Getting To Know

Sept. 14, 2006

#26 Travis Thomas

Senior, 6-0, 209

Linebacker

Washington, Pa./Washington

Senior linebacker Travis Thomas moves over to the defensive side of the ball during the 2006 season and will start the year as the team’s starting weakside linebacker. The versatile Thomas has been a valuable reserve halfback for Notre Dame the last two seasons and a key member of the Irish special teams. Coming into the ’06 campaign, Thomas played in 23 games, making two starts. He had 273 rushing yards on 88 carries and caught five passes for 39 yards. The Pennsylvania native has five touchdowns to his credit and also made 10 tackles in 237 special team appearances. His career-best rushing day came in 2005 against Navy when he carried 11 times for 58 yards for a 5.3 yard average and one touchdown. GameDay’s Brian Lasky gives Irish fans a chance to get to know Travis Thomas.

Lasky: What is your major and why are you interested in that area?
Thomas: My major is management consulting. I am interested in that because I feel very rewarded whenever I can solve someone else’s problem and make them successful. That means I am doing my job and can be successful as well.

Lasky: What is your hardest class and why is it your hardest?
Thomas: My toughest class is Organizational Consulting because there is a large workload and a lot of problem solving.

Lasky: What made you pick Notre Dame over the other schools you were interested in? What were the other schools?
Thomas: Notre Dame has the whole package including academics, athletics and social atmosphere. I also considered Pittsburgh, Boston College, and Iowa.

Lasky:To date, what has been the highlight of your Notre Dame career?
Thomas: The highlight has been meeting friends that I know I will have beyond my years here at Notre Dame.

Lasky: Who was your sports idol as a kid and why?
Thomas: My sports idol was Barry Sanders, because I was a running back and he was one of the best players to play the game.

Lasky: As a football player, is there any one player you modeled your game after?
Thomas: I never tried to model my game after any particular player. I just tried to watch, learn things, and apply them to myself.

Lasky: Who has been your biggest non-sports role model and why?
Thomas: My mother is my role model. She is a single parent who struggled to make a living for me. She has done a great job and gotten me to where I am today.

Lasky: What is one thing in your life that you cannot live without?
Thomas: I can’t live without my grandmother’s cooking.

Lasky: What is the best advice that you have ever been given and who gave it to you?
Thomas: My high school coach always said “Nothing is ever is bad as it seems, nothing is ever as good as it seems.”

Lasky: How do you think you’ve grown as a person since coming to Notre Dame?
Thomas: I have grown a great deal as a person, learning to adapt to a lot of situations. I have grown socially and academically. Notre Dame has been a good place for me.

Lasky: What is one thing about you that might surprise people?
Thomas: I love music and love to dance. You may not see me dance too much in public, but when I get to myself, I get it down.

Lasky: How and what do you do to balance your academic workload and your football workload?
Thomas: It’s a tough balance, but whenever I have free time, I kick back, have a snack, relax, and take a nap in order to get my mind off of things, refresh my mind and get my focus back.

Lasky: What is your most embarrassing moments in sports?
Thomas: Being a running back it is always embarrassing to fumble or miss a block.

Lasky: If you were stranded on an island and could only eat one meal, only listen to one song, and spend you time with only one person; what would you eat, what would you listen to and who would you pick?
Thomas: I would eat pineapples because it is my favorite fruit, I would listen to “Come to Me” by Puff Daddy, and be with my girlfriend.

Lasky: What is your favorite movie and why? Thomas: I loved the movie Training Day because I love the role Denzel Washington played.

Lasky: What would a movie about your life be titled and who would star as you?
Thomas: The movie of my life would be called “The Cream of the Crop Rises to the Top” and star Denzel Washington because he is good looking and a good actor.

Lasky: Who is the best athlete that you have ever competed against?
Thomas: The best athlete I’ve ever faced is Reggie Bush. The name alone says it all.

Lasky: If you had a chance to play golf with anyone in history, besides you, who else would be in your foursome and why would you pick those three people?
Thomas: I would want to have Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, and Muhammad Ali. Those are some of my favorite athletes from other sports, so I would like to spend time with them.

Lasky: Describe what it feels like on game day and playing in Notre Dame stadium?
Thomas: Game day is a rush of energy, excitement, anticipation and fun.

Lasky: What is your favorite thing(s) about playing for Notre Dame?
Thomas: My favorite things about playing at Notre Dame is playing against people and knowing that the people you play will always bring their “A” game. At Notre Dame, you are playing for a school that is always considered one of the best, whether they have a successful year or not and the fact that you represent the great players that came before you.