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Dennis Lee Thurman (born April 13, 1956) is an American football coach and former player who currently serves as the defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach for Hawaii. He is a former coach in the National Football League (NFL) for the Phoenix Cardinals, the Baltimore Ravens and the New York Jets, and in the Alliance of American Football (AAF) for the Memphis Express. He played as a cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys and the St. Louis Cardinals. He played college football for the USC Trojans. Thurman was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2025.
Thurman also played baseball and basketball. He was recruited by major league baseball teams and to play college basketball.
As a junior in 1976, Thurman was named the starter at free safety, leading the team and the Pacific-8 Conference with eight interceptions. He intercepted passes in seven straight contests. Thurman led the nation with in interception return yardage (180). He also led the team with 17 punts for 68 yards.
As a senior in 1977, Thurman was second on the team with three . He was named the team's MVP and its Defensive Player of the Year. He played in the 1978 Senior Bowl and was a Playboy Pre-season All-American.
Thurman is tied for sixth in school history with 13 interceptions, two of which were returned for . He also had 77 tackles, six pass deflected and seven fumble recoveries. Thurman played on Trojan teams that won four (two Roses, a Liberty Bowl and a Bluebonnet Bowl). Teammate Ronnie Lott credited Thurman for his development as a player in his Pro Football Hall of Fame speech, stating Thurman was someone who "helped me become a better football player."
In 1979, he regularly replaced outside linebacker D. D. Lewis on passing situations. He also played strong safety in place of an injured Randy Hughes. He started at cornerback in the season finale against the Washington Redskins. He had 37 tackles, one fumble recovery, one interception in the regular season and one in the divisional playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams.
In 1980, he started at free safety in place of an injured Hughes. In the ninth game against the St. Louis Cardinals, he returned an interception for a 78-yard touchdown. Although his play was inconsistent, he still tied Charlie Waters for the team lead with 5 interceptions. He also had 101 tackles (second on the team), 2 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries.
In 1981, after Charlie Waters retired, cornerback Benny Barnes was moved to strong safety and rookie Michael Downs to free safety, so Thurman became the starter at cornerback. He registered 76 tackles, one fumble recovery and 9 interceptions (third in team history), which was second on the team to Everson Walls' 11 picks. In the season opener against the Washington Redskins, he returned an interception 96 yards for a touchdown, which was the second longest in club history. He had 2 interceptions in the 28–27 win against the Miami Dolphins. In the fifteenth game against the Philadelphia Eagles, he tied a franchise record with 3 interceptions in a single-game, helping to clinch the NFC East championship. His 187 interception return yardage in the season ranked second in club history. He had 2 interceptions in the 38-0 playoff win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In 1982, he made 43 tackles and 3 . He returned a 60-yard interception for a touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings. He tied a club and an NFC playoff record with 3 interceptions, including a 39-yard return for touchdown to clinch a victory in the playoffs second round against the Green Bay Packers.
In 1983, he collected 66 tackles, one fumble recovery and led the team with 6 interceptions. He scored his fourth career touchdown when he recovered a fumble against the St. Louis Cardinals.
In 1984, he was moved to backup Downs at free safety and was more involved in third-down defensive schemes. He registered 34 tackles and 5 interceptions (second on the team).
During the 1985 season quarterback Danny White nicknamed Thurman along with fellow safety Michael Downs and Walls, Ron Fellows, "Thurman's Thieves", for their opportunistic play in the secondary, as they combined for 33 total interceptions. He posted 41 tackles and 5 interceptions (second on the team). He returned an interception 21 yards for a touchdown in the season opener against the Washington Redskins, contributing to a 44–14 win. He had 2 interceptions against the Cleveland Browns, that stopped 2 scoring opportunities in a 20–7 win.
Thurman was waived on August 26, 1986. He left with a franchise record of career 4 interceptions returned for , he ranked fourth in regular season career interceptions (36), second in playoff interceptions (7) and third in interception return yardage (562). At the time, he also ranked third in league history for career playoff interceptions.
Thurman never missed a game during his 137-game career and finished with 36 interceptions, which he returned for 562 yards and four touchdowns, while also recovering seven .
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