Ambry Thomas

Class:
Junior
Position:
DB
Height:
6-0
Weight:
182
Hometown:
Detroit, Mich.
High School:
Martin Luther King

CAREER BESTS
Defense
• Tackles: 6, 2x (last at Indiana, Nov. 23, 2019)
• Solos: 5, at Indiana (Nov. 23, 2019)
• Asst: 2, vs. Michigan State (Nov. 16, 2019)
• TFLs: 1.0, 2x - last vs Michigan State (Nov. 16, 2019)
• Sacks: none
• Int.: 1, 4x - last vs. Michigan State (Nov. 16, 2019)
• FR: 1, 5x - last vs. Iowa (Oct. 5, 2019)
• PBUs: 3, at Illinois (Oct. 12, 2019)

Kick Returns
• Returns: 6, at Ohio State (Nov. 24, 2018)
• Yards: 120, at Notre Dame (Sept. 1, 2018)
• Long: 99, at Notre Dame (Sept. 1, 2019)
• TDs: 1, at Notre Dame (Sept. 1, 2019)

At Michigan
• All-Big Ten honoree (third team, coaches; honorable mention, media, 2019)
• Appeared in 39 games as a Wolverine, with 13 starts at cornerback
• Special teams contributor throughout his career with one kick return touchdown (at Notre Dame, Sept. 1, 2018)
• Academic All-Big Ten honoree (2018)
• Named the team's 2019 Defensive Skill Player of the Year
• Co-Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week (Sept. 3, 2018) after his performance against Notre Dame
• Three-year letterman (2017-18-19)

Junior (2019)
• Started all 13 games as a defensive back and also played special teams, finished with 38 tackles, 3.0 for loss, seven pass breakups with three interceptions, two fumble recoveries to earn his third varsity letter
• Named the team's Defensive Skill Player of the Year
• Named to Pro Football Focus College's All-Big Ten Team on defense (second team, cornerback)
• Midseason All-American selection by Pro Football Focus College (flex defense)
• Named Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against Middle Tennessee State
• Shared Defensive Player of the Game honors with the entire defense for their performance against Iowa
• Three times named to the Pro Football Focus College's All- Big Ten Team (cornerback) after his performances against Iowa, Illinois and Maryland
• Named co-Defensive Player of the Game for his performance against Michigan State
• Started at cornerback and made one tackle for loss, one interception and one fumble recovery against Middle Tennessee State (Aug. 31), also contributing on special teams
• Played defensive back and special teams against Army (Sept. 7)
• Credited with three tackles at Wisconsin (Sept. 21)
• Made three solo tackles, including one for loss, against Rutgers (Sept. 28)
• Recovered a fumble, picked off a pass, and made two tackles against Iowa (Oct. 5)
• Set a career-high with three pass breakups and also made three solo tackles at Illinois (Oct. 12)
• Contributed two solo tackles at Penn State (Oct. 19)
• Made three solo tackles playing defensive back against Notre Dame (Oct. 26)
• Credited with a pair of solo tackles at Maryland (Nov. 2)
• Picked off one pass and set a career-high with six tackles including one for loss against Michigan State (Nov. 16)
• Registered six tackles including five solo stops at Indiana (Nov. 23)
• Totaled two tackles against Ohio State (Nov. 30)
• Made four tackles in a start against Alabama in the Vrbo Citrus Bowl (Jan. 1)

Sophomore (2018)
• Appeared in all 13 games on special teams, played defensive back in eight and saw snaps on offense in two; recorded nine tackles and returned 19 kickoffs for 412 yards and one touchdown to earn his second varsity letter
• Academic All-Big Ten honoree
• Along with the entire defense, secured a share of Defensive Player of the Week honors for their contributions towards the team performance against Michigan State
• Returned a kickoff 99 yards for the first touchdown of his career at Notre Dame (Sept. 1) and also made one assisted tackle while playing cornerback and contributing elsewhere on special teams
• Registered the fourth kickoff return touchdown of 99 yards or more in Michigan history at Notre Dame
• Made one solo stop and recorded one pass breakup while playing defensive back and contributing on special teams against Western Michigan (Sept. 8)
• Saw snaps at cornerback and on special teams against SMU (Sept. 15)
• Made a solo tackle and recovered a fumble playing cornerback and contributing on special teams against Nebraska (Sept. 22)
• Played special teams at Northwestern (Sept. 29) and returned two kicks for 35 total yards
• Played a few snaps on offense and also contributed on special teams against Maryland (Oct. 6)
• Contributed on special teams and also played offense against Wisconsin (Oct. 13)
• Made one assisted stop playing defensive back and also returned kickoffs and contributed on special teams at Michigan State (Oct. 20)
• Credited with two solo tackles while playing defensive back and contributing on special teams against Penn State (Nov. 3) including a 27-yard kickoff return
• Totaled three tackles and made his first career interception at Rutgers (Nov. 10)
• Played cornerback and contributed on special teams against Indiana (Nov. 17) and at Ohio State (Nov. 24)
• Played defensive back and contributed on special teams against Florida in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl (Dec. 29)

