NFL prospects wait nervously this time of year waiting for teams looking to fill a need on their roster to give them that life-changing phone call. Free agent linebacker Carlos Thompson Jr. knows the feeling because he experienced four years ago when the Houston Texans signed him as an undrafted player before the 2015 season. After four years in the league, at 27 years of age, the former Simmons High Blue Devil is back in that familiar place of waiting on the phone to ring to see if someone needs his services. But, this time, the nervousness is absent. “If the phone doesn’t ring, then that’s fine,” he said. “I won’t be sad or depressed. I definitely want to keep playing but there are some things that my dad and the rest of our family are looking in business beyond football.”
Thompson Jr.’s outlook midway through a pro football career is the product of two very committed and athletic parents. Carlos Thompson Sr. is a former standout at Jackson State University whose wife Jackie is a hall of fame volleyball player at Alcorn State University. Thompson Sr. also won a state championship as Simmons High School head football coach and is now contemplating retirement. The son said that as an athlete, he inherited the best of both worlds from his parents- natural strength from his dad to push offensive lineman back who outweigh him by 50 pounds and his mom’s speed an agility to chase down wide receivers and running back. But there is a deeper gift that has been given that has enable Thompson Jr. to enjoy a good professional career. “When my son became an NFL player, I was ecstatic,” said Thompson Sr. “It was surreal. I told him that your athletic ability will give you a chance to play, but your character is what will carry you a long way.”
Somehow, the steady calmness of his father and competitive spirit of his mother resonated over the years as they traveled to camps across the country to sharpen their son’s skills. When it was time for bright lights and the big city, those values helped him through injuries, being waived and all that come with the life of a pro athlete. “There are a lot of distractions that are naturally going to come your way just by living in a big city,” Thompson Jr. explained. “My advice to anyone about to start a pro career is to remember the friends and family that you grew up with because they have your best interest at heart. And they knew you before you became a professional athlete.”
Thompson Jr. last played for the Los Angeles Rams until being waived midway through the season after sustaining a pectoral injury. He said that whether he gets a call or not, he has plans and a criminal justice degree just in case he needs it. “I’ve had a great experience so far and I’ve been able to play with some hall of fame level talent and not many people get the opportunity that I’ve gotten,” Thompson Jr. said. “But football is a brutal game that the human body wasn’t designed to do. And I really thank my dad for continuing to stress the importance of training and taking care of my body.”
