'Just throw in the tape': Hall of Famer Zach Thomas didn't let size dictate NFL career

Miami Dolphin fans and former NFL players rallied around former middle linebacker Zach Thomas. They wanted to see the former standout linebacker in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

After three consecutive years of being a finalist and not making it, Thomas is set for enshrinement in the Hall of Fame's Class of 2023. He is the 17th Miami Dolphin inducted after playing 12 of his 13 seasons with the organization.

“They definitely put a lot of pressure on the Hall of Fame to get me in,” Thomas said. “So, they did a good job. But to represent them, I’m representing a great organization."

Starting with his rookie year, Thomas was one of the most productive linebackers in the NFL throughout his career. And he has the numbers and accolades to back it up. Thomas is a five-time first-team All-Pro and a seven-time Pro Bowler. He is a member of the 2000s All-Decades team and a member of the Dolphins Ring of Honor.

"Looking at the things that Zach has done and at the other guys who've gone in before him, he should have been in a long time ago,” former Dolphins teammate and current secondary coach Sam Madison said in a statement released by the team. “But everybody has their time. Zach is a humble guy. He doesn't really go out on a limb and jump off the dock or anything, but he really deserves it. The way that he just worked his tail off after being a fifth-round pick, I'm really happy for him."

'Measurements are overrated' when it comes to Zach Thomas

When it comes to football, size does not matter. At least, that’s how Thomas looks at it. He would know.

He entered the NFL listed at 5-foot-11, 220 pounds, coming out of Texas Tech, while the average inside linebacker was over six foot. In a draft class filled with talented linebackers that included Ray Lewis and Tedy Bruschi, Thomas was selected 154th overall. Seventeen linebackers were drafted ahead of him.

“A lot of these guys that came before me when I came in the league, there were big, plugger linebackers that were 6-foot-2, 6-foot-3," Thomas said. "... I saw the success they had in the NFL. It motivated me.”

Thomas also acknowledged other linebackers who came before him that were around his size, including Lewis, who was 6-0 going into the NFL and 5-9 Sam Mills, who was inducted last season. Thomas continues downplaying size advantages and measurements.

“The measurements are overrated,” Thomas said. “Just throw in the tape. That’s where you find the players. It doesn’t matter what size you are. I feel like today if you look at a lot of linebackers, they are not 6-foot-2.”

Pro Football Hall of Fame Coach Jimmy Johnson will present Zach Thomas

No one believed in Thomas more than his first NFL head coach, Jimmy Johnson. Johnson coached the Dolphins for three seasons after winning two Super Bowls in four seasons coaching the Dallas Cowboys.

Johnson gave Thomas the good news of being inducted into the Hall of Fame this past winter. Emotions ran high inside Thomas' household once Johnson came in and made the announcement.

"That’s my guy," Thomas said. "He drafted me. He’s the one who put me in the starting lineup from the get-go, so I never want to let that guy down."

Johnson selected Thomas in the fifth round of the 1996 NFL Draft. From Day One, Johnson made Thomas the starting middle linebacker. Johnson didn’t have to worry about the Pampa, Texas native when it came to game-planning compared to his other teammates who didn’t get the same treatment.

“Jimmy wasn’t really hard on me because he knew I was going to be there when he got there and work, and also when he left, my preparation was good," Thomas said. "But I learned a lot from him and the position coaches that I had with George Hill, Randy Shannon, to Jim Bates. There are so many names that helped me get (ready). My preparation was a skill I trained, and I got real good at it.”

Thomas set the bar high in his 1996 NFL debut, making nine tackles and a sack against the New England Patriots. The following week against the Arizona Cardinals, he registered a 15 tackles. Thomas went on to finish his rookie year with 153 tackles, three interceptions and two sacks in 16 games. He made the all-rookie team and was an alternate for the Pro Bowl.

For 10 of his 12 seasons in a Dolphins uniform, Thomas produced more than 120 tackles. He totaled 20.5 sacks, 17 interceptions and 16 forced fumbles for his career.

"Zach was hands down one of the best teammates I've ever had,” former teammate and Hall of Famer Jason Taylor said. “He was the captain of our defense and made every one of us better on every play. Nobody worked harder; nobody prepared more, and if you didn't see that first-hand on a daily basis, you certainly saw the results on Sundays. Zach is absolutely deserving of a gold jacket and his place in history."

Thomas is forever grateful to Johnson for taking a chance on him. He looks forward to walking across the stage to represent not only the Dolphins organization but also Johnson. And his former coach could not be prouder.

"Zach Thomas ranks as one of my favorite players of all time,” Johnson said in a statement from miamidolphins.com. “Having coached 10 Hall of Fame players in my career, I believe Zach deserves to be in that group. Zach was a coach's dream as a leader and a player. I never had any player that prepared himself as well as Zach. He belongs in the Hall."

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This article originally appeared on The Repository: Zach Thomas didn't let detractors derail him from Hall of Fame career