Reebok Top 25 Most Dynamic Athletes: Josh Thomas

Josh Thomas isn't just a star football and basketball player at Montgomery Academy (Ala.) – he's a bit of a recruiting tool.

Gridiron and hardwood exploits aside, he's also an outstanding student and often introduced to prospective students at the academically rigorous college preparatory school.

"He's been part of our ambassador program for the past two years," Montgomery Academy athletic director and head basketball coach Anthony McCall said. "He goes to different events and greets and meets people. He's a little bit too good to be true, to be honest. He's someone we want out front as much as possible."

See the entire Josh Thomas photo gallery

Thomas is always out front between the lines, where he plays the point in basketball and quarterback in football. But his gaudy numbers aren't what make him special, according to McCall.



"Josh is the model student-athlete, in my mind," McCall said. "He always does the right thing and when you combine that with his athletic ability, he is just the ideal kid."

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Hometown: Montgomery, Ala.

School: Montgomery Academy (enrollment 256)

Class: 2015

Sports: Football, basketball

College plans: A rising junior on the national scene, Thomas still has plenty of time before he needs to cement his college plans. He would like to pursue basketball instead of football and already has an offer from Samford (located in Birmingham). He attended a camp at the University of Alabama over the summer and has interest from the Crimson Tide as well as Birmingham-Southern, Elon and Virginia Commonwealth. Thomas is interested in physical therapy as a potential career path once he gets to the college ranks.



Favorite athlete: Thomas doesn't necessarily have a favorite athlete.

No nonsense mom: Thomas learned the hard way that academics would take priority over athletics in his household. His mom, Felicia, pulled him from a seventh grade football game after discovering he had a missing science assignment.

"She is the reason he is so grounded," McCall said. "She takes a no-nonsense approach with him."

"I definitely got my work ethic from my mom," Thomas said. "She has always pushed me hard."

Coach speak: "Josh is a great teammate," McCall said. "Whether he scores 10 points or 30 points, he's only going to be happy if we win.

"Last year in football, when he threw his first touchdown pass, he wasn't so much excited for himself as he was for the kid that caught the pass."
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Thomas is leaning toward pursuing basketball, but he's on pace to pile up some gaudy career numbers on the gridiron. In two seasons as the starting quarterback for Montgomery Academy, the 6-foot rising junior has thrown for 2,305 yards and 12 touchdowns and run for 1,354 yards and 16 scores.
 
More on Thomas' dynamic ability on the gridiron:



* Ran for 189 yards and two scores and threw for 114 yards and another touchdown in his varsity debut as a freshman, a 16-15 win over Houston Academy.

* Completed 10 of 14 passes for 228 yards and two TDs in his second game as a freshman, including an 84-yard scoring strike.

* Accounted for 2,119 offensive yards and 16 TDs in just 11 games (192.6 per game) during the 2011 season.

* Battled injuries as a sophomore last fall, but still managed to produce four 100-yard rushing games.

* Also played baseball for the Eagles as a freshman, spending time as a pitcher and shortstop.
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It didn't take long for Thomas to make a name for himself in Alabama high school basketball. After helping Montgomery Academy reach the state semifinals as a freshman, he earned a spot on the AHSAA Class 3A All-Tournament Team.

Thomas is also a standout on the club circuit with Alabama Challenge.



Here's a deeper look at Thomas' hoops heroics:

* Averaged 21.3 points, seven rebounds and two assists per game as a freshman, leading Eagles to 24-9 record.

* Recorded four 30-point games in 2011-12, including a season-high 37 in a loss to Jackson-Olin.

* Posted 20.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game as a sophomore.

* In the 2012-13 season opener against Montgomery Catholic, he piled up 23 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists. He also had a 30-point, 10-rebound game against LeFlore.

* Also played varsity basketball at Montgomery Academy as an eighth-grader. Taking that season into account, Thomas has already scored 1,596 points entering his junior year.
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