Rob Thomas, the son of Bob and Diana Thomas, was born on August 15, 1965, in Sunnyside, Washington. When he was ten years old, his family moved to San Marcos, Texas. Because of this relocation from a rural to urban area, where he attended an inner city school with a multicultural population, Thomas experienced culture shock. This generated a feeling of being an outsider. Thomas first planned to be a novelist in junior high school. He played football for San Marcos High School, which helped him feel less like an outsider and enjoy school. He also played the bass with local bands. These experiences shaped his future depictions of jaded Texas teenagers and postmodern popular culture.

In 1983, Thomas graduated from high school then enrolled at Texas Christian University where he again played football. The next year, he transferred to the University of Texas at Austin. During...