Southern Hospitality
Nimitz legend Michael Thomas gives back at Camp Mike T
Matt Malatesta
Jun 29, 2018, 10:28 pm
Aldine ISD is home to one of the best guys in all of professional sports.
Former Nimitz star Michael Thomas laid his legacy at Thorne Stadium, scoring touchdowns and returning kicks for the Cougars a decade ago.
This week he held his Camp Mike T at the same stadium where he made his name.
“I remember scoring my first touchdown over there and the crowd and cheerleaders going wild,” he said. “These guys can see one of their own coming back and giving back. I’m all about Aldine. I’m here to teach campers how to do every day things like writing a check to playing football. I’m very passionate about giving back to where I came from.”
The two-day free camp focused on life-skills along with football skills. The New York Giant also gave out scholarships totaling $10,000.
“He’s just one of the good-guys who have made it,” Aldine ISD athletic director Dre Thompson said. “He’s so authentic when it comes to Aldine ISD. He’s a leader and a great role model for this community.”
Michael Thomas was a stud at Nimitz on and off the field. The QB-turned-DB played at Stanford, earning his Master’s in Business Administration. On the field, he earned all-Pac 10 honors as a defensive back and kick returner.
He went undrafted in 2012, but kept on his grind. He was signed by San Francisco to the practice squad, before landing on the Miami Dolphins’ roster in late 2013.
Thomas made a huge play in Game 1 as a Dolphin. He picked off New England Patriots’ Tom Brady to preserve a Miami win with two second remaining. He played five years with Miami before signing a two-year contract with the New York Giants in March.
Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.
Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.
The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.
Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.