David Thornton (American football)

Total tackles:	736
Sacks:	5.0
Forced fumbles:	10
Fumble recoveries:	1
Interceptions:	5
	Stats at Pro Football Reference

David Thornton
Indianapolis Colts
Position:	Director of player engagement
Personal information
Born:	November 1, 1978 (age 46); Goldsboro, North Carolina, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:	225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
High school:	Goldsboro
College:	North Carolina
NFL draft:	2002 / round: 4 / pick: 106
Career history
As a player:
	Indianapolis Colts (2002–2005); Tennessee Titans (2006–2010);
As an executive:
	Indianapolis Colts (2012–present) ; Director of player engagement;
Career highlights and awards
	Second-team All-ACC (2001);
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles:
Total tackles:	736
Sacks:	5.0
Forced fumbles:	10
Fumble recoveries:	1
Interceptions:	5
	Stats at Pro Football Reference

David Dontay Thornton (born November 1, 1978) is a former linebacker who played for the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). In 2012, Thornton joined the Colts as the director of player engagement.

College career

Thornton played college football at the University of North Carolina where he was teammates with Julius Peppers, and Ryan Sims. Originally a walk-on, Thornton's play eventually earned him a scholarship. In his senior year, Thornton was named second-team All-ACC and team MVP.

Professional career

Indianapolis Colts

Thornton was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL draft.^[1] Thornton best season came in 2003 when he led the Colts with 145 tackles and made two interceptions. In the 2005 season Thornton made 83 tackles and two quarterback sacks.

Tennessee Titans

He became an unrestricted free agent and signed a five-year deal with the Titans on March 13, 2006 [1]. After missing the 2010 season due to a hip injury, he retired on August 5, 2011.^[2]

NFL career statistics

Regular season				Tackles				Interceptions						Fumbles
Year	Team	GP	GS	Comb	Solo	Ast	Sck	PDef	Int	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	FF	FR	TD
2002	IND	15	0	45	36	9	0.0	1	0	0	0.0	0.0	0	0	0	0
2003	IND	16	16	145	112	33	1.0	5	2	3	2.0	2.0	0	0	0	0
2004	IND	16	15	94	71	23	0.0	1	1	5	5.0	5.0	0	2	0	0
2005	IND	16	16	83	61	22	2.0	1	0	0	0.0	0	0	2	0	0
2006	TEN	16	13	109	87	22	0.0	5	0	0	0.0	0	0	2	0	0
2007	TEN	16	16	122	93	29	1.0	6	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	1	0
2008	TEN	15	15	78	60	18	0.0	6	0	0	0.0	0	0	2	0	0
2009	TEN	11	11	60	46	14	1.0	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	1	0	0
2010	TEN	Did not play due to injury
Career		121	102	736	566	170	5.0	25	3	8	2.5	5.0	0	8	1	0

Post-playing career

In 2012, he became the director of player engagement with the Colts. In 2023, he was promoted to Vice President of Player Engagement with the Colts.^[3]

References

^ "2002 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
^ "Ex-Titans LB Thornton retires after 9 seasons". ESPN.com. August 5, 2011. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
^ "David Thornton Uses His NFL Experience to Help Players on and off the Field".

This biographical article relating to an American football linebacker born in the 1970s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] "2002 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 18, 2023.

[2] "Ex-Titans LB Thornton retires after 9 seasons". ESPN.com. August 5, 2011. Retrieved January 31, 2020.

[3] "David Thornton Uses His NFL Experience to Help Players on and off the Field".

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