.

[@eddief68]

He should have gotten in before anyone else from those teams!!

[@Kipmoney_]

Gonna shed a tear for my guy when he gets inducted. 🐬🐬🐬

[@jaelynnholloman4260]

Zach Thomas is the reason there’s a thing called “football iq”

[@GregzVR]

The Undersized Overachiever™

[@cellphonekeyswallet]

Definition of a MLB!

[@toualee1430]

Underrated