Jordan Thomas’ Poor Choices Punish the Entire Sooner Team
By Chip Rouse
Oklahoma starting cornerback Jordan Thomas’ recent run-in with the law is likely to hurt much more than his roster status to start the season.
Another in what has become a pattern of off-the-field issues involving the All-Big 12 defensive back just may cost the entire Sooner team dearly if his expected absence causes them to trip up right out of starting gate in the very first game of what is expected to be a championship-caliber 2016 season.
I don’t see any way head coach Bob Stoops doesn’t suspend Thomas for the opener if not the first several games of the 2016 season. And that might be the minimum disciplinary action that can be expected after the junior cornerback was arrested early Thursday morning following an incident outside of a popular sports bar on Campus Corner in Norman.
According to the Norman Police Department report, police were summoned after a fight broke out. When police officers arrived, Thomas was seen running away from the scene. He was pursued and eventually apprehended and arrested. Thomas faces charges of public intoxication, assault and battery and interference.
In the report filed by the arresting officer and cited in an ESPN.com article, it was stated that Thomas had “slurred speech,” had the smell of alcohol on his person and admitted to having “six shots.”
Bob Stoops is a big believer in second chances when a player demonstrates that he has learned from his mistake(s), changed his behavior and is worthy of such consideration. This does not seem to apply to Thomas, however.
A year ago, the Sooners’ lone returning starter at cornerback this coming season was sat down for part of the home opener with Akron and then suspended for the Tulsa game a couple of weeks later for what were described as team violations. At the time of the suspension for the Tulsa game, Stoops reportedly admonished Thomas for letting his team down.
The OU defensive back also was arrested in December last year for failing to appear in court on a traffic citation he had received last July.
All University of Oklahoma officials have said publicly so far about Thomas’ arrest Thursday morning is the perfunctory response: “We are aware of the situation, will monitor it and act accordingly.”
This is a troubling situation on many levels. First of all, to the best of my knowledge, Thomas is only 20 years old. So he is not even of legal age to drink, which is a problem in and of itself.
It would appear that he was already on shaky ground with both Bob and Mike Stoops, the Sooners’ defensive coordinator, before this latest incident as a result of past behavior. You would think that if Thomas really cared about his future – and more broadly about his team and teammates – he would not knowingly put himself in harms way and in the precarious position he is now in.
Then, again, we’re talking about a soon-to-be third-year college kid who is supposed to know better, but we also know that college-aged youth don’t always make the best decisions.
As a standout back-end defender on a team that is counting on its defensive leaders to pick up a team that lost four starters from last year’s team, more is and should be expected of a player who has been a starter for the past one and a half seasons.
The Sooners are set to face two ranked teams in the first three games of the 2016 season, and they are now likely to do so without the services of a returning starter at either of the two cornerback positions, a critical vulnerability against teams with prolific offensive attacks such as Houston and Ohio State.
Thomas’ teammate last season at the other corner position was Zack Sanchez, who is now in the NFL.
As much as it could hurt Oklahoma’s defensive play this season, I believe the right thing to do in this highly disappointing and regrettable situation, is to cut bait with the talented Thomas for the greater good of the Sooner brand and the football team.
Thomas has clearly shown repeated unacceptable behavior, not to mention irresponsibility and selfishness by actions highly detrimental to his team. It would not be helpful to him or fair to his teammates – and goes without saying it would be a horrible precedent – to let him off the hook, yet again, with what would amount to a mere slap on the wrist.
The Sooners have talent on the depth chart at the defensive secondary position, They need to surface it – sooner rather than later while there is still time to adjust ahead of the season – and let the cream rise to the top.