Freshman (2017)
• Played in all 13 games and produced a total of 396 kickoff return yards and earned his first varsity letter
• Made his collegiate debut on special teams against Florida at the Advocare Classic (Sept. 2), forcing and recovering a fumble on kickoff coverage
• Contributed on special teams against Cincinnati (Sept. 9), Air Force (Sept. 16) and Purdue (Sept. 23)
• Returned a kickoff 30 yards against Michigan State (Oct. 7) and contributed elsewhere on special teams as well
• Played defensive back and returned kickoffs, among other responsibilities, while contriuting on special teams at Indiana (Oct. 14) and making one solo stop
• Contributed on special teams at Penn State (Oct. 21), returning three kickoffs for 87 yards with a long of 43
• Returned three kickoffs for a total of 59 yards against Rutgers (Oct. 28), and contributed elsewhere on special teams
• Took three kickoff returns for a total of 62 yards against Minnesota (Nov. 4)
• Returned two kicks for a total of 31 yards at Maryland (Nov. 11), and earned snaps on defense at cornerback as well
• Took two kickoff returns for a total of 37 yards with a 28-yard long at Wisconsin (Nov. 18)
• Returned four kickoffs for 56 total yards against Ohio State (Nov. 25)
• Took a pair of kickoff returns out for 34 total yards in the Outback Bowl against South Carolina (Jan. 1) and recorded one solo tackle playing on special teams
• Also recovered a fumble while playing on special teams

Prep
• Attended Martin Luther King High School (2017) coached by Tyrone Spencer
• Led Martin Luther King to consecutive Michigan Division 2 state championships in 2015 and 2016
• Helped team to a 12-2 overall record during his senior year

Key Statistics
• Made 34 catches for 903 yards and 14 touchdowns as a receiver senior year
• Recorded 44 tackles, 14 pass breakups, three interceptions as a senior
• Returned an interception for a touchdown, a punt return for a score and a kickoff return for a touchdown as a senior
• Missed half of his junior season due to injury, but still managed more than 800 yards receiving, 10 touchdowns, three return touchdowns, and two interceptions
• Scored eight touchdowns and had four interceptions as a sophomore

Honors and Rankings
• Played in the 2017 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
• ESPN four-star recruit, ranked No. 186 player nationally and the No. 3 prospect in Michigan
• 247.com four-star recruit, rated No. 94 prospect nationally and the No. 13 cornerback in the country
• Rivals four-star recruit, rated the No. 15 cornerback and the No. 2 player in Michigan
• PrepStar four-star recruit and rated as the nation's No. 84 prospect
• 2016 Associated Press Division 1-2 First Team All-State as a wide receiver
• 2016 Detroit News and Detroit Free Press All-State Dream Team
• Member of the PrepStar Top 150 Dream Team
• MLive Detroit Offensive Dream Team Member as a wide receiver
• A second-team selection to the MaxPreps 2016 All-America squad
• All-USA Michigan first-team defensive back in 2016
• Top-10 selection for Michigan High School Football Player of the Year
• Attended the 2016 The Opening in Beaverton, Oregon

Personal
• Ambry Thomas was born Sept. 9, 1999
• Attended the same high school as Michigan player Lavert Hill
• Cousin of fellow Wolverine Jaylen Kelly Powell
• Enrolled in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts

Coach Mike Zordich on Ambry Thomas
"Ambry is a real competitor. He is very feisty and another one of our players who I can't wait to get on the field. He is very athletic and played both ways in high school. He was an excellent receiver on offense in high school, so he is an exciting individual. We are glad to have him at Michigan and look forward to working with him."

In the Words of the Thomas Family
"Ambry has been so dedicated to himself and his goals these past two or three years. He enrolled in classes while maintaining a workout schedule, attending team practices and taking care of his home and social lives. With hard work and dedication, Ambry was able to enroll early at the University of Michigan, becoming part of a top-notch football program and a phenomenal academic institution.

"He's a mild-mannered, monotone individual who plays an aggressive sport, and that has resulted in his transformation to a driven, devoted, confident but not cocky individual. Ambry is a well-rounded, caring, responsible individual who is protective, humble and ambitious and dedicated but is also respectful, mild-mannered and driven.

"On the field, he is a skilled player but is also a team player. He is a leader and has no fear of competition. Ambry displays awareness and vision as a player, and he is always focused.

"A funny story about Bry is when he first began playing football with the Detroit Police Athletic League Broncos at five years old, he was thrown the ball. He took off running through the whole team towards the wrong end zone due to his watching the cheerleaders. Everyone screamed 'Wrong way, Bry!' and at the other teams' 20-yard line, he zig-zagged through the whole team once again, going the other way, for a touchdown. After he just smiled at the coaches with a missing front tooth.

"Bry is a humble man who sets a great example for his younger siblings and peers. These great examples are set by his excellent grades at school, his achievements in sports and the way he takes initiative at home and on the field."