Former Hokies quarterback Logan Thomas emerges as a tight end with nine catches, key TD as Washington upends Steelers
Early last decade, Logan Thomas caught the attention of Virginia Tech fans as a durable quarterback.
Early this decade, the 29-year-old Lynchburg native, now a Washington tight end, has caught more passes than ever before.
Never was that more evident than in Washington’s stunning 23-17 victory Monday over the previously undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. The powerful, 6-foot-6, 250-pounder set career highs by catching nine passes for 98 yards, including a 15-yard touchdown that tied the score at 17.
Ron Rivera’s team went on to extend its winning streak to three games and joined the Giants atop the NFC East at 5-7, though New York holds the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Thomas, from Brookville High, only played in seven games as a Tech freshman in 2010. But he won the QB1 job in 2011 and was a three-year starter for Frank Beamer’s Hokies, finishing 693 for 1,248 for 9,003 yards and 52 touchdowns in his four seasons. Couple that with his 495 carries for 1,359 yards and 24 TDs, and he was one of the most productive Hokies ever.
Despite that, his play — especially 39 interceptions — occasionally frustrated Tech fans in his last two seasons, when the Hokies were a combined 15-11. Still, he performed well enough to convince the Arizona Cardinals to draft him as a quarterback in the fourth round in 2014. He was active for six games as a rookie, starting two.
But the Cardinals waived him in early September 2015. He joined the Miami Dolphins a day later, but through various roster moves, he was waived in June 2016 without playing a regular-season game. He had a similar experience with the Giants later that year, then was on the Detroit practice squad for two days.
Finally, in November 2016, he signed with Buffalo and decided — correctly, it has turned out — that tight end could be his pro niche.
In 2017, he gained regular playing time as a reserve with the Bills. Over two Buffalo seasons, he played in 24 games, starting five, and had a combined 19 catches for 144 yards and a touchdown. Given his mindset and knowledge from his quarterbacking days, he became a mentor to younger players.
Thomas went back in 2019 to Detroit, where he played in all 16 games and made 16 receptions for 173 yards and a TD.
In March 2020, looking to rebuild, Washington signed Thomas. He has been a steady target amid the quarterback uncertainty that Alex Smith seems to have erased, exceeding his previous NFL career totals by compiling 43 catches for 426 yards and five scores.
Back on Oct. 30, Rivera’s words on washingtonfootball.com proved prophetic about Thomas: “I know Pete Hoener, our tight ends coach, really liked him and really pushed for him and has really worked with him and helped develop him. He’s done a heck of a job. Logan, I think, is a guy who can continue to grow in his role for us. I’m pretty excited about that.”
Washington fans surely echo that sentiment after Monday’s triumph.
-----------------------
Here’s this week’s update of NFL players with Virginia connections, with jersey number, position, player, connection(s) and statistics:
NFC
59 LB LaRoy Reynolds (Maury High, UVA): Reserve; no stats.
8 QB Matt Schaub (UVA): Did not play.
17 WR Olamide Zaccheaus (UVA): Placed on injured reserve with a toe injury suffered in the first half in Week 12 vs. Las Vegas.
25 RB Trenton Cannon (Kecoughtan High, Virginia State): Bye week.
4 K Joey Slye (North Stafford High, Va. Tech): Bye week.
69 OL Rashaad Coward (Old Dominion): Reserve; no stats.
23 CB Kyle Fuller (Va. Tech): Started; 6 tackles.
36 DB DeAndre Houston-Carson (Massaponax High, William & Mary): Reserve; 5 tackles (2 on kickoffs).
92 DL Brent Urban (UVA): Started at DE; 3 tackles.
97 DE Ron’Dell Carter (James Madison): Game Tuesday.
7 QB Ben DiNucci (James Madison): Game Tuesday.
Detroit Lions:
76 OL Oday Aboushi (UVA): Started at RG; flagged for holding (part of offsetting penalties).
93 DE Da’Shawn Hand (Woodbridge High, Alabama): Not active.
47 S Bobby Price (Catholic High, Norfolk State): Reserve; 1 tackle (on a kickoff); downed a punt.
Green Bay Packers:
24 S Raven Greene (First Colonial High, James Madison): Reserve; 2 tackles, including a shared sack for 5-yard loss; 2 QB hits.
73 OT Yosuah Nijman (Va. Tech): Reserve; no stats.
Minnesota Vikings:
41 S Anthony Harris (L.C. Bird High, UVA): Started at FS; 5 tackles (1 for a loss); defended 1 pass; had an apparent fumble recovery overruled by replay.
