Sibling Rivalry: Thomas and His Buckeye Brother
11/22/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 22, 2016
By Steve Kornacki
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Michigan free safety Dymonte Thomas has been landing some absolutely explosive hits, breaking up passes like a cornerback and playing his best football ever down the stretch run of his senior season.
The Ohio native will play his final regular-season game Saturday (Nov. 26) at Ohio State and is leaving a ticket for somebody who will be cheering for the Buckeyes -- his older brother, Jordan Washington.
"My brother comes to pretty much every one of our games and he's a big Ohio State fan," explained Thomas. "He was very upset at me for not going to Ohio State, but at the same time he was happy because he said I did something that a lot of kids probably wouldn't have done, and that's going with their heart and doing something different from what every Ohio kid did.
"He's always telling me after every game that the game with Ohio State is getting closer and closer, and it's going to be a good game. He watches our offense and defense every game and said, 'Hey, you guys are actually looking really good. At the beginning of the season, I didn't think y'all were going to give us a run. But I think y'all might give us a little run.' "
The No. 2 Buckeyes and No. 3 Wolverines both are 10-1 overall and 7-1 in the Big Ten. Though, only Michigan controls its own destiny in winning the ultra-competitive East Division. The Wolverines win the division and advance to the Big Ten championship game with a victory, while OSU needs to win and have Michigan State beat Penn State to do that.
Washington, wearing maize and blue clothing, was approached after Saturday's (Nov. 19) 20-10 win over Indiana about his rooting interests deeply rooted in both state allegiance and brotherhood.
"I hope Dymonte is the best player on the field every time I see him play," said Washington, 27. "But, yeah, I will root for Ohio State. I'm from Columbus (laughter). It's in me to be a Buckeye, but I support my brother 100 percent."
Well, not exactly.
Thomas said of his brother: "He will wear my jersey, but then he'll wear like an Ohio State hat. I said, 'You're just defeating the purpose of representing me if you're going to wear an Ohio State hat.' But it's my brother; he's always like that. Growing up, him and I used to fight all the time. So, I'm used to it by now."
-- Thomas on Saturday's game at Ohio State
Dymonte was a two-way threat at Marlington High in Alliance, Ohio. He rushed for 1,270 yards and 18 touchdowns as a senior, while also making 70 tackles with one interception for a team that plays in the Northeastern Buckeye Conference.
So, playing for a school near Akron and 150 miles northeast of Columbus can have a way of pre-determining a high school star's destiny. But Thomas chose Michigan early in his junior season after attending the electric night game win over Notre Dame at Michigan Stadium in 2011.
"I committed after the Notre Dame game," Thomas said. "My dad and godfather were with me, and my dad called my brother and said, 'I don't think your brother is going to go to Ohio State.' He was like, 'What?' "
Then his father handed the phone to Dymonte.
"I'm going Michigan," he told his oldest brother. "I'm being a Wolverine."
Jordan's reaction?
"He hung up the phone," said Dymonte. "I called him back and said, 'Really?' He said, 'No, I'm proud of you.' "
They talked and sparred a bit more before Dymonte hung up on Jordan.
"He's just a goofy big brother," Dymonte said with a smile. "He loves me. One thing my dad always said was, 'God, family, school, football.' He always keeps that up there and says, 'You're my brother. I'm always going to hope you do well against us. I just hope your team don't.'
"I said, 'Well, if you're really my brother, you're going to hope we do good because you've got no one playing for Ohio State.' He said, 'But I am from there.' But I (still) always give him tickets."
Dymonte tried demanding Jordan wear only Michigan gear at the game last year.
"He wore everything Michigan except an undershirt that said, 'Ohio State,' " Dymonte said. "After the game, after they won, he ripped it open, and I said, 'Oh, my God!' But hopefully Saturday we can turn him into a real Michigan fan."
Jordan said something before I walked away from him at Crisler Center that told me there was hope for Dymonte.
"This is going to be a real easy game for me from now on, after Dymonte's done playing," said Jordan. "But 'The Game' is going to be a win-win for me this year. I'd like to see him have the opportunity to win the Big Ten championship and experience that."
His little brother has been peaking as the showdown neared.
Thomas has made 24 tackles in the last three games, equaling his total from all of 2015. He's also broken up three passes in those games with Maryland, Iowa and Indiana.
"He's always given us solid play," said Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh, "and those are big hits, momentum-changing plays. But he's a very good player, and always has been consistently good."
Thomas was at his best on a third-and-three play late in the first quarter against the Hoosiers. Receiver Mitchell Paige caught a pass for two yards, and there was absolutely no doubt that his forward progress would stop right there. Thomas hammered him with a hit that brought a collective groan from the crowd and Paige flew backward for roughly as many yards as he'd gained.
"He got launched!" said Wolverines radio analyst Dan Dierdorf.
"Dynamite" would seem to be a natural nickname for Dymonte, pronounced di-MON-tay.
On a defense where linebacker/defensive back Jabrill Peppers is a Heisman Trophy candidate and cornerback Jourdan Lewis is a Thorpe Award finalist, Thomas, who didn't begin blossoming until his junior season, doesn't get much media attention. But you better believe offensive coordinators give him plenty of consideration in game planning.
Thomas, 6-foot-2 and 199 pounds, leads all pure defensive backs on the team with a career-high 59 tackles and also has seven pass breakups, trailing only cornerbacks Channing Stribling (11) and Lewis (10) in that category to tie for 13th in the Big Ten.
Peppers and Jarrod Wilson, a rookie with the Jacksonville Jaguars, were the starting safeties last year. Thomas and Delano Hill have replaced them admirably, and are a big reason why Michigan has been able to lead the nation in scoring (10.9 points) total (245.6 yards), pass (137 yards) and third down (21.1 percent) defense as well as tackles for loss (9.3 per game).
They hope to win their first Big Ten championship since 2004, and doing so would mean the painting of a steel link onto the wall of the defensive meeting room in Schembechler Hall, connecting this defense to that one 12 years ago.
Thomas said: "Coach Harbaugh said, 'At the end of the tunnel, you know who you've got. So, let's focus on the game in front of us.' But now that game we've been looking at in the end of the tunnel is here, and I can't wait.
"I just know it's going to be a battle. The way I look at it, it's going to be like two kids, meeting in an alley, to fight it out. The winner is going to take it all. That's the way I look at it, and it's going to be a brawl, it's going to be something fun, it's going to be something exciting. I can't wait to play with the guys I came in with. I can't wait to play for Coach Harbaugh. I can't wait to go after them."
And afterward, outside the Michigan locker room at Ohio Stadium, he'll meet his family for what he hopes will be congratulations, big brother Jordan included.
