At five-feet-ten-inches tall, 198 pounds, Thurman Thomas is one of the smallest players in the National Football League (NFL). The Buffalo Bills running back is also one of the best. Thomas led the league in total yards from scrimmage (yards gained rushing and receiving) for four consecutive seasons (1989-92), breaking the record held by Hall-of-Famer Jim Brown. Voted the league's Most Valuable Player in 1991, Thomas led the Bills to an NFL record, four straight Super Bowl appearances. Unfortunately, Buffalo also set an NFL record by losing all four Super Bowls, becoming the first team in the history of the four major professional sports (baseball, basketball, football, and hockey) to lose the championship final four years in a row.

Thomas was born May 16, 1966, in Houston, Texas. An only child, he moved to nearby Missouri City before the seventh grade. His parents were divorced when he was four. Both parents remarried...