90 DE Jalyn Holmes (Lake Taylor High, Ohio State): Started; 1 QB hit.
Philadelphia Eagles:
13 WR Travis Fulgham (Old Dominion): Reserve; targeted twice; no catches.
45 LS Rick Lovato (Old Dominion): Reserve; did long snapping.
23 S Rodney McLeod (UVA): Started; 4 tackles (1 for a loss).
94 DL Josh Sweat (Oscar Smith High, Florida State): Reserve; 2 tackles (1 on a kickoff).
42 S K’Von Wallace (Highland Springs High, Clemson): Reserve; 3 tackles (2 on kickoffs).
Seattle Seahawks:
76 OT Duane Brown (Hermitage High, Va. Tech): Started at LT; no stats.
3 QB Russell Wilson (Collegiate School of Richmond, N.C. State, Wisconsin): Started; 27 of 43 for 263 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 78.0 passer rating; 7 carries for 45 yards; sacked 5 times for 47 yards in losses; lost a fumble; penalized 11 yards for intentional groundin.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
64 G Aaron Stinnie (St. Anne’s-Belfield, James Madison): Bye week.
72 OT Josh Wells (Hanover High, James Madison): Bye week.
Washington Football Team:
93 DT Jonathan Allen (Stone Bridge High, Alabama): Started; 1 QB hit.
23 CB Kendall Fuller (Va. Tech): Started; 3 tackles; penalized 14 yards for pass interference.
86 WR Dontrelle Inman (UVA): Reserve; no stats.
32 CB Jimmy Moreland (James Madison): Reserve; 4 tackles; penalized 5 yards for defensive holding.
76 OT Morgan Moses (Meadowbrook High, UVA): Started at RT; penalized 5 yards for a false start and 9 yards (half the distance to the goal line) for illegal use of hands.
97 DT Tim Settle (*Manassas, Va. Tech): Reserve; 1 tackle; penalized for an automatic first down and less than a yard (half the distance to the goal line) for unnecessary roughness.
82 TE Logan Thomas (Brookville High, Va. Tech): Started; targeted 9 times; 9 catches for 98 yards, including a 15-yard TD; recovered a teammate’s fumble; penalized 4 yards (half the distance to the goal line) for a false start.
*Settle graduated from Stonewall Jackson High, which was renamed this year to Unity Reed High).
AFC
Baltimore Ravens:
36 S Chuck Clark (King’s Fork High, Va. Tech): Game Tuesday.
Buffalo Bills:
49 LB Tremaine Edmunds (Dan River High, Va. Tech): Started at MLB; 7 tackles.
31 DB Dean Marlowe (James Madison): Reserve; no stats.
Cincinnati Bengals:
67 G Quinton Spain (Petersburg High, West Virginia): Started; no stats.
Cleveland Browns:
77 G Wyatt Teller (Va. Tech): Started at RG; no stats.
Denver Broncos:
35 RB Jeremy Cox (Old Dominion): Not active.
Houston Texans:
24 RB C.J. Prosise (Petersburg native, Woodberry Forest, Notre Dame): Not active (stomach illness).
Indianapolis Colts:
81 TE Mo Alie-Cox (VCU): Started; targeted 5 times; 3 catches for 23 yards.
14 WR Zach Pascal (Old Dominion): Reserve; targeted once; 1 catch for 11 yards.
46 LS Luke Rhodes (William & Mary): Reserve; did long snapping.
Jacksonville Jaguars:
2 QB Mike Glennon (Westfield High, N.C. State): Started; 28 of 42 for 280 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs, 73.5 passer rating, not including a completion for a 2-point conversion; sacked twice for 14 yards in losses and a safety; 3 carries for 9 yards; lost a fumble.
Kansas City Chiefs:
91 DL Derrick Nnadi (Ocean Lakes High, Florida State): Started at DT; 3 tackles.
22 S Juan Thornhill (Altavista High, UVA): Reserve; 4 tackles.
Las Vegas Raiders:
96 DE Clelin Ferrell (Benedictine Prep, Clemson): Started; 6 tackles, including 2 sacks for a combined 7 yards in losses; 3 QB hits; forced 2 fumbles, both leading to takeaways; defended 1 pass; penalized 15 yards for unnecessary roughness.
Los Angeles Chargers:
28 CB Brandon Facyson (Va. Tech): Reserve; penalized 5 yards for a false start (on the punt team).
12 WR Joe Reed (Randolph-Henry High, UVA): Not active (rib injury).
5 QB Tyrod Taylor (Hampton High, Va. Tech): Did not play.
New England Patriots:
— WR Isaiah Ford (Va. Tech): Waived Saturday; did not play a game for New England.
91 DL Deatrich Wise (Hampton Roads native, Arkansas): Started; 2 tackles, including a sack for a 3-yard loss (also counts as a tackle for loss); 2 QB hits.
New York Jets:
77 OT Mekhi Becton (Highland Springs High, Louisville): Started at LT; no stats.
87 TE/WR Daniel Brown (Isle of Wight Academy, James Madison): Started at TE; covered a kickoff (no yards on the return).
37 CB Bryce Hall (UVA): Started; 7 tackles; penalized 5 yards for defensive holding.
Pittsburgh Steelers:
34 S Terrell Edmunds (Dan River High, Va. Tech): Started at SS; 5 tackles; defended 1 pass.
———
©2020 The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, Va.)
Visit The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, Va.) at pilotonline.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
