According to rumors, a former tight end with the San Francisco 49ers and Giants died.
A famous tight end for the San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants passed away last month at the age of 86. According to a Giants statement, Aaron Thomas died on April 26 at his home in Corvallis, Oregon. He’d been suffering an ailment. A former San Francisco 49ers draft pick has died.
After a stellar college career at Oregon State, the San Francisco 49ers selected Thomas in the fourth round of the 1961 NFL Draft. In 1962, the 49ers traded Thomas to the Giants, where he had a fantastic career. According to the Giants’ release, Thomas now ranks 17th in the team’s history in receptions:
“Thomas played 116 regular-season games for the Giants from 1962 to 1970. Fifty-four years after his final game, he ranks 17th in franchise history with 254 receptions, 14th with 4,253 yards, and tied with teammates Homer Jones and Del Shofner for sixth with 35 touchdown catches. Thomas also made two receptions in the 1963 NFL Championship Game. He only missed seven games during his career due to injury.”
Aaron Thomas was the father of NFL receiver Robb Thomas.
Thomas is the father of Robb Thomas, who played football at Oregon State before being picked by the Kansas City Chiefs in the sixth round of the 1989 NFL draft. Robb was a wide receiver in the NFL until 1998, when he retired with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. According to the Giants release, Robb compared Aaron to Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce:
“I ordered an NFL highlight film titled ‘Aaron Thomas NFL.'” “It’s on YouTube,” said Aaron’s son, Robb Thomas, a wide receiver who spent ten years in the NFL. “I enjoy seeing it because it’s so much pleasure to see all of the old Giants players and see some of the incredible things he accomplished.
He resembles an early version of Travis Kelce, the tight end with the Kansas City Chiefs. He was a tight end and flanker, but he ran great routes and had a knack for finding open space.”