Linebacker Chase Thomas ’13 made an impressive NFL debut with the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. The former Stanford captain largely played on San Francisco’s special teams, and he brought down running back Travaris Cadet for his first professional tackle as the 49ers overcame the New Orleans Saints in overtime, 27-24.
Thomas had struggled to build momentum early on in his NFL career, signing to multiple different practice squads but failing to earn playing time at the top level. He was a Sporting News All-American and twice a member of the All-Pac-12 first team while on the Farm, but surprisingly went undrafted despite being considered one of the top picks at his position. After it initially appeared that he might go unsigned this year, former Stanford (and current 49ers) coach Jim Harbaugh gave him one more chance.
“When Green Bay cut me, I sat on my couch for two weeks,” Thomas told Comcast Sports Net. “It was right after the draft and every team filled up their roster. I wasn’t positive if I’d land anywhere. Luckily, [Jim] Harbaugh and I have a previous relationship and they gave me a shot out here.”
Thomas’ future with the 49ers remains unclear, as he may get moved back down to the practice squad once other defensive players on the team recover from injury. Still, perhaps this moment in the spotlight will give the linebacker the momentum and attention he needs to start performing strongly at the professional level.
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Richard Sherman ’11 was put to the test last Sunday against talented New York Giants rookie wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. The cornerback has gained considerable notoriety for declaring he was “the best in the game” after his Seahawks beat the 49ers in the 2013-14 NFC Championship, but he had quite a bit of difficulty matching the speed and talent of Beckham Jr., as the wideout went on to post seven receptions for 108 yards.
Still, Sherman could claim at least one victory in the pairing with a critical pass breakup in the third quarter. With the game tied at 17-17, Sherman positioned himself well as Eli Manning attempted to find Beckham Jr. in the end zone. Forced out of position, Beckham tipped the ball to Sherman’s teammate Earl Thomas, who came up with his first interception of the season. This play shifted momentum considerably in favor of Seattle’s defense, which kept the Giants off the board for the remainder of the game as Seattle soared to a 38-17 victory.
Sherman gave considerable credit to Beckham Jr. after the game, saying he was the “real deal” and a “great player.”
On the other side of the ball for the Seahawks, wide receiver Doug Baldwin ‘11 turned in an average performance, making four receptions for 31 yards. Baldwin had been battling a groin injury in practice earlier in the week, and it is unclear if it affected his play.
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Elsewhere in the NFL, tight end Zach Ertz ’13 recorded just a single catch for 17 yards as the Eagles decimated the Panthers 45-21 on Monday night. Ertz celebrated his birthday during the game, but did not appear to get the same amount of attention from first-time starting QB Mark Sanchez as he had gotten from the injured Nick Foles.
Ertz has recently been lobbying for an increased role in the offense, but it appears that as the Eagles have started to depend more on their emerging running game, he will have to keep waiting at least another week for his hopes to be answered.
Meanwhile, Toby Gerhart ’10 continued to struggle in his role for the Jacksonville Jaguars, ending the game with just four carries for 2 yards. Gerhart has battled with injury for most of the season – his longest carry of the season is only 13 yards – and it is unclear what the former Heisman Trophy candidate needs in order to excel in the way he did at Stanford.
Contact Andrew Mather at amather ‘at’ stanford.edu.