NU veteran Deontre Thomas is ‘the sheriff’ of the defensive line

The Sheriff is back. However, this sheriff wears football pads instead of a uniform and instead of a gun on his hip, his guns are in his arms.

Nebraska defensive lineman Deontre Thomas is back and has been named the ‘sheriff’ of the defensive line group by coach Tony Tuioti.

“It’s good to see Deontre back,” Tuioti said on Tuesday. “We need him, he knows that. We need his leadership.

“Probably out of all the guys in that room, he’s like the sheriff of the room. He keeps everybody in line. If somebody messes up, he’s the guy that calls guys out. We need that type of guy. Everybody in that room, leads in their own different ways. Deontre is that guy for us, and I appreciate him doing that.”

The fifth-year junior is healthier than he’s even been after an injury-plagued 2020 season. He’s hoping to make the biggest contribution of his career, thus far, during the 2021 season.

In 2020, Thomas hurt his ankle against Ohio State during the first day of the season and returned against Penn State where he suffered a season-ending knee injury.

“The feeling of being back? It’s great, It’s great. This is the best I’ve ever felt,” Thomas said. “I feel the fastest I’ve ever felt, really understand what the offense is trying to do to me. This is the best. I feel good, I feel really good.”

Thomas has played in 28 games in his career at Nebraska and has had three different defensive line coaches in John Parrella (one season), Mike Dawson (two seasons) and now, Tuioti.

In his three years, Tuioti has taught Thomas a lot about being a defensive lineman.

“He came in, he told me how I can use my size and my built-in leverage to play,” Thomas said. “He told me that and it made my ball level go way higher because I really understand how to use my body against these bigger guys.”

Back and healthier as ever, Thomas is excited to have the consistency with his position coach and a man he trusts and learns from.

“His teaching is really simple. What he teaches is simple but it’s not easy,” Thomas said. “It’s simple, what he tells us is easy to understand and learn. But when you doing it is not easy.”

As a freshman, Thomas said he was 265 pounds and has put on 20 pounds since then. He played in 10 games as a freshman in 2017 under Mike Riley and learned quickly the power and strength of Big Ten offensive linemen. Especially, when he would get double-teamed at nose guard.

“As a freshman, I was getting blown off the ball,” he said. “But now as a senior, I know how to play that, you’re not going move me off the ball. You’re not going to do it because I play with great technique.

As a veteran in the group, Thomas is teaching the freshman defensive linemen to be tough and constantly stresses ‘toughness’ in the Big Ten, or as he referred to it as ‘big boy football’. And just like Tuioti said, he holds everyone accountable.

Thomas said he and the other D-linemen have helped create a stronger bond in their position group. They have made it a point to hang out and spend time with the younger linemen. While the completion is hot, Thomas said it’s healthy.

“We have the best teammates or chemistry we have between each other and it’s the best it has ever been,”’ he said. “We all compete with each other.”

Just like everyone in the defensive line room, Thomas will have to fight for and earn a role in Tuioti’s rotation. Even though he’s not the biggest man on the defensive line, he’s learned to use what he has.

“He’s got built-in leverage,” Tuioti said. “The thing about Deontre too, is his football IQ is high. He knows what’s going to happen before the snap. He does a really good job of getting pre-snap information and using that to his advantage. That’s the thing that’s really helping him out right now. Size ain’t everything.”