Relatively Sports: Stevie Thomas Joins the Show
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00:00 [MUSIC]
00:10 Kevin Coke and what he wore.
00:11 [MUSIC]
00:15 >> And man, just keep doing what you're doing because you have a message.
00:19 [MUSIC]
00:29 >> I think one of the greatest college running backs ever, obviously,
00:32 in the history of West Virginia.
00:34 But also, if you look at the stats, what he did in college football.
00:39 >> Right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right.
00:40 Listen, I wanna take some time and really make sure I do my special guest
00:46 some serious justice, so I'm gonna take my time with this one.
00:49 Because when I tell you, I was fortunate to play with some great players in my
00:54 career on every level, from high school to college to the professional ranks.
00:58 And I got one of the greatest that I've ever played with, and
01:02 it was a pleasure to be a teammate of this young man.
01:05 So none other than Stevie Thomas, he's an AFL Hall of Famer.
01:09 This young man, let me tell you, went to Puthum Cookman University.
01:12 In his career, 529 receptions, 7,892 receiving yards,
01:18 152 receiving touchdowns, 111 tackles,
01:23 10 interceptions in his career.
01:26 This is why he's a Hall of Famer.
01:28 So once again, I'm so gracious that he took some time to come on my show,
01:34 Relatively Sports with Eugene Napoleon.
01:36 This is none other than AFL Hall of Famer, Stevie Thomas.
01:40 >> Hey man, I appreciate the invite, man.
01:43 It's always an honor just to hear you, just to speak with you,
01:47 just to receive text messages from you here and there.
01:50 Just staying in contact with one another, my man, it's a blessing,
01:54 always a blessing.
01:55 >> Man, thank you, I appreciate you, man.
01:57 Listen, I'm gonna go back a little ways.
02:01 I gotta ask you, as great as you were in the field,
02:04 where did that passion come from?
02:07 When did the love of sports even start in your career?
02:10 >> Man, you know, for people like us, man,
02:14 we gotta go way back to childhood days, man.
02:17 Playing sandlot, football, killer carrier.
02:20 I'm not even sure what the name they called at nine, but
02:23 it started at a young age when I was a young man.
02:27 I first started off playing baseball, cuz I was a big baseball guy.
02:31 I had a chance, after I left, got cut by the Bucs.
02:36 I had a chance to work out for the San Francisco Giants.
02:40 And was getting ready to venture that way.
02:44 And then the NFL created the World League of American Football,
02:48 which at the same time I had to divert back to football.
02:51 That was my truly, I truly felt that that was my blessing was calling.
02:56 But when you talk about that gift of football, man,
03:00 it started at a young age, man.
03:02 Just playing sandlot football with the guys in the neighborhood.
03:07 My mom would never let me play Little League football because she was always
03:10 afraid I was gonna get hurt.
03:12 But the guys in the neighborhood knew that I had a knack for the game.
03:16 So we'd venture off to play neighborhood against neighborhood.
03:20 They would always come hitting and say, man, we're gonna go play this team,
03:23 this neighborhood, that neighborhood.
03:25 So I was always there, but I really didn't start playing real organized
03:29 football, technically, until I got out of high school, the ninth grade.
03:34 >> Wow, now that had to be something special because, like you said,
03:40 how that goes, the transition from playing usually Pop 1 or Little League,
03:44 and then you get into high school or whatever.
03:46 So you literally, the first time playing organized football was in the ninth
03:50 grade.
03:51 >> Ninth grade of high school, Boca Chica High School, man.
03:55 My first organized position on a football field with defensive end.
04:00 >> Get out of here.
04:01 >> No lie.
04:02 >> Wow.
04:03 >> A lot of people don't know that, though, only you.
04:05 You're the first one to hear that.
04:08 >> So wait a minute, you gotta share this with me, hold on.
04:11 Where did those hands come from?
04:14 >> Man, well, you know that I was always doing that, like I said,
04:17 in the neighborhood.
04:19 When we went and played against other teams,
04:22 the guys who knew me, they knew I was an athlete.
04:27 So they always wanted me to either play quarterback or
04:30 they wanted me to play receiver because they knew I had the hands for it.
04:35 They wanted me to play with the older guys.
04:36 Because back then, you weren't allowed to play pickup basketball or
04:41 football unless you're playing most of the time, you're playing with the older guys.
04:46 So the older guys always say, listen, man, you're playing receiver,
04:51 you're doing this, you're doing that.
04:52 So you're playing quarterback because I can throw and I can catch and I can run.
