Fresno State senior safety Phillip Thomas now belongs in a class of his own after becoming the school’s first unanimous All-American Friday after being named to 2012 Football Writers Association of America All-America team.
Thomas has been selected to All-America teams from all of the five organizations used to determine unanimous All-America status.
Thomas has been a first-team All-America selection by The Associated Press, Sportimg News, The America Football Coaches Association and the Walter Camp Football Foundation.
“It means a lot. I’ve been very appreciative of all the accolades and notoriety I’m getting right now,” Thomas said in a statement released by the school’s athletics department. “I just appreciate my teammates because they do it for me as well as I do it for them and they deserve the credit. None of the accolades I got — All-America team or anything — has been me by myself.
“It’s just a good thing for Fresno State football to be able to have something like this happen to get people around the nation to notice Fresno State football.”
Thomas, whose team-high 82 tackles and nation-best eight intercpetions also helped earn him Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors, was a first-team All-America selection by ESPN.com and Sports Illustrated, as well.
The senior safety was also presented theÂwith the 2012 College Football Performance Awards Defensive Back Trophy Wednesday night.
After missing the previous year with a broken leg and dislocated ankle, Thomas helped lead a resurgence on defense this season. The 9-3 Bulldogs forced a total of 33 turnovers en route to capturing a share of the Mountain West championship after a nine-turnover, 4-9 season in 2011.
Thomas, along with 21 other seniors, will play his final game as a Bulldog on Christmas Eve in the 2012 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl against SMU.
