March 27, 2009

I’ve always had people doubting me. Do I play with a chip on my shoulder?

I’ve got a party mix of chips on my shoulder.

I wear number 11 on my jersey because I was 11 years old when I first knew that football was my thing, but also because 11^th was where I thought I was going to go in the draft to Buffalo. There were very strong indications through the Bills and the media that I would go No. 11 to Buffalo and I had a real good feeling that was where I was going to go.

It didn’t happen and I stayed around into the 2^nd round. Now I do what I’ve got to do to prove that I could have and should have been a 1^st rounder.

But I don’t need to look at my number for motivation. When it says Thomas on my jersey, that means it’s Showtime, time to do what I have to do.

I grew up in Ann Arbor as a Michigan fan. I had to leave the area due to my grades, which were too low for Division 1 football even though I had the ACT score. I went the JUCO route and took school more serious. I told the coaches I wanted to get back into the Big Ten and I always had Michigan in the back of my mind. There were a lot of SEC and Big 12 schools looking at me but I wanted to be closer to home. But Michigan wasn’t really interested in a junior college player.

I had never been a real fan of Michigan State, but now I bleed green. Old Blue will never be on my mind again. But it did put another chip on my shoulder when I played at State.

I’ve always faced adversity, but when people doubt me the majority of time I prove them wrong.

This season Redskins fans can expect a more reliable guy, more intense, a guy who’s going to be out there making plays because it’s my time to do that. This is the year I make the coaching staff have to use me.

My son is my main motivation. Fans can expect for me to make things happen, because I want to prove everybody wrong who thinks that Devin Thomas is a bust.

Devin Thomas is a wide receiver with the Washington Redskins. His blog for www.playerpress.com runs at www.thomas11.com.