By Joe Mussatto, Sports Editor of The Oklahoma Daily

Cornerback Jordan Thomas reviews a chemistry assignment with his tutor Wednesday evening. Photo by Tony Ragle/The OU Daily

Some students choose OU because of its esteemed engineering school while others come to play for the school’s storied football program. Jordan Thomas is an exception that fits into both categories. The freshman cornerback and mechanical engineering major has chemistry and calculus books sitting alongside his defensive playbook. “Everyone’s dream is to go the NFL but we all know football is going to end eventually,” he said. “It’s a great degree to have and a great fall back.”

The “CB” next to his name on Oklahoma’s roster signifies his position but in high school it was all about AP — as in advanced placement courses. AP world history, U.S. history, calculus and physics comprised his curriculum. While Thomas couldn’t remember what he scored on the ACT, he knows it wasn’t half-bad. “I took it once and it was good enough to get me into Northwestern,” he said. Luckily for coach Bob Stoops, Thomas came to Norman despite originally committing to the prestigious Big Ten institution. In addition to a close proximity to home, the Klein, Texas, native wanted to pick a school that would best satisfy both of his passions.

Oklahoma was the answer. “OU gave him the opportunity to compete at a high level athletically and in the classroom,” Curley Thomas, Jordan’s father, said.

While the first several weeks have been busy, a heavy mixture of coursework and football activities, the cornerback hasn’t considered switching his line of study. “That’d be taking the easy way out and that’s something I never want to do,” he said. “If you’re going to be successful in life you’ve got to challenge yourself and that’s what I’m doing.” He’s enrolled in 13 hours this semester and his Wednesday schedule is packed with classes from 8:30 a.m. to 2:20 p.m.

Sophomore cornerback Zack Sanchez has mentored Thomas and said teammates understand when he shows up to practice a little late because of class or has to skip out on other activities in order to study. “I don’t know how he does it,” Sanchez said. “I know I was overwhelmed as a freshman when I had light classes. The other day he was talking about a chemistry test he had to go study for and I was like ‘go ahead, go study for it.’”

Despite the heavy academic load, Thomas has been an early surprise on the field for the Sooners. The three-star recruit recorded four tackles against Louisiana Tech and has played in every game. His academic prowess translates to the field. “I came in here with the mindset that I was going to learn the defense better than anyone else,” Thomas said. “Everyone’s ginormous and everyone’s fast so you just have to fit in and start from the bottom to get bigger, faster and stronger.” Where the 6-foot-1, 183-pound defender has lacked physically, he’s made up for it mentally. But sometimes his intelligence gets in the way. “He wants to overanalyze things,” his father said. “I always tell him, ‘stop thinking so much and just play football.’” His teammates and coaches like to give him a hard time about it. “When he messes up we’ll be like, ‘yeah he’s an engineering major.’ We’re always messing with him,” Sanchez said.

All jokes aside, Sanchez sees something special in Thomas. He spoke glowingly of the young corner’s ability to keep his life balanced despite his numerous responsibilities. Sanchez credited Thomas’ parents for Jordan’s success. His mother is an educator and although Curley said the importance of academics was always made clear, he gave all the credit to his son for having a plan. “He understands that he probably has to study more than the normal football player,” Curley said. “He has to get more tutoring. But at the end of the day, he understands that there’s life after football.”

Jordan Thomas is already preparing for that life. It might come in a few years or it might be after a long and successful NFL career. Until then, if he’s not on the football field, check an engineering classroom. “I try not to tell people that I’m a football player,” he said. “Not because I’m ashamed of it, but I just want to be known as a student first.”