FAMOUS FRIDAY: SOLOMON THOMAS

Last night was a big night at our house. It was the opening of the NFL Draft and the Cleveland Browns, as predicted, selected Defensive End Myles Garrett from Texas A & M as the number one pick overall. The last time the Browns took a TAMU Defensive End was 35 years ago when they selected my Dad, Keith Baldwin in the 1982 Draft! My Dad couldn’t choose between wearing Browns gear or Aggie gear for the Draft Party, so he wore both.

Soloman 1

But here at Project RACE we were more interested in the 3rd pick than the 1st! With the third pick, the San Francisco 49ers selected Solomon Thomas from Stanford University. We at Project RACE have been a huge fan of “Solly” since his senior year in high school. He was recruited at Coppel High School in Texas by nearly all the top football schools and chose Stanford based on academics. During his college visit to Stanford, he spent more time with professors than coaches. When he announced on National Signing Day that he would attend Stanford, he did it with humor, putting on some nerdy glasses.Image result for solomon thomas family

Photo: Time.com

Solomon has had a pretty interesting life. His interracially married parents moved around a lot with him and his older sister. Born in Chicago, Solly’s family moved to Australia Gamble where he spent a lot of time surfing, swimming and playing soccer. He started football after they moved to Texas when he was in fourth grade. Solomon cares a lot about his faith and his relationships and thinks about the future when he makes decisions.

Leading up to the draft, he got attention from nearly every NFL team, just like he did in high school from colleges across the country. But unlike college, when you make it to the pros it’s all about who chooses you. I imagine that Solly Thomas is pretty happy that the 49ers, who are very near his college home of Stanford, selected him with their first pick.

Congratulations, Solly, from Project RACE

– Karson Baldwin, President Project RACE Kids