04:57 And so it's just, but when I got out of high school, my first year of playing,
05:01 the coaches already have who they want in the position.
05:06 So if you're truly a player, you're gonna find you another position to play
05:11 because you just wanna be on the field.
05:15 >> Right, that's- >> So I ended up playing defensive end,
05:18 as a ninth grader, man, starting defensive end.
05:21 And then from that point, my 10th grade year, I asked them,
05:25 I said, hey, can I try out for quarterback?
05:27 They were kinda hesitant.
05:29 And I told them, I said, I go back to defensive end, but just give me a chance.
05:34 And if you like what I'm doing, let me stay there.
05:37 So they put me in the position and from that, man, it is what it is.
05:45 I went on, played quarterback, pretty much my 10th grade,
05:49 11th grade year, I played quarterback and receiver.
05:53 My senior high school, played strictly quarterback and I went to Cookman.
05:56 Went to Bethune as a quarterback and then I ended up getting switched.
06:02 After my red shirt year, I got switched back to receiver because all the receivers
06:06 was pretending like they were hurt cuz they didn't wanna go through tour days.
06:11 >> Right, right.
06:13 >> So the coach put me over there and I went again to first train defense.
06:19 I end up catching a fade right in the end zone.
06:22 I jumped up over two DBs and caught the ball in the end zone.
06:25 So the coach said, yo, for now your position is wide receiver,
06:28 it's your position unless you lose it.
06:30 So me being a competitor and for yourself by being a competitor,
06:35 only thing we needed that little niche just to give us a little bit,
06:39 get our foot in the door.
06:41 So when he sat there and said, this is your position,
06:45 you are the starting receiver unless you lose it.
06:49 So I couldn't believe him, you telling me I'm the starting receiver right now,
06:55 as of this day, it's up to me to lose it.
06:57 He said, yeah, so that way man, look here, you know what I mean?
07:00 Hey man, look here, look here, I'm a dog, I'm a dog.
07:04 So I was saying no more.
07:06 [LAUGH]
07:08 >> That was it.
07:09 >> [LAUGH] >> During the process of high school when
07:12 you was being recruited, what was, I mean, did you always think about Bethune
07:16 Cookman or were you looking at other places and decided to just stay home?
07:19 What was that process like?
07:21 >> Man, that's a whole nother story, boy, that's a whole nother story.
07:25 But I must admit, I was another head, hard head.
07:31 I can play the game, can play all sports, but
07:36 I must admit, I had a messed up attitude.
07:43 I will play, but then at the same time, I won't listen to the coaches.
07:50 Most times, I tell my coach, this is my team, it ain't yours and
07:55 stuff like that, but because he was new to the school.
07:59 And so, be honest with me, that kind of hurt me on the recruiting trail,
08:04 because I was being recruited by some big name schools.
08:09 I don't wanna put them out there.
08:11 >> I got you.
08:12 >> But I was being recruited by some big name schools and stuff like that.
08:15 But when the school come in there, to talk to the coach,
08:19 at the time, I was kinda looking thick with the coach.
08:22 Because at the same time, he didn't realize he was kinda sort of
08:26 diverting my future, preventing me from possibly going where I could have went and
08:34 could have did better, or I could have went there and not did as good.
08:38 But at the same time, he was just honest and he's hard headed,
08:41 because he didn't wanna mess it up for the guy coming behind me.
08:45 So he was honest with me, he's hard headed, he can play the game, but
08:49 he's hard headed, sometimes he has a messed up attitude.
08:51 So coaches back then, they didn't wanna hear that.
08:54 So they'd venture off and go to other people, but then just so it happened.
09:00 When Cookman, a teacher at the time got a hold of Cookman,
09:04 got a hold of Larry Little down at Cookman, and it pretty much went from there.
09:09 The coach told him the same thing, he got a messed up attitude.
09:12 But Coach Little was just like, I love players like that,
09:15 they got attitude, I can coach them type of players.
09:18 And it pretty much just went from there.
09:20 He didn't let my attitude scare him away,
09:24 because at the same time, the guy knew what I gave him when the game started.
09:31 But in practice, yeah, I was a knucklehead, hard headed in practice,
09:35 but when game time came, I was always there.
09:38 >> Yeah, yeah, let me tell you something, man.
09:42 I learned immediately, coming to the AFL with you,
09:48 just watching you play the game,
09:52 it was truly like watching a highlight reel.
