Julius Thomas races to the end zone in the second quarter against the Colts on Sunday. (Joe Amon, The Denver Post)
Hope is not a strategy. Julius Thomas didn’t enter training camp thinking he might improve. He guaranteed it with his offseason workouts, including brainstorming sessions with Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez.
Thomas’ work paid off Sunday. He enjoyed a career night, catching three touchdowns, tying Shannon Sharpe’s franchise record for tight ends.
Thomas made a mess of the Colts’ linebackers, and left safety LeRon Landry helpless.
“He’s a monster. A really, really good player,” Colts coach Chuck Pagano said. “He is a match-up nightmare.”
The first touchdown began a huge night for Thomas, who finished with seven catches for 104 yards. He celebrated by tossing the football to his father Greg Thomas.
“He’s hard to miss. He’s kind of a big guy. Somehow he finds a way to make it down to the railing. It’s a good thing he didn’t topple over the rail. It would have gone viral,” Thomas said. “After that first one, when I barely made it, I figured I could just give him the other ones this week.”
Thomas’ father Greg played for Seahawks coach Pete Carroll at Pacific University before blowing out his knee. Dad reminds son that he gets his skills from the family tree.
“He has these beta tapes. They are old and grainy that he tries to show me that he had great hands,” Thomas said with a smirk.
