Three years after stroke, Eli Thomas closing college football career on own terms

Eli Thomas has lived an unimaginable college football life, filled with significant setbacks and inspiring comebacks. The desire to write his own ending to that story has taken the Elmira native to Mankato, Minnesota.

Thomas, nearly three years removed from a stroke suffered while at the University of Connecticut, has returned to football this fall and is making a major impact at linebacker for Minnesota State University, a perennial NCAA Division II power.

The obvious question: With all he's been through, particularly a life-threatening stroke, why play football again?

"After the stroke it made me realize life is really short," said Thomas, 25. "Whatever I do, people support me for sure, but some people were just saying, 'Hey, you've got some other people to think about now. I don't know if playing football's a good idea.'

"But I feel like I didn't do what I wanted to do in college football. I didn't leave the legacy that I wanted to leave and didn't get to finish my college career on my terms."

Thomas and his girlfriend, Katie Snyder, are parents to 2-year-old son, Ace, and 5-month-old daughter, Ayla. He is looking forward to seeing his family soon for homecoming weekend and credits family and a tight circle of friends for unwavering support.

Thomas is enjoying life in Minnesota – which he describes as flat and beautiful – and excited to be playing football again.

"Honestly this is the most fun I’ve been having playing football in college for sure," he said. "I’m having a great time."

When asked why, he took a moment to think about it.

"Maybe it’s because I was away from it for so long," he said. "If anything I’m just grateful for the game. I just love playing the game. The enjoyment of the game, I’m just taking advantage of it. Making plays and having fun."

Football taken away

By the time Thomas took the field for UConn in 2018 after playing for junior college power Lackawanna College in Scranton, Pennsylvania, he had been through three ACL surgeries, with the series of knee injuries starting during his senior year of track for the Elmira Express.

The previous fall Thomas was a first-team all-state football player for Elmira as a wingback and safety, rushing for 1,252 yards and 21 touchdowns on 137 carries while leading the Express to a Section 4 title and a run to the Class AA state semifinals.

UConn's only victory in 2018 was sealed by Thomas' quarterback sack against Rhode Island on Sept. 15. A week later, in what was essentially his homecoming game at Syracuse University, he suffered a herniated disc near his neck.

After sitting out the next two games, Thomas suffered the stroke Oct. 10 during a team weightlifting session. It was made clear to Thomas and his family the stroke could have been fatal if it weren't for the immediate care he received.

Thomas said last week there was no definitive cause of the stroke, but he was told it was possible there was a correlation with the neck injury. He spent 17 days in two Connecticut hospitals and UPMC Susquehanna Williamsport in Pennsylvania before returning to the Elmira area that fall.

Thomas slowly but surely worked with therapists to regain his ability to speak. He said outside of occasional stuttering, there is no noticeable remaining impact from the stroke.

He returned to Storrs in early 2019 and was hoping to play football again for the Huskies but was denied medical clearance from the university. He was still chosen a team captain for the season. As he was finishing out a degree in agriculture resource economics, Thomas put his name in the transfer portal with hopes to play again.

He said Syracuse and the University at Buffalo were among schools that expressed interest, along with Sacred Heart, Rhode Island and Hampton. No offers came.

"Everybody was just scared," Thomas said. "When I put film out there everybody was hitting me up, but when they found out about the stroke they stopped hitting me up."

Minnesota State offers 'hope'

He didn't take things personally. Thomas still roots for UConn and texts former teammates on game days. When Randy Edsall, Thomas' head coach with the Huskies, retired earlier this year, Thomas texted him, "Good luck and I love you."

Minnesota State, which has appeared in the Division II playoffs all but one season since 2012 and was national runner-up in 2014 and 2019, came through with a partial scholarship offer, the norm in Division II. Thomas didn't need to make the trip to Mankato to accept.

"When (UConn) didn't clear me they took my heart from my body," he said. "When Minnesota State gave me that offer, it put me right back up. They put my heart right back into my body. As soon as I got the first offer I got so much hope. It was a weird feeling."

