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Alonzo " Skip" Thomas III (February 7, 1950 – July 24, 2011), nicknamed " Dr. Death", was an American professional football player. A cornerback, Thomas played college football at Arizona Western Junior College before transferring to the University of Southern California. After college, he spent six seasons with the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League (NFL) before retiring from football.
Thomas was a part of the Raiders' Super Bowl XI winning team, and a notable figure in the "Soul Patrol" defensive secondary of the 1970s. Alongside cornerback Jack Tatum and safeties Willie Brown and George Atkinson, the quartet were known for their physicality. Thomas' harsh style on the field is well documented, though he is remembered as the most subdued of the four.
Southern California allowed Thomas to play both basketball and football, a driving reason for why Thomas chose USC over other offers. While playing both sports he also competed in . He primarily focused on playing basketball until an ankle injury sidelined him during his junior year. His senior year he focused on playing football and posted 58 tackles, 10 pass deflections and 5 interceptions.
Before the draft, Raiders safety George Atkinson worked out with Thomas, where Thomas reportedly saw great skill from the defender. Head coach John Madden chose to draft him based on his determination, size, and ability. An early talent during the preseason, he was referred to as the Raiders' best all around athlete, standing at 6 foot two inches and 206 pounds. Thomas recurringly played during the preseason to modest success, even replacing future Hall of Famer Willie Brown during a game against the Dallas Cowboys.
Thomas saw more regular play during his sophomore 1973 season. Thomas began subbing in for Nemiah Wilson during preseason practices while the latter worked on contract negotiations. While it was clear Wilson would replace Thomas when he returned, John Madden planned on incorporating Thomas as a versatile part of the defense, a fifth defensive position that Madden referred to as the "pirate". The Raiders also experimented with having Thomas play at the running back position during the off season. Thomas hauled in two interceptions across the 1973 season. The first came off of a pass deflected by Willie Brown during a game against the Baltimore Colts, while the second was a game-winning interception to end the Raiders' final game of the season against the Denver Broncos.
Fellow Raiders player Jimmy Warren described the 1974 season as Thomas's "super year". He wrestled a ball out of the hands of receiver Danny Abramowicz and into the hands of Raiders defender Dan Conners for an interception in an October game against the San Francisco 49ers. In a November game that season against the San Diego Chargers, Thomas batted away a last-minute pass from Dan Fouts to win the game, all while suffering from a neck injury. He had six interceptions in the season, with two of his interceptions coming from a September game against the Kansas City Chiefs. He had his first interception returned for a touchdown on December 1, 1974, in a game against the New England Patriots. Thomas had intercepted Jim Plunkett at the top of the fourth quarter, running 22 yards into the endzone.
Thomas followed this performance up with another six-interception season in 1975. He had another two-interception game in a 6–0 win against the Chargers in October. In the last seconds of a December game against the Houston Oilers, Thomas intercepted quarterback Dan Pastorini in the endzone. This would have been the game-winning play had it not been called back after Phil Villapiano received a holding penalty. The Oilers went on to score and win 27–26 against the Raiders. Villapiano called it "the worst call I've had against me in five years of pro ball". The Raiders made it to the playoffs for the first time in Thomas' career that season. While the Raiders beat the Cincinnati Bengals in their first playoff game, they would lose the AFC Championship game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and miss out on Super Bowl X.
The following 1977 season was mostly uneventful for Thomas, who started the season in rough condition. By week 6 he had been beaten four times on touchdown passes, and gave up 178 passing yards against the New York Jets in one game. He missed a late-season game against the Buffalo Bills after a leg injury, and was noticeably afflicted with several other injuries from that point forward. He then moved to safety to cover for an injured George Atkinson in the last game of the season. This position shift lasted through playoff games against the Baltimore Colts and the Denver Broncos, to little success.
The origin of the "Doctor Death" nickname is disputed. John Madden tells a story in his memoir Hey, Wait a Minute, I Wrote A Book! of Hall of Fame lineman Bob "Boomer" Brown first referring to Thomas as "Dr. Death" due to his appearance. Sportswriter Peter Richmond asserts the story is apocryphal. Thomas himself states that the nickname came from his spontaneous nature.
Thomas drove a white Chevrolet Corvette with his name inscribed on each side alongside his "Doctor Death" nickname. He totaled his Corvette during the 1977 season, causing a bump on his head so large he couldn't wear his helmet for a week.
Thomas rode motorcycles throughout his career, with John Matuszak referring to him as a "Black Evel Knievel". At one point John Madden barred him from riding his motorcycles during practices as they were causing disruptions. He and George Atkinson recounted stories of Thomas riding his motorcycle to local hospitals after practice to make sure he was healthy enough for games on Sunday, and to play strip poker with the nurses. After his retirement, he pursued his passion for cars and motorcycles, focusing on repairing his 1936 Ford and his father's cars.
Thomas was married to Harriet Sims. The couple had one son, Brandon, alongside Thomas' five other children. One of Thomas' children was born on the same day as his Super Bowl win. Thomas died of a heart attack in Kansas on July 24, 2011, aged 61. He was in poor health and had needed personal assistance in his later years. Following his death, tributes came out from rival Terry Bradshaw and fellow Soul Patrol teammate Willie Brown.
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