Former Oregon Ducks standout takes career to the CFL

Former Oregon Ducks and NFL receiver De’Anthony Thomas will join the CFL next season, the league announced Tuesday. Thomas spent six seasons in the NFL with both the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens.

He will play for the BC Lions during the 2022 season, which kicks off in June.

A fourth round pick in 2014, the receiver spent six years with the Chiefs before being cut in October 2019. He signed with the Ravens for the remainder of that season, playing primarily on special teams. Thomas has 65 catches for 509 yards and seven total touchdowns in his NFL career.

He opted out of the 2020 season because of COVID-19 before being released by Baltimore in January 2021.

A star in both football and track at Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles, Thomas was one of California’s most highly-recruited high school players. He earned his nickname of “Black Mamba” while playing in Snoop Dogg’s Pop Warner league at age 12. The talented youngster went on to become a five-star recruit with offers from the likes of USC, Florida and Oregon.

In 28 games over three seasons at Oregon, he recorded 4,122 all-purpose yards — including 1,372 yards on 52 kickoff returns — and scored 34 of his 38 touchdowns on offense. He was first team All-Pac 12 and Co-Offensive Freshman of the Year during the 2011 season.

Thomas scored twice and had 312 all-purpose yards in Oregon’s Rose Bowl win over Wisconsin in 2012. One year later, he returned the opening kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown as the Ducks took down Kansas State in the Fiesta Bowl.

Thomas also continued to participate in track and field for Oregon, one of the premier programs in the country. He finished second in the 4 x 100 and fifth in the individual 200 meters at the 2012 Pac-12 Championships.

De’Anthony Thomas will make his CFL debut on June 11 when the BC Lions face off against the Edmonton Elks.