10:00 Practice, games, I would call home and tell my boys from Jersey City at the time,
10:07 I've never seen anybody like this dude.
10:10 [LAUGH] They didn't believe me, they couldn't understand it.
10:15 I said, you really don't understand.
10:18 It doesn't matter what route it's called, it doesn't matter who's on defense,
10:24 it really does not matter.
10:26 This dude is one of the greatest pure receivers I've ever seen.
10:31 So interestingly enough, I was glad that when people got a chance to see
10:36 what I was saying, they too echoed the same sentiments.
10:40 So I wasn't crazy when I was telling them who you were.
10:45 I'm like, nah, this dude is, again, playing at West Virginia,
10:49 we had some great ones, man.
10:51 We had some great ones now, Reggie Rembrandt and those guys, and
10:54 Granice Bell, and Harvey Smith, we had some great receivers.
10:57 Just watch your ability to track a ball,
11:05 no matter how it was thrown, no matter where it was thrown, in all hands.
11:11 You know what I mean?
11:11 It's just great hands.
11:13 You don't see that too much, even in today's game.
11:17 I still see receivers, they're body catchers.
11:20 They catch it with their body.
11:22 They don't wanna extend their hands out from their body.
11:25 And I'm gonna tell you, again, watching what I've watched and
11:30 what I've learned from you through all those years,
11:34 I still hold receivers, to be honest with you, Stevie, to your standards.
11:40 >> [LAUGH] >> That's just me, though.
11:42 >> That's an honor, man, I appreciate that, man.
11:46 >> Crazy, it was one of them things, man,
11:49 the AFL provided some things even for me, although I never had a chance to play
11:53 my natural position in the AFL because I'm not a receiver, I'm not a DB,
11:58 I was a tailback.
12:00 But being athletic enough to make it work was a blessing, and
12:03 I learned so much from that league.
12:05 People don't really understand how competitive and
12:10 how difficult it is to play in AFL, especially back then.
12:14 >> Correct.
12:15 >> With a whole lot of back talent.
12:17 >> Right.
12:18 >> So what are some of the greatest, I know it's a lot because your career was
12:22 such an illustrious career, but if you had to go back and
12:26 pick two or three moments in your career, what would be some of the favorite moments?
12:32 >> My God, dude, if you're just looking at just the fact of
12:38 the camaraderie back then was, man,
12:43 it was just amazing, the camaraderie that we had back
12:49 when we played with that team.
12:53 People didn't expect for us to be able to do the things that we did.
12:58 >> Right. >> But when you start looking at what was
13:02 individual play, and you're looking at specific plays and stuff like that,
13:08 man, it's really hard to pinpoint one.
13:11 But I would have to sit there and say, and
13:15 91 against Detroit is when I really, my first year joining them,
13:22 was like going into the sixth year, the sixth game of the season.
13:27 So at the same time, nobody really knew who I was.
13:30 But initially, when the storm was actually being brought to the St.
13:36 Pete area, because back then we played in the actual city of St.
13:39 Petersburg at the now Tropicana, which back when we played,
13:44 it was called Thunder something, Thunderdome.
13:51 >> Yeah. >> Thunderdome, so
13:52 we were the only professional team occupying the arena.
13:57 So I had to say 91 because nobody really knew who I was.
14:01 But the original coaches who was gonna be a part of that team,
14:05 who were with the Bucks, some of them got released and
14:07 they were gonna be a part of the storm.
14:09 And they were the one that originally contacted me and
14:13 thought that it would be a good opportunity for me to keep on playing.
14:17 Especially after what happened in the World League.
14:21 But 91, when I caught the, I said,
14:25 like I said, about me being new when I caught the game winning touchdown
14:30 pass from Jay Gruden in 1991, again, Detroit Drive.
14:33 Because they were the Mecca team of the Arena Football League back then.
14:38 I think once that happened, that actual game,
14:42 I think I had like four touchdowns in that game.
14:45 And that really started making people really pay attention
14:52 to me in the Arena Football League.
14:55 And it really much went from there.
14:56 So I would say that particular game and that game winning touchdown,
15:02 I say that the best one.
15:04 I had others, but I would say because of that being the first one,
15:08 which catapulted my Arena Football League career.
15:11 >> Man, I'm gonna tell you something, 152 touchdowns.
15:15 [BLANK_AUDIO]
15:18 [LAUGH] >> Just saying that out loud,
15:23 it's like those are pinball numbers.
15:26 >> Right, right.
