Leonard Thompson (American football)

Leonard Thompson
Date of birth	July 28, 1952 (age 71)
Place of birth	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Career information
Position(s)	Wide receiver
US college	Oklahoma State
NFL draft	1975 / Round: 8 / Pick: 194
Career history
As player
1975–1986	Detroit Lions
Career stats
	Playing stats at DatabaseFootball.com;

Leonard Irwin Thompson (born July 28, 1952 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League who spent his entire NFL career with the Detroit Lions (1975–1986).

Thompson was an eighth-round pick in the 1975 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma State. He spent his first five seasons as a backup at halfback and wideout for the Lions. On December 11, 1977, Thompson blocked a David Lee punt on the Baltimore Colts 21 yard line, returning it 2 yards for a touchdown with 14 seconds left in the game. The clutch play gave the Lions an improbable 13-10 victory.

In 1980, Thompson earned a starting role as wide receiver opposite Freddie Scott. Thompson caught 19 passes for 511 yards and 3 touchdowns. He caught another 214 passes over the next six seasons, including 26 touchdowns. He would lead the Lions in receiving in 1985 with 51 catches, for 736 yards and 5 scores.

Thompson’s career ended when the Lions released him before the start of the 1987 season. He played all 12 seasons of his career with the Lions, scoring 39 total touchdowns.

External links

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