PRESS RELEASE
LAFAYETTE – Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Football has a new name, Defensive Back University, with Simeon Thomas joining his secondary teammate Tracy Walker in the National Football League.
The Cleveland Browns, with the 188th pick in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft took Thomas, making it two defensive backs from Louisiana drafted in this year’s draft. It’s the first time since 2011 that the Cajuns have had two players taken in the same draft, when Bill Bentley (Detroit Lions, third round, 85th overall) and Ladarius Green (San Diego Chargers, fourth round, 110th overall) went in the 2011 NFL Draft.
Hailing from Miami, Fla., Thomas finished his career with 90 total tackles and two interceptions. During his senior season of 2017, Thomas had a team-high 12 pass breakups to lead the secondary. Against ULM on Sept. 23, 2017, Thomas had a career-high 11 stops, nine of which were solo tackles.
Thomas is the 10th defensive back drafted out of Louisiana and the seventh taken since the turn of the century. Thomas becomes the 38th player from Louisiana to get drafted by the NFL and the fourth in the past four seasons.
ALL-TIME LOUISIANA DEFENSIVE BACKS IN THE NFL: All-time the Cajuns have sent 15 defensive backs to the NFL, 10 of which were drafted into the league. It’s the highest number of players from one position that the Cajuns have sent to the NFL making Louisiana truly Defensive Back University.
Chris Cagle (1922-25)
Thomas King (1985-88)
Todd Scott (1987-90)
Orlando Thomas (1991-94)
Brad Franklin (1998-01)
Charles Tillman (1999-02)
Kyries Hebert (1999-01)
Ivan "Ike" Taylor (2001-02)
C.C Brown (2003-04)
Michael Adams (2003-06)
Antwain Spann (2003-04)
Bill Bentley (2008-11)
Melvin White (2009-12)
Tracy Walker (2013-17)
Simeon Thomas (2013-17)
