The Chicago Bears selected OT Stan Thomas in the 1st round (#22 overall) of the 1991 NFL Draft, despite the kicking and screaming of head coach Mike Ditka. This draft pick could be best summed up by a quote from the coach, from an interview in 2006 on WSCR:
"Maybe we should have won another Super Bowl, but the problems started when we got an owner that wanted to make football decisions when he knew nothing about football. He told us who to sign, who to trade, and who to draft. Like drafting Stan Thomas. I wanted nothing to do with Stan Thomas, but the owner wanted him, and that's the way it was."
Many of you may remember Thomas and Ditka getting into a screaming match on the sideline during a 1992 televised Bears game. That was a perfect microcosm of Thomas' tenure in the Windy City.
Thomas played a grand total of 26 games over two season with the Bears, and was eventually traded after walking out of training camp in 1993 (he was angry over a demotion).
Thomas played two seasons with the Oilers in 1993 and 1994, and was only ever heard from again when he was arrested in 2004 for alleged sexual assault. The charges were later dropped.
------------------------------------
We covered some other Bears all-time Draft busts (McNown, Enis, Moore, Terrell)... where would you rank Stan Thomas, and in what order would you arrange these guys?
------------------------------------
Are You Smarter Than The Experts?
Correctly predict the first 32 picks of the 2011 NFL Draft and you’ll win $10,000,000!
BEST ROUND EVER IN PRIMETIME
Enter at facebook.com/BudLight
Here We Go
Enjoy Responsibly ©2011 Anheuser-Busch, Inc., Bud Light® Beer, St. Louis, MO. ©2011 NFL Properties LLC. All NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. No Purchase Necessary. Contest open to U.S. residents (except CA) 21+. Contest begins 12AM CDT on 4/1 and ends 5:59:59PM CDT on 4/28. See Official Rules for complete details. Void where prohibited.