To say that Zach Thomas was the Miami Dolphins' defense for over a decade almost seems like an understatement. Thomas was only drafted in the 5th Round in 1996, but the Linebacker from Texas Tech would become one of the elite Linebackers in the AFC. From 1998 to 2006, he would be chosen for five First Team All-Pro Selections and seven Pro Bowls, and in this time period, he proved himself to be a ferocious tackling machine. Thomas finished first in the NFL in Combined Tackles (2002 & 2006), and as of this writing, he is fifth all-time with 1,727. Thomas also accumulated 1,100 Solo Tackles over his career.
NFL 2000s All-Decade Team
First Team All-Pro (1998, 1999, 2002, 2003 & 2006)
Second Team All-Pro (2001 & 2005)
Pro Bowl (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005 & 2006)
All-Rookie (1996)
Most Combined Tackles (2002 & 2006)
Super Bowl Champion (None)
Top Ten Finishes: Approximate Value (2) (1998 & 2003)
Top Ten Finishes: Solo Tackles (5) (1996, 2001, 2002, 2005 & 2006)
Top Ten Finishes: Combined Tackles (10) (1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 & 2006)
Top Ten Finishes: Tackles for Loss (1) (2005)
Top Ten Finishes: Forced Fumbles (1) (2005)