Thigpen = Gannon

[Pneuma]

Thigpen Is Gannon Like

Watching Tyler Thigpen all through the off-season, then training camp and in the Chiefs pre-season I was always struck by a feeling t hat I’d seen him play before. While I certainly enjoy the Carolina beaches almost every summer, I’d never seen him hook it up for the Chanticleers of Coastal Carolina.

I couldn’t quite put my finger on a name until this week.

Rich Gannon. Tyler Thigpen reminds me of Rich Gannon.

Not the Rich Gannon that won NFL MVP honors with Oakland and helped lead the Raiders to the Super Bowl. That was the veteran, experienced Gannon.

I’m talking about the Gannon the NFL saw over his first seven seasons with New England, Minnesota and Washington, before he blew out his shoulder and missed the 1994 season.

Most Chiefs fans don’t remember that Gannon; he played for the Vikings and Redskins and was off their radar screen. When Gannon signed with the Chiefs in 1995, his arrival was met with … nothing. Not a single reaction. He was considered just a guy, a veteran coming off major shoulder surgery who hadn’t played for a season and when he had played, didn’t exactly do a lot of memorable things.

Let’s look at the old Gannon and Thigpen. I think you’ll see the similarities.

SIZE: Gannon was 6-3, 210 pounds. Thigpen is 6-1, 225 pounds. Gannon was taller, Thigpen is broader, but essentially they have very similar body types.

COLLEGES: Both played Division 1-AA football; Gannon for Delaware, Thigpen for Coastal Carolina.

COLLEGE STATS: Gannon produced 7,432 total offensive yards for the Blue Hens, including 1,505 rushing yards. Thigpen had 8,224 total offensive yards for the Chanticleers, including 1,626 rushing yards.

DRAFT STATUS: Gannon was a fourth-round selection of the New England Patriots; Thigpen a seventh-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings.

SCOUT’S VIEW: Gannon was viewed as a potential safety, maybe even running back when he was coming out of college. In fact, he asked to be released by the Patriots when they wanted him to move to safety in his rookie training camp. That’s when New England traded him to Minnesota. Some teams viewed Thigpen as a potential wide receiver coming out of Coastal Carolina.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Gannon was the punter for Delaware in college; Thigpen was the kicker for his high school team. He wasn’t a side-winder either; he kicked straight on.

RUNNING ABILITY: It was a big part of Gannon’s abilities and often got him in trouble during his early years. After his first seven seasons, Gannon had 808 yards rushing on 165 carries while playing in 56 games for the Vikings and Redskins. He also had 20 fumbles at that point. Combined with his 43 interceptions, his 63 turnovers at that point outnumbered his 43 touchdown passes. Taking off out of the pocket is something Thigpen does frequently and its has produced some nice runs and some mistakes.

When you see Thigpen run, he looks so similar to the way Gannon would take off, even in his time with the Chiefs when he wasn’t so much interested in running and finding a receiver.

Gannon’s first NFL start was on Sunday, September 30, 1990, the Vikings hosting Tampa Bay at the Metrodome. Against the Bucs, he completed 19 of 36 for 253 yards passing, but threw a pair of interceptions and was sacked twice. Gannon ran nine times in the game for 65 yards.

Even when he got older and wiser, Gannon still would take off and run. In 1998 with the Chiefs, Gannon ran 44 times for 168 yards. Those 44 carries were the most by a Kansas City quarterback since Steve Fuller ran 60 times in the 1980 season for 274 yards.

Thigpen’s immediate future will be played out over the next few weeks. But he has a chance to leave an impression. Gannon was in his fourth NFL season before he started a game, so Thigpen is already ahead of that curve.

But it’s not how you start. As Rich Gannon proved, it’s how you finished, and he finished big.

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