Sports > November 8, 2007

By Bo Wulf | Contributing writer

Oliver Thompson is a towering high school math teacher who can often be seen in the Charlotte Christian cafeteria after school playing chess. But the physically imposing chess club adviser is known for more than moving rooks and knights around the checkered board; in fact, he’s sired two studs of his own.

click to enlarge

Thompson

Oliver and his wife Myrna are the parents of Orrin, an offensive tackle on the Green Bay Packers practice squad, and Jeremy Thompson, Wake Forest’s senior defensive end whose furious pass rush has been a huge part of the team’s success this season.

“He comes from pretty good stock,” said Mike Rose, one of Thompson’s former coaches at Charlotte Christian. “His dad’s enormous, and his brother makes Jeremy looks tiny.”

This is no small feat considering Thompson is a commanding 6’5, 264 lbs. “It’s a great, great family,” Rose said.

But Oliver and Myrna Thompson’s influence on Thompson goes far beyond external features.

“Growing up, it always seemed like (my parents) had the right answers,” Thompson said when asked about his role models.“Whenever I had a problem, I could go to them and they could tell me usually in a couple sentences what the best thing to do would be.”

As a health and exercise science major with an eye on a career in physical therapy, a member of the ACC Honor Roll and a perennial Dean’s List student, it’s safe to say Thompson had made his parents proud.

And by the way, he’s going to be playing football on Sundays in the National Football League this time next year. According to famed NFL draft expert Mel Kiper Jr., Thompson currently ranks as the fifth best senior defensive end prospect in the country. And while he’s third in the ACC in sacks with 6.5, Thompson may lead the conference in humility.

“People will come up to me and congratulate me on things like that,” he said, dressed in his understated T-shirt and jeans. “But I’m not really that interested in that stuff.”

Although he may not tell you himself, Thompson’s presence on the Demon Deacon defense has been instrumental in the success of the squad this year.

“Going into the season, the defensive line was one of the question marks of the team,” said redshirt junior linebacker Chantz McClinic. “But (Jeremy’s) having one of his best seasons since he’s been here, and (the D line) has turned that around.”

Thompson’s journey as a football player to the force he is now is one of setbacks and perseverance. He was one of only two players in his recruiting class who played as a true freshman, and he was able to contribute after experiencing a self-actualized learning curve. Following his promising freshman campaign, there were high hopes for Thompson’s sophomore year.

After starting and performing well in the first eight games, Thompson tore his ACL against N.C. State.

“It was tough having to rehab for that long,” Thompson said. “The realization that each play could be your last … and that you don’t get to dictate the way your career goes. And it was hard being away from the guys.”

With the help of trainer Steve Wiley, Thompson was able to get back on the field for all 14 games of the Demon Deacon ACC Championship run his junior year. And while he wasn’t 100 percent, Thompson found a way to change his game to best help the team.

Since he was not quite as mobile as he would have liked, Thompson gained some weight during his rehab to become more of a run-stopper. This off-season, after being “just about” 100 percent, Thompson lost some weight with the goal of becoming more of a pass-rusher.

The results have been remarkable, as Thompson has vaunted himself in front of NFL scout’s eyes and has helped the team continue the trend of high-quality football that culminated in last year’s Orange Bowl appearance. For a defense filled with high-octane vocal leaders like redshirt juniors Aaron Curry, Alphonso Smith and Chip Vaughn, Thompson brings something different to the table.

“He’s one of those guys who’s not very outspoken, but he leads by his actions on and off the field,” said McClinic. “It’s hard to find a fault in him. You can’t do anything but respect a guy like that.”

When asked of his goals for the season, Thompson said he didn’t set any individual goals for himself. “I just want our team to be the best it can be,” he said.

His team-first attitude extends beyond the football field to the classroom.

Senior health and exercise science majors Melissa Yarbrough and Michaela Lewis are in a semester-long biomechanics project with Thompson.

“I think he feels bad that his schedule is so busy with football and everything,” Yarbrough said, “but he’s always so willing to do whatever he can to help the group.”

“I’ve never had more fun in a group project,” Lewis said, “and we still get all our work done well.”

While Thompson has undergone several distinct changes as a football player, his quiet lead-by-example attitude has been there all along.

"Every coach wants to be able to coach a kid like Jeremy because he’s got all the physical tools, but he’s so mature and so modest,” Rose said. “It’s a rare package.”

“What I remember most about Jeremy was that every Wednesday night the team would come over to my house to watch film and he was always so kind to the younger players, even to the kids who didn’t play football,” Rose said. “He would even go read to the elementary school children.”

Thompson means so much to the Charlotte Christian community that many of them drove to Winston-Salem for the North Carolina game just to watch Jeremy play. “All the kid’s Tivo the Wake game whenever it’s on TV,” Rose said. “Then they’ll all talk about it.”

No matter how the rest of this season turns out, it’s clear that Jeremy Thompson has a bright future. Whether it’s one day lining up across from his brother on an NFL field or helping other athletes recover as a physical therapist, he will continue to enhance the Thompson name.

Oliver Thompson may spend his afternoons around the chess set, but he’s got a king of a son at home.