![]() ![]() "We knew kind of his ability as a special teams type of player, kind of in that Matthew Slater-esque quality of speed, power, smarts, toughness," said Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell, who is close friends with Slater, New England's 10-time Pro Bowl special teamer who's still an active player at age 37. That's my ticket to the league.” NaJee Thompson “I showed I can play offense or defense, but special teams, special teams, special teams. A year later, Pro Football Network named him first-team All-America as a special-teams player. In 2018-19, he had four fumble recoveries, blocked a punt that was returned for a touchdown and forced a fumble. Thompson did it all on special teams at Georgia Southern. I showed I can play offense or defense, but special teams, special teams, special teams. "But my freshman year at Georgia Southern, I told them I don't want to play offense or defense. "Pick six, punt return, threw a touchdown pass, had a rushing touchdown and had over 300 all-purpose yards. "Senior Night in high school against Clover, I scored every way possible," Thompson said. "That's who he is at his core," Daniels said.Īmen, says Thompson, listed as a 5-11, 205-pound cornerback. But he always identified as a special teamer, period. ![]() Thompson went to Georgia Southern as a backup receiver and finished as a starting cornerback. Years later, NaJee was running faster times at the county meet than Stephen did."ĭaniels likes Thompson's speed and loves his longtime devotion to special teams. ![]() ![]() He used to beat Tim Montgomery, who is from Gaffney, South Carolina, and went on to become the fastest man in the world. "Stephen Davis, the old Redskins and Panthers running back, is from Spartanburg. These other kids were the best sprinters in the state, and you'd still swear NaJee was running against middle schoolers. "But the distance he'd make up was crazy to watch. "NaJee never really did get great breaks coming out of the blocks," McBee said. Jed Blackwell wrote that article, using the nickname for Thompson that McBee had spread locally to other scribes. Vikings rookie NaJee Thompson still has a photo of the Spartanburg Herald Journal sports page from when he set a South Carolina record winning the 200-meter championship in 2018. There's a photo of him crossing the finish line under a big headline that reads, "Flash Thompson." "I still have a screenshot of the 'Flash Thompson' article," said Thompson, 23, as he scrolls through his phone and produces the front page of the sports section of the Spartanburg Herald Journal. That came May 12, 2018, in Columbia, S.C., when Thompson won the Class 5A 200-meter championship in 21.06 seconds, a state record, breaking the mark set by Tavien Feaster, the former Clemson and South Carolina running back who has bounced around the NFL and CFL the past four seasons. The gridiron isn't where the nickname was solidified forevermore. I said, 'Who the heck is the DB wearing 82 and why is he up here on varsity?' Then I saw his speed and said, 'Oh.'" "First time I ever saw him, they elevated him from the JV squad, and he's wearing No. "I used to joke with NaJee, saying he looked like a flash going by," said McBee, who covers Boiling Springs High School for the Boiling Springs Sports Journal website.
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