Jan. 9, 2013

 Blue Jay Jersey Countdown - #30 

As we countdown to '13, a season Blue Jay faithful hope will end with a 10 on the 27th, HopkinsSports.com offers its own countdown ... by jersey number ... to the season-opener against Siena on February 8.

Today - #30

Did You Know: The only player in school history to average more than 70 points per season for his career is Jack Thomas, who wore #30 on Hall of Fame coach Bob Scott’s final three teams from 1972-74.

Player Spotlight – Jack Thomas
It’s not certain who might end up at the top in a debate about the greatest attackmen in Johns Hopkins history. One thing that is certain is that Jack Thomas would have plenty of supporters.

One of the most decorated attackmen in school history, Thomas starred on Bob Scott’s final three teams from 1972-74. All he did was lead JHU to a pair of national championship game appearances in 1972 and 1973 and the program’s first NCAA Championship in 1974.

Statistically, Thomas has few peers. He was the first Johns Hopkins player to total more than 100 career goals (103) and 100 career assists (121) – marks he punched up in just three seasons. There have been exactly seven instances in school history where a Johns Hopkins player has totaled more than 70 points. Thomas averaged more than 74 points per year – at a time when JHU played an average of just 13 games per year (including the playoffs).

The honors followed the numbers: Three-time First Team All-American, two-time recipient of the Turnbull Award as the nation’s top attackman, All-Time Johns Hopkins Team selection, Lacrosse Hall of Fame inductee.

HopkinsSports.com has no rooting interest in a debate about the greatest attackmen in school history. Jack Thomas wouldn’t need anyone to speak up for him; the honors and statistics speak for themselves.

Other Notable “30s” in JHU Lacrosse History
Tom Garvey: The resurgence of the Johns Hopkins men’s lacrosse program in the early 2000s was built on a young, dynamic group of offensive players and a suffocating defense. The top player on that defensive unit from 2002-05 was Tom Garvey, a Second Team All-America selection in 2004 and a first team honoree in 2005. Garvey helped the Blue Jays to a 55-6 record, four trips to the Final Four and the ultimate cap to a career – the 2005 undefeated national championship season.

Jim Greenwood: Few have been more visible in their support of Blue Jay teams through the years than Jim Greenwood. The young athletes of today might not know that Greenwood was a member of the 1959 USILA National Championship team and earned All-America honors as JHU’s starting goalie in 1960 and 1961.

Famous “30s” in Other Sports

Martin Brodeur: As a big Flyer fan, it's killing HopkinsSports.com to put Brodeur on here, but he won three Stanley Cups and two Vezina Trophys as the goalie for the New Jersey Devils. Hard to argue with the success he enjoyed.

Terrell Davis: Davis was the running back John Elway needed in Denver to win those two Super Bowls in the late 1990s. He was on his way to the Hall of Fame before injuries cut short his career. He rushed for more than 7,600 yards and 60 TDs in what amounted to four healthy seasons.

Note: Johns Hopkins men’s lacrosse rosters are generally available back to 1950. In many years after 1950, only an alphabetical list is available. The Blue Jay Jersey Countdown is intended to be an enjoyable way to count down to the 2013 season. It is not intended to rank in any way the players who wore a particular number.

HopkinsSports.com Men's Lacrosse

Printer-friendly format	Email this article