Thomas ready to run to daylight with Sabres
Thurman Thomas was a regular at Sabres' games during his tenure with the NFL's Buffalo Bills.
Back in late March, Thurman Thomas was in Buffalo visiting his father-in-law, Bob Mariacher, who was recovering nicely after a bout with encephalitis. While in town the newest member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame decided to take in a Sabres game.
The Sabres honored Thomas at the game by presenting him with a Sabres jersey with Thomas’s name as well as his No. 34 that he made famous with the Buffalo Bills.
Going to a Sabres game is nothing new to the former running back, considering he was a regular at their hockey games while a member of the Bills for 12 seasons (1988-1999). In fact, Thomas is one of the Sabres’ biggest fans, even to this day while residing outside of his home in Orlando, Florida.
Interestingly enough, Thomas’ hockey roots go back to his days growing up outside of Houston.
“It was back in Houston when they had the Aeros of the old World Hockey Association,” recalled Thomas, a five-time Pro Bowl selection as well as rushing for over 1,000 yards for eight consecutive seasons (1989-96). “That is when I actually heard about hockey for the first time.
“People don’t think of Houston as being a hockey town because it is hot and all. But the hockey fans were great there with the Aeros. And that’s where I first heard the name of Gordie Howe. He was the first player I really followed as a fan of the game. And that name has really stuck with me for the rest of my life.”
Ironically, the night Thomas was at the Sabres game, Mark Howe, the son of Gordie who also played with his father with the Aeros, was in the HSBC Press Box. For almost 20 minutes Thomas and Howe talked about Houston and hockey.
“I couldn’t believe it when I was introduced to him,” said Thomas, originally drafted by the Bills in the second round of the 1988 NFL Draft. “We talked a lot about Houston, the Aeros and hockey today.”
Throughout the years Thomas has been friends with many of the Sabres.
“I’ve known a lot of them including guys like Pat Lafontaine, Dominik Hasek, Michael Peca and Dale Hawerchuk,” said Thomas, who was the NFL’s MVP in 1991 when he rushed for 1,407 yards, had 62 receptions for 631 yards and scored 12 touchdowns. “In fact, Dixon Ward was one of my best friends while I lived and played in Buffalo.”
What makes hockey so interesting to Thomas?
“I just enjoy the game,” answered Thomas. “In a way hockey is a lot like football. It’s a very physical game. You have to be skilled out there on the field of play to know what you’re doing.”
Thomas is a very big fan of the Sabres today. He very rarely missed a game. He tries to catch them when they travel to Florida and he also has the Center Ice TV package. And he also gets on his computer and checks out the Sabres on NHL.com.
“The Sabres are the only reason I have the NHL package,” laughed Thomas. “If I didn’t have that, I would probably be living up here and be a Sabres season-ticket holder.”
Like many Sabres fans, Thomas has been enjoying the success Buffalo has been experiencing for the past two seasons. And he has his favorite player as well.
“I love Chris Drury,” said Thomas, who will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio on Aug. 5. “Just with what I see of his leadership ability. His ability to lead a hockey team is great. He and Danny Briere (the other Sabres co-captain) have done a great job.
“When Chris got his a couple of weeks ago in their game against the Ottawa Senators, I almost jumped through the TV. I just wanted to go after the guy that hit him. With Chris Drury, he has been a winner every place he has played. He even won a Stanley Cup with Colorado.
“I think this is the year for Buffalo. The Sabres had a lot of injuries and they had guys come up from Rochester and fill in very nicely and have done an excellent job.”
Thomas is very impressed with the job Sabres head coach, Lindy Ruff has done.
“Everybody knows what Lindy wants,” Thomas said. “He just wants you to go out there and play his game, play tough, be physical and work really hard. That is what the Sabres organization has been built around since Lindy became the head coach. He is a lot like Marv Levy was when he was coaching the Bills. He pulled us together and had everybody on the same page like Lindy has done with the Sabres.
“And the Sabres fans in Buffalo are going as crazy over their team just like Bills fans did with us back in the 1990s.”
Following the Sabres game that night, Thomas made his way down to the team’s dressing room and talked to a lot of the players. The one thing that impressed Thomas about this year’s Sabres team is how close-knit they are. It reminds him a great deal of the closeness the Bills team’s he played for had back in the late 1980s and early 1990s. That is when the Bills were at their peak, going to four straight Super Bowls from 1991 to 1994 with players like Thomas, Jim Kelly, Andre Reed and Bruce Smith on the roster.
“I can sense the team chemistry in this room,” Thomas said. “It seems like everybody came together, especially after the injuries started happening. Every player that came up from Rochester seemed to fit right in. The team didn’t seem to miss a beat. And watching them the way I have, they just seem to pull together and play well together like a well-oiled machine. It is a team game with this team. Stats don’t matter.
“The Sabres have only one goal in mind and that’s to win the Stanley Cup. It would be great for Buffalo and the Western New York area. And I think they will do it.”
Reference:
http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=298756 
