Zach Thomas Madden Career 1997-2010 - Peak 97 OVR
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Madden
Fifth-round Texas Tech pick, 1,734 tackles, Canton in 2023
Zach Thomas was born on September 1, 1973 in Pampa, Texas, was a unanimous first-team All-American at Texas Tech, and was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of 1996, 154th overall. He started all 16 games as a rookie, a season Madden NFL 97 rated 40. Madden NFL 2000 put him at a calculated 92 for 1999, his second straight Pro Bowl year.
Thomas made seven Pro Bowls, in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006, and was a five-time first-team All-Pro. Madden NFL 02 rated him 97 for the 2001 season. Madden NFL 08 listed the same figure for 2007, a year a concussion cut to five games and his last in Miami.
The Dolphins released him in February 2008, and he started 14 games for the Dallas Cowboys that season. He signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2009 and was released on September 5 of that year after another concussion. Thomas finished 13 seasons with 1,734 tackles, the fifth-highest total recorded since the league began tracking them in 1987. He signed a one-day contract in 2010 to retire as a Dolphin and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August 2023.
Zach Thomas Madden Career Milestones
- Peak rating: 97 OVR in Madden NFL 2002 (age 28)
- Appeared in 12 Madden releases (Madden NFL 1997 through Madden NFL 2010)
- Entered at 40 OVR in Madden NFL 1997, climbed 57 points to his peak
- Biggest single-year rise: 46 points into Madden NFL 1998
- Played for 3 franchises: Dolphins, Cowboys, Chiefs
- Listed as a linebacker in every Madden release
- Final Madden appearance: Madden NFL 2010 at 80 OVR
Zach Thomas Madden Career Ratings
| Madden | Team | Pos | OVR | Speed | ACC | AGI | STR | JMP | STA | INJ | TGH | AWR | PRC | THP | TAS | TAM | TAD | CAR | BTK | TRK | BCV | SFA | SPM | JKM | CTH | SPC | CIT | SRR | MRR | DRR | RLS | RBK | PBK | IBL | TAK | POW | PUR | MCV | ZCV | PRS | KPW | KAC | KRN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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1997 1996 NFL season
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MLB | 40 | 65 | 64 | 68 | - | 94 | 64 | - | - | 58 | - | - | - | - | - | 26 | 14 | - | - | - | - | - | 30 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 64 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
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1998 * 1997 NFL season
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MLB | 86* | 86 | - | 73 | - | - | - | - | - | 86 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 99 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 46 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
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1999 1998 NFL season
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MLB | 80* | 67 | 65 | 69 | 76 | - | - | 9 | - | 78 | - | - | - | - | - | 19 | 19 | - | - | - | - | - | 14 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 83 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
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2000 1999 NFL season
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MLB | 92* | 59 | 69 | 71 | 71 | - | - | 80 | - | 90 | - | - | - | - | - | 29 | 34 | - | - | - | - | - | 34 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 94 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
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2002 2001 NFL season
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MLB | 97 | 78 | 84 | 81 | 80 | 65 | 95 | 81 | 98 | 95 | - | 30 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 35 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 51 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 15 | 13 | - | 96 | - | - | - | - | - | 11 | 20 | - |
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2003 2002 NFL season
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MLB | 94 | 70 | 83 | 73 | 82 | 65 | 94 | 70 | 98 | - | - | 34 | - | - | - | 35 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 50 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 21 | 18 | - | 93 | - | - | - | - | - | 16 | 24 | - |
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2004 2003 NFL season
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MLB | 95 | 75 | 82 | 79 | 80 | 65 | 94 | 70 | 98 | 93 | - | 34 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 35 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 48 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 21 | 18 | - | 95 | - | - | - | - | - | 16 | 24 | 0 |
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2006 2005 NFL season
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MLB | 96 | 73 | 80 | 74 | 77 | 65 | 96 | 75 | - | 98 | - | 34 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 35 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 45 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 47 | 18 | - | 97 | - | - | - | - | - | 16 | 24 | 0 |
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2007 2006 NFL season
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MLB | 96 | 75 | 80 | 74 | 78 | 65 | 96 | 75 | 98 | 98 | 97 | 34 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 35 | - | 40 | 30 | 50 | 25 | 40 | 45 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 47 | 18 | 85 | 96 | - | 99 | 60 | 75 | - | 16 | 24 | 0 |
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2008 2007 NFL season
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MLB | 97 | 76 | 80 | 74 | 78 | 65 | 96 | 75 | - | 98 | 98 | 34 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 35 | - | 10 | 30 | 50 | 25 | 40 | 50 | 35 | 30 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 30 | 47 | 18 | 85 | 98 | 87 | 98 | 60 | 75 | 61 | 16 | 24 | 0 |
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2009 2008 NFL season
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RILB | 94 | 76 | 78 | 72 | 79 | 65 | 98 | 70 | 98 | 97 | 97 | 34 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 40 | - | 10 | 30 | 50 | 25 | 40 | 55 | 35 | 30 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 30 | 47 | 18 | 85 | 97 | 87 | 95 | 50 | 70 | 61 | 16 | 24 | 10 |
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2010 2009 NFL season
Did not play
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MLB | 80 | 68 | 75 | 72 | 75 | 65 | 87 | 41 | 85 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 40 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 31 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 47 | - | - | 93 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 10 |
Era Linebackers who played alongside Zach Thomas
Zach Thomas Madden Ratings by Year
Zach Thomas Madden NFL 1997 rating: 40 OVR (1996 NFL season, MIA). Zach Thomas Madden NFL 1998 rating: 86 OVR (1997 NFL season, MIA). Zach Thomas Madden NFL 1999 rating: 80 OVR (1998 NFL season, MIA). Zach Thomas Madden NFL 2000 rating: 92 OVR (1999 NFL season, MIA). Zach Thomas Madden NFL 2002 rating: 97 OVR (2001 NFL season, MIA). Zach Thomas Madden NFL 2003 rating: 94 OVR (2002 NFL season, MIA). Zach Thomas Madden NFL 2004 rating: 95 OVR (2003 NFL season, MIA). Zach Thomas Madden NFL 2006 rating: 96 OVR (2005 NFL season, MIA). Zach Thomas Madden NFL 2007 rating: 96 OVR (2006 NFL season, MIA). Zach Thomas Madden NFL 2008 rating: 97 OVR (2007 NFL season, MIA). Zach Thomas Madden NFL 2009 rating: 94 OVR (2008 NFL season, DAL). Zach Thomas Madden NFL 2010 rating: 80 OVR (2009 NFL season, KC).