15:28 >> But you don't mean, do you ever, and I know cuz I've always found you to be,
15:35 because of the things that you've done, I've always found you to be very humble.
15:39 >> Right, yeah.
15:41 >> You know what I'm saying?
15:43 How hard was it?
15:45 Because again, look, I know when I came to Tampa in 1992,
15:49 there were places we went and was getting more respect than the Bucks was getting.
15:55 >> Right, right, you're absolutely right, yeah.
15:58 >> How hard was that for you to walk around being Stevie Thomas?
16:02 Like, look, I know it was like playing with you for
16:07 the few games I played before I went to Orlando in, bruh.
16:11 Rockstar status, how difficult was that to micromanage and
16:18 still be consistent and disciplined enough to come in?
16:21 And I mean, you did it day in, day out, game in, game out, very consistent.
16:26 How was that?
16:28 >> Well, I'm not gonna say it was hard, but
16:33 I think a lot of that began when I went to coach my plan for Coach Nutter.
16:40 Because he's pretty much, let me sit there and say he's a hall of famer.
16:45 He's my man, my mentor, my coach, he's that guy.
16:51 So I say, he instilled that in us by us playing with him at Cookman.
16:57 Because I always tell people, you come into Cookman as a boy, but
17:02 when you leave Cookman, you leave as a man, because that's how he groomed us.
17:07 So when I say that for myself, he groomed me in a way to where when I came to
17:12 practice, to where I practiced the way I played the game.
17:17 So if I came to practice bulljabbing like I was in high school,
17:20 I would come in bulljabbing around.
17:22 But when I went to college, he taught me how to practice.
17:26 So he said, if you wanna make the game easy, you bust your butt in practice,
17:31 you run everything full speed, you do everything 110%.
17:36 That way come Saturday on college game day,
17:41 the game comes easy to you.
17:44 So I took that mentality with me, even when I was with the Bucks,
17:49 even though I don't feel it, though they should have released me.
17:53 But that's another story, and my bench is in the arena football.
17:57 So I still carry that mentality that when I came to practice,
18:02 either you're gonna practice on my level, or I'm gonna embarrass you.
18:09 So I felt as though in order for me to get better and
18:14 stay at that consistency, consistent and stay at that level,
18:20 I had to be willing to go that hard and expect for my teammates to go just as
18:25 hard in order to make me better, in order for me to make them better.
18:28 So that way the game came simple to us.
18:30 >> I'm gonna tell you, great coaches do that, don't they?
18:34 >> Yes, sir. >> I know me playing for
18:36 Don Nealon, he did the same for us at WVU.
18:39 He expected, what he expected for you in practice had to pour over into the games,
18:45 because he wasn't taking nothing short.
18:48 He understood what we had, he knew exactly what to get out of each player, and
18:52 that's why we were as good as we were.
18:53 So great coaches, they do have that.
18:56 I mean, and I do think it helps you later on in life as well,
19:00 because as we both know, sports is a microcosm of life.
19:04 >> Yeah, yeah.
19:05 >> Even in the profession what you're doing right now, if you don't mind sharing,
19:11 I know, well, I'm gonna let you say it.
19:14 I'm gonna let you say it, cuz there are two things in your profession
19:19 that's incredible even outside of professional sports.
19:24 >> Right, right, well, for those that don't know,
19:28 I've also been in law enforcement now for over 30 years.
19:33 I had the blessing to be able to play arena football and
19:38 at the same time when I left football practice,
19:43 I would go to my law enforcement job.
19:47 And for those who know, who understand the law enforcement field,
19:52 man, you gotta be ready for everything at any given time.
19:57 So a lot of that, what I was instilled,
20:00 even though in my house when I was young, my mom was instilling this and
20:06 instilling that, but you really don't understand it until you start getting
20:12 older and older, as I went into college, like I said, Coach Lutter,
20:17 then playing arena football, everything I learned from college into playing sports.
20:24 It also carried into my profession because I went to work every day,
20:29 preparing myself with that mentality that, you know what,
20:33 I'm coming home every day, understand trying to be sharp with everything you
20:38 do when you're dealing with people being sharp, watching this and watching that.
20:44 But at the same time, I'm hoping to make it to the next two years so
20:49 I can retire, but it has been one hell of a ride on both ends,
20:54 law enforcement and in football.
20:58 >> Wow, and that's the thing, man, I'm hoping, the one thing I love about
21:03 this particular platform in my show is I want young people and adults as well,
21:09 parents or whatever to understand.
