Never Heard of Him with Rory Thomas
Former IUP Offensive Lineman Rory Thomas discusses what it was like growing up in Beaver Falls, PA. He speaks about being raised in the projects by a single mother. Rory describes his environment as impoverished and filled of drug dealing and violence. Rory excelled in the classroom as well as on the field, making him a high level recruit. Rory had received interest from major Division I Colleges such as Maryland, Wisconsin, etc. Rory struggled to get the required SAT scores to qualify at the Division I level and ultimately ended up at Indiana University of PA (IUP) a Division II powerhouse. He would go on to play every position on the offensive line and show tremendous leadership. During his sophomore year Rory fell in love with the college life and partied too much resulting in him being academically eligible. He would be forced to take a year off from school and return back home. Rory shares the story about altercation that resulted in a bunch of his teammates being suspended from school and making local news. In 2007, Rory concluded his final season with All-Region and All-PSAC honors. He went on to have a shot at the NFL by going to mini camp with the Detroit Lions. He also pursued the opportunity to play arena football until injuring his shoulder and hanging it up. Rory talks about not being able to find a job during the recession, and using his gift of the gab in car sales. Currently, he resides in the Philadelphia area running his own business Thomas Financial Group and has real estate investments. He concluded with his purpose and talks about fatherhood. We want to thank Rory for being a sponsor of Into the Boundary, we appreciate all of his support.