Thomas is paying for his housing, with the scholarship covering his education.

The Division I spotlight he envisioned while starring at Elmira is far removed, but that's not on his mind. Thomas is pursuing his master's degree in sports management and mentions the possibility of coaching football after he's done at Minnesota State. While given two years of added eligibility by the NCAA, he said this will be his last season.

Thomas was a late bloomer academically and ended up at Lackawanna because he wasn't eligible to play Division I football. When asked if the younger version of him envisioned getting two college degrees, Thomas laughed and said, "Not even close."

His football return ended up delayed a year because Minnesota State's 2020 season was canceled because of the pandemic. Thomas stayed back in Elmira, taking online classes, before coming out to Minnesota in the spring and returning Aug. 6 for the start of camp.

Making an impact for the Mavericks

Thomas has played all four games for the Mavericks and leads the team with 17 tackles. Minnesota State, ranked 13th nationally by D2Football.com and 17th in the AFCA coaches poll, improved to 3-1 on Saturday with a 68-10 win over Minot State.

He intercepted a pass in a 45-24 win over Bemidji State in the Mavericks' third game, gathering a throw that deflected off an offensive player's helmet. Thomas was later told by defensive coach Jim Glogowski he made a mistake on the play but he couldn't get mad about it because Thomas came up with the interception.

Thomas said Minnesota State head coach Todd Hoffner often checks on him, asking about his head, his knees, but gives him no special treatment.

"Eli has been through a lot as a young man raising a family and being a part of our family," Hoffner said through the Minnesota State athletic communications department. "We are happy for Eli and his ability to play college football again. Eli is starting at middle linebacker and making major contributions to our defense. I know he is really enjoying his opportunities and taking full advantage of them."

Minnesota State's winning culture is a change from UConn, which has won three of its last 29 games. The Huskies' 2020 season was canceled.

There was mental rust in getting back into the football flow, but physically the 6-foot-1, 215-pound Thomas is in peak condition.

"I’ve been away from the game for so long and it’s now finally coming back to me," he said. "Just remembering how to play football. I’ve always been able to run around and tackle people and make plays, but the actual football is just now coming back to me."

Inspiring while embracing life

Thomas graduated from Elmira Free Academy more than seven years ago, but his journey remains a source of inspiration in the community.

"Quite honestly a lot of people were thinking he would never play football again," said Jimmy McCauley, Elmira's veteran football coach. "Not only is he playing, he's doing it at a high level."

The respect runs deeper than football. McCauley describes Thomas as "a special person" and said whenever his name is mentioned the young players raise their hands to acknowledge they know about Thomas.

"Eli grew up here, kind of had some of the same obstacles some of our young players do," McCauley said. "It's nice to have a person that's made it through, not only growing up here but then the hardships with the health and the things that have come along with football. He's the absolute best role model some of these kids could have."

Ryan Johnson coached Thomas in basketball at Elmira and remains close to him.

"He’s been handed a tough path, but boy he tackles every obstacle with his courageousness and his tenacity," Johnson said. "It’s just been a special story to watch unfold, the twists and the turns and the ups and the downs, the heartbreak and agony and joy and everything else.

"Just the love of the game has taken him to somewhere in life people don’t get to go. Just an amazing journey and just so proud and happy for him."

Thomas' unforeseeable challenges have been accompanied by perpetual optimism, a character trait he joked sometimes drives those close to him crazy.

"I just take things day by day, like literally," he said. "What happened yesterday happened yesterday. I don’t really look too far into the future. And also I know it’s a fact that somebody else has it way worse than me. With the ACLs and the stroke, somebody is living worse.

"I don’t have it that bad. I don’t have it bad at all. I couldn’t control any of it anyway, so why would I get mad or upset about it? Control what you can control and just live day by day. That’s what I live on."

Follow Andrew Legare on Twitter: @SGAndrewLegare. You can also reach him at alegare@gannett.com. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.