Russ Thomas
John Russell Thomas was an American football tackle who played four seasons with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Lions in the third round of the 1946 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ohio State University after attending Charleston High School in Charleston, West Virginia. His playing career ended in 1949 after he suffered a knee injury. Thomas was an assistant coach on the Detroit Lions' 1952 and 1953 NFL Championship teams. He also served as the general manager of the Lions from 1967 until his retirement in 1989. He died in his sleep on March 19, 1991. The Detroit Lions players wore a silver football shaped patch on the left chest of their jerseys with the initials 'JRT' in his memory during the 1991 season.
