Johnson County DB has a leader

Prairie Village (Kan.) Shawnee Mission East defensive back Terrance Thomas figured he had nothing else left to prove, so he skipped the track and field season this spring to focus on becoming a better football player.

After winning the Kansas State 6A state championship as a sophomore with a time of 10.44 seconds in the 100 meters, most expected him to come back and see if he can better that already blazing time. But Thomas decided to go a different path and has been working hard at improving his ability on the gridiron.

"I'm not running this year, because I'm working hard on football," he said. "I'm working out, running and trying to stay in good shape. I'm also trying to get better at catching the football. I've been working on my hands a lot. I've been working with jugs machines and working out with our quarterback."

Thomas, who does play running back for his high school team but most likely projects at cornerback because of his speed, has also been working on the recruiting front. He said his top team is Kansas State, and the Wildcats offered him quite a while back. Now he's just working on a few things before he makes up his mind.

"I want to get my test score back before I commit," he said. "I'm thinking about going ahead and committing to K-State. I really like what they're doing up there. I talked to coach Wall (Matt Wallerstedt), and they wanted me to come up to the spring game, but I couldn't make it. He's still a cool guy. I just want to get my test scores in before I make up my mind."

Thomas said Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois and Kansas have also been in contact with him in the mail, but the attention isn't quite like what K-State has done at this point.

"I can definitely tell that K-State really wants me," he said.

Thomas earned playing time on the varsity as a freshman and lettered. As a sophomore he missed much of the season recovering from a knee injury. He made it back for the Lancers last two games including a regional playoff matchup. He was hampered by a shoulder injury as a junior, but still showed flashes of brilliance.

"All of the coaches talk about his speed," said John Stonner, the Lancers head coach. "He ran a 4.37 the other day. He's a quality young man and a hard worker."