OXNARD, Calif. – ABC television wanted a copy of the tape, so Jim
Bennett had to dig through some boxes to find it. When he put the tape
in the VCR, Bennett remembered that October night in 1998 at Pennington
Field.
Tyson Thompson set a Class 5A rushing record for a game with 525 yards
in a win against Hurst L.D. Bell. His seven touchdowns came on runs of
50 yards or more. He made people miss. He ran by them.
"I forgot how amazing it was, what he did that night," said Bennett,
Thompson's coach at Irving.
It was so easy for Thompson then. He was one of the best running backs
in the nation, according to the recruiting experts. But five years after
graduating high school, Thompson is trying to make the Cowboys as an
undrafted free agent.
Along the way, he went through several hardships that led him to Garden
City, Kan., San Jose State and finally the Cowboys' Valley Ranch
facility, a few miles from where he went to high school.
So far, Thompson has been one of the best stories in training camp. He
is forcing his way onto Bill Parcells' roster with his running. In the
preseason opener last week at Arizona, Thompson carried 10 times for 64
yards. In preparing for Monday's game at Seattle, Thompson took some
work with the second-team offense.
Just in case, ABC, which is televising Monday's game, wanted the
highlights of Thompson's record-setting night nearly seven years ago.
"I didn't know I had that many yards," Thompson said. "I thought I had
like 300."
RANDY ELI GROTHE / DMN
Irving's Tyson Thompson set a Class 5A rushing record with 525 yards
in a 1998 win against L.D. Bell.
This is the chance he dreamed of back then as he watched the Cowboys
from his seat at Texas Stadium.
"A person like me always has got something to prove," Thompson said.
Thompson wanted to go to TCU, where he could follow LaDainian Tomlinson
after a year. Tomlinson hosted Thompson on his campus visit. He could
see nothing but a bright future.
Instead, he never qualified academically. In August 2000, Thompson was
charged with stealing $200 worth of weights from Irving. The charges
were dropped, but when school started, Thompson was home.
He missed the first semester but went to Garden City Community College.
For the first time in his life, he wasn't playing football.
"I didn't think I was done," Thompson said. "I knew I needed to get to
school somewhere to play football and then hopefully get a chance then.
"I felt like I could go somewhere and get a shot."
Unbelievable
In two years, Thompson ran for 1,443 yards and scored 16 touchdowns,
splitting time with Kay-Jay Harris, who went on to West Virginia. But in
Thompson's final game, Garden City coach Bob Larson felt much like
Bennett.
In the Valley of the Sun Bowl against Glendale (Ariz.) College, Thompson
ran for 323 yards on 25 carries. He became the focal point of the
offense because Harris was suspended for the game.
AP
In two years, Tyson Thompson ran for 1,443 yards and scored 16
touchdowns for Garden City C.C.
"I couldn't believe what I saw," Larson said. "It was, 'Holy cow, that's
Tyson Thompson.' A lot of times what happens in junior college for that
last game, like it happens when the pro scouts are watching, they will
air it all out."
Schools again wanted Thompson, and he settled on San Jose State because
its coach, Fitz Hill, attempted to bring him to Arkansas when Thompson
was in high school. Transcript confusion, however, kept Thompson off the
field his first year at San Jose State.
He started eight of 11 games as a junior and finished with 811 yards and
five touchdowns, hardly inspiring numbers, especially for a player who
decided to forgo his senior year.
"Things with my mom and my daughter, I wanted to be able to take care of
them," Thompson said.
His mother, Myra Campbell, has been hospitalized recently. His daughter,
Jaetis, turns 3 next month. But when April's NFL draft ended, Thompson
was not picked. Instead of a larger signing bonus, Thompson received
$10,000 when he signed with the Cowboys. He will earn $230,000 if he
makes the final roster.
"I saw his speed, and I got a couple of phone calls and looked at eight
or nine games, and he showed some flashes," Cowboys running backs coach
Anthony Lynn said. "He had better hands and carried his pads better than
any back in the draft, in my opinion."
That included the second overall pick, Miami's Ronnie Brown, No. 4 pick
Cedric Benson (Chicago) and the No. 5 pick, Cadillac Williams (Tampa
Bay). They may have timed fast, but they don't play that fast, according
to Lynn.
Getting his chance
Parcells needed to see more than ability. He needed to meet with
Thompson, but after a workout for local players, Thompson left the
building and was driving home when he got a call on his cellphone to
come back.
Thompson met with Parcells for about an hour. Parcells told him he was
interested, told him he didn't want problematic people and what it would
be like for him if he joined the Cowboys.
"If you do come here and you do what I ask you to do, I'll give you a
chance to play," Parcells told him.
DMN FILE
Tyson Thompson left San Jose State after his junior year.
But Parcells was unsure if Thompson could pick up the mental part of the
game.
"One of the more important things you can do as a coach with young
players is to try to determine how they learn very quickly," Parcells
said. "Does he learn by someone telling him? Does he learn by someone
illustrating it? Does he learn by doing it? Do you have to tell him,
show him and do it?"
Thompson learned by doing. He learned by visualizing, like he did when
he watched Emmitt Smith run. Growing up, he would always be Smith. His
brother, Doug, would be Michael Irvin. He used to go to the Thanksgiving
game every year. He even played a few regular-season and playoff games
in high school at Texas Stadium.
"Growing up, I always watched the Cowboys and Emmitt Smith, and it's
just surreal to be competing for a spot on the hometown team, America's
Team," Thompson said.
E-mail
tarcher@dallasnews.com
Ht., Wt.: 6-1, 215
High school: Irving
College: Garden City Community College; San Jose State
Highlights: As a senior at Irving, he rushed for 2,418
yards on 358 carries and scored 160 points. ... In his final game at
Garden City, he rushed 25 times for 323 yards and three touchdowns.
