Former Eagle Tra Thomas’ son Jake looks like a chip off the old blocker

Jake Thomas did not realize how much of an impact his father, Tra, made in the NFL until the three-time Pro Bowl left tackle was inducted into the Eagles Hall of Fame in 2021. The younger Thomas then watched his father coach prospects at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., helping them reach the college and professional levels.

So when it was Jake’s turn on the gridiron, he looked to his father for guidance.

“He was playing while I was 2 or 3 years old,” said Jake, now a senior at Shawnee High. “Then I learned more when I was older that he’s really good. ... I can see myself having a future in the league, too, with his coaching, and then the work that I’m putting in right now.”

The 6-foot-2, 290-pound left tackle is heading to Lehigh University. He was a late bloomer, getting his first start in tackle football as a freshman at IMG Academy while Tra served as offensive line coach. After one season, Jake came back to his hometown of Medford and has since been trained by his father, who helped him become a Division I recruit.

“I look back at all the things that I accomplished in four years, it’s hard to do,” Jake Thomas said. “I’m very blessed to be able to play at the college level with only playing for four years, so it’s been great knowing that I have a great coach that I can always ask to watch film or questions about anything.”

The elder Thomas spent 12 seasons in the NFL. He was drafted by the Eagles out of Florida State with the 11th pick in 1998. Through his time in the area, the Florida native found a second home in Medford, where his two sons, Jake and Tristan, a sophomore tight end at West Chester University, spent most of their upbringing.

Tra Thomas played his last NFL game in 2009 and joined the Eagles coaching staff, mainly working with the offensive line, during the 2013 season. He got involved at IMG in 2021. Thomas did not want Jake to start playing football until he was in high school, so in the meantime, he opted for his son to play flag football.

“I wanted to make sure that his training was right and that his technique was down,” Tra Thomas said. “He was going to be a big kid. Have fun catching the ball, catching a touchdown during the times that you can with flag, because once you start organized football, your hand is going to be in the dirt. You’re not going to be able to catch passes and score touchdowns anymore.”

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Before he began high school, Jake used that summer to develop his technique with his father. From film studies to learning the proper stance, the days were long and tough, but eventually they paid off.

He enrolled in Shawnee midway through his freshman year after his season at IMG, and he reached out to the coaches about offseason weight training. It was three days a week, and he didn’t miss one session. Coach Tim Gushue, who finished his 42nd season at the helm, said the left tackle was “one of the hardest workers in our weight room.”

“He’s humble and soft-spoken, but his work ethic is outstanding,” Gushue said. “He started all 11 games as a sophomore at left tackle. ... He got super strong for a high schooler. He and the left guard [John Prokapus], who’s going to Yale, they would have competitions [in the weight room]. Both squat over 500 pounds and bench well over 300 pounds. We don’t see that too often.”

Jake always knew he wanted to play college ball like his father. The recruiting process, however, got going after his junior season. He received his first college scholarship offer from Monmouth, then more started to roll in.

He held five Division I offers before his senior year. Jake participated in an Under Armour camp in Orlando. It helped with his exposure, but Tra is a firm believer in not having too many voices involved in his son’s development, which is why outside of his high school coaches, the elder Thomas has been his main coach for the last four years.

And during their college visits, his father was hoping Jake would find a program that aligned with their training. Lehigh was the right fit — but Tra did not see that at first.

“When I first went to Lehigh, I was kind of like, ‘I’m not feeling this,’ because I was looking at it from all my years of training camp. I spent 11 years on that campus,” Tra Thomas said. “When I first went there, all I could hear was Big Red [Andy Reid] saying, ‘This drill is live.’ But once I let that go and just started watching what the coaches were doing, I was really impressed with the program. ... Lehigh is a program that’s on the rise, and they are a very good school academically.”

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Jake Thomas plans to play center in the fall. He has spent the last year learning the position and his father has been teaching him how to snap the ball. While Jake aspires to follow in Tra’s footsteps to the NFL, he has been reminded to be patient.

During his first year at Florida State, Tra was redshirted and did not get his first college start until he was a junior. Then he was drafted in the first round after only starting for a year.

“There was a progression to it,” he said. “There’s not always instant success.”

His son may not have Thomas’ training next year, but he’s grateful for the mentorship that has gotten him to this point.

“He takes so much time out of his day to help me,” Jake said. “It’s amazing to know that I have somebody on my side who’s there for me at all times. It’s just great to have somebody.”