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Chris Thompson played for Florida State from 2009-2012 and was featured on our top 100 countdown FSU football plays last year for his 90-yard TD run in the Seminole’s victory over the Hurricanes.
On October 8th, 2011, Thompson’s season came to an end when he sustained T5 and T6 compression fractures in his back while fighting for a first down in the first quarter at Wake Forest. At the time, the Florida-native was unsure if he would play football or even walk again. Thompson said, “I was in that hospital bed and so many thoughts went through my mind. I didn’t know if I wanted to play football again. I didn’t know if I was going to play again and I didn’t know if I was going to be walking straight.”
Fast forward one year later and the running back put together an inspired comeback performance against the Demon Deacons. On Florida State’s third play of the second quarter, Thompson hit the sideline and went 74-yards to put the Seminoles ahead of Wake Forest, 21-0. His second touchdown went for 80-yards and Thompson would finish with 197 yards on nine carries in a 52-0 victory despite not playing a single down in the second half:
Thompson earned the Most Courageous player in 2012 thanks to his efforts.
In Florida State's eighth game of the season against Miami, devastation struck once again and the senior suffered a season-ending knee injury. Thompson was ranked sixth in the ACC in rushing with 687 yards despite missing the final six games in the ACC and was on pace to become FSU’s first 1,000-yard back since Warrick Dunn in 1996:
Thompson was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL draft and his NFL career has been plagued with injuries as well, but the running back always seems to figure out how to shake them. He is under contract through the 2019 season and will hope to have a much better year after having a somewhat disappointing 2018 season. Thompson will have a tough battle ahead of him against a loaded Washington backfield.