21:11 I don't just bring people on just for the sake of bringing them on.
21:13 There's always a great story behind every guest.
21:17 And this is important because you're talking about the self discipline,
21:20 you're talking about the intellectual fortitude to still do the things that you
21:24 need to do even after playing football.
21:27 But you was doing that while you were playing in the arena football league.
21:31 >> Yes.
21:32 >> How, I mean, so those are things that our young people need to pick up on.
21:37 Like now, I have it and I've seen it.
21:40 I've been in education for, this is my 26 years teaching special education, right?
21:47 And I talked to my kids about just the important,
21:50 like the intestinal fortitude to work hard, have a great work ethic.
21:54 Nowadays, young people don't wanna have a great work ethic.
21:57 They really believe that just because they got some talent, be it great or
22:01 marginal, whatever, it's an eye of the beholder, that they don't have to work and
22:06 things are gonna just fall in their hands.
22:08 >> That they're entitled to it.
22:10 >> They're entitled, if you don't mind, I got a few minutes left, but
22:13 if you don't mind, Steve, could you please speak to that?
22:17 What advice would you give a young student athlete or
22:20 anyone that's aspiring to reach a goal?
22:23 What advice would you give them?
22:26 >> My first advice, I'll explain to them, first understand,
22:30 before you're an athlete, before you're a football player, basketball,
22:35 baseball, whatever you play, by your school, you are a student.
22:39 First off, you are a student.
22:40 So understand, it doesn't matter how great of an athlete you are,
22:46 if you don't have the education to back it, your ventures won't be going nowhere.
22:52 So you gotta understand that all of it is about being disciplined,
22:55 being dedicated, being determined, and being disciplined.
23:00 Like I said, having that fortitude to do everything that's needed in order to be
23:05 successful, being successful in the classroom, being successful in your
23:10 private life, and also being successful on the field of battle.
23:16 All that comes into one is a prep thing for your whole entire life.
23:23 So everything that you're gonna learn on the field,
23:25 you need to be able to carry it off the field.
23:26 So understand, nobody's gonna give you nothing in this world.
23:31 You're gonna have to be that dog.
23:34 You always hear coaches saying, I got these dogs, I got this here.
23:38 In the sports world, that's them guys that, man, they're gonna get down and
23:43 dirty.
23:44 So you gotta be prepared to get down and
23:46 dirty if you wanna be successful in this world.
23:49 >> Man, Stevie, listen, dude, you have no idea.
23:54 I appreciate, again, I know how busy your schedule is.
23:58 And before we get off this thing, look, I know,
24:02 are you still the head coach of the Tampa Bay Tornadoes?
24:09 >> Well, that's kind of- >> Okay.
24:15 >> Kind of got to be put to the side right now because of some things that were
24:19 going on here locally in the Tampa Bay area.
24:22 They moved the team to the Tallahassee area.
24:26 >> Got you.
24:27 >> But at the same time, I couldn't make that transition because I'm still here.
24:32 But hopefully if everything works out, if some things still coming down in the pipe,
24:36 then I would definitely keep you informed, my man.
24:39 >> Please do, cuz I'm gonna tell you one thing I'm gonna do.
24:41 I see the AFL's coming back 2024.
24:43 >> Yeah.
24:44 >> I'm excited about that.
24:45 Look, I'm 57, but I think I got one or two returns in me.
24:49 >> [LAUGH] I bring you in, boy, I bring you in, I bring you in, I got you.
24:54 [LAUGH] >> But man, I'm looking forward to it,
24:59 man, I'm looking forward, as always, to stay in touch.
25:02 And keep me posted on what you're doing, man.
25:05 I mean, it's been a great journey, a great teammate, a great friend.
25:10 And I appreciate you, man, I really do, Stevie.
25:13 >> Appreciate you too, my man, always, you know that, nothing but love, boy.
25:17 >> Appreciate you, so what I'm gonna do, I'm gonna hit you up.
25:19 As soon as I get off this, man, I'm gonna hit you up.
25:22 >> All right, all right.
25:23 >> All right, to all the fans, this is the great Stevie Thomas.
25:26 And again, I thank you for taking the time to jump on my show with me, man.
25:29 The Hall of Famer, one of the greatest to ever do it on any level, so please.
25:34 Matter of fact, if you really wanna do yourself some justice, go look him up.
25:40 Go Google Stevie Thomas AFL and see what you find out.
25:44 And you will enjoy what you see, trust me.
25:47 All right, man, I appreciate you.
25:48 Bye.