Fort Hamilton Tiger Alum scores with a football scholarship

There were no 2014 college football scholarship signings this past year at Fort Hamilton until 2012 Tiger graduate Robert Thomas notified Coach Dan Perez in late July of his acceptance as a junior at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven. After his graduation, Thomas attended Nassau Community College to raise his grades and to work on his football skills.

“Robert was always one the hardest workers on the field,” said Coach Perez on Thomas’ commitment to the game. “His work on the field and in the classroom in Nassau finally paid off over these past two years.” Thomas was a mainstay of the 2010 team that sent two players to Syracuse on football scholarships and beat Lincoln High School 8-6 in the first ever PSAL Championship at Yankee Stadium. Playing both ways at H-back (fullback) and middle linebacker, Thomas protected his quarterback on offense while sacking the opposition’s quarterback on defense.

During the 2011 season, Thomas once again had a stellar season and was even pressed into service to play quarterback late in the season once both Fort Hamilton’s quarterbacks went down to injury. As a late season replacement at the helm for the Tigers in the 2011 playoffs, Thomas was named Player of the Week for his single-handed scoring efforts to squeak out a 16-15 win over Sheepshead Bay.

Commenting on his Nassau Community College football experience, Thomas stated he learned about perseverance and how to strive to a goal. Watching his success at Nassau Community College, scouts from Southern Connecticut State University reached out to Thomas in order to fill their offensive backfield at the H-back position. “I believe that this school will be a real good fit for me,” said a hopeful Thomas who plans to major in physical therapy.