Former New York Giants tight end Aaron Thomas died at the age of 86 last week at his home in Corvallis, Oregon. Thomas was battling an illness. On Friday, the Giants confirmed the news of his death and noted that he died on April 26.
Thomas was one of the best players at his position in team history, playing in 116 regular season games for New York, missing only seven games during his career.
He spent the majority of his career (1962-70) with the Giants, with one Pro Bowl appearance during that time. He played for the San Francisco 49ers in 1961 and for only two games in 1962, before being traded to New York.
Two years later, Thomas led the Giants with 43 receptions for 624 yards and six touchdowns and was selected to the Pro Bowl. In 1967, he recorded a career-high total of 51 catches, 877 yards and nine touchdowns. He retired after the 1970 season.
With the Giants, he is #17 in franchise history in receptions with 254, #14 in franchise history in yards with 4,253 and his 35 touchdown receptions are tied for the sixth place.
His son, Robb, who was a wide receiver in the NFL for 10 years, commented on his father’s career, comparing him to a current star.
“It almost looks like the first version of [Kansas City Chiefs tight end] Travis Kelce,” Robb said. “He was a tight end and a flanker, but he really ran good routes and had a good feel when it came to getting into open space.”
