March 7, 2010
Grant Abston, Texas Media Relations
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Former Longhorns TE David Thomas returned to Austin this weekend, serving as grand marshal for the Texas Independence Day Parade.
One month after winning a Super Bowl with the New Orleans Saints, Thomas and his family were invited to participate in the Texas Independence Day celebrations. In addition to the parade, Thomas used the visit to catch up with friends, family and current and former Longhorns.
“We always enjoy getting to come back to Austin,” Thomas said. “I just feel honored to be invited to do something like this, and it’s been an exciting few months for us.”
Thomas and the Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts, 31-17, to win Super Bowl XLIV, his second Super Bowl appearance after making it in 2008 with the New England Patriots. Thomas caught one pass for nine yards in the game, while setting career-highs in catches (35), yards (356) and touchdowns (1) in his first season with New Orleans.
“I’ve just tried to enjoy every day,” Thomas said. “These opportunities don’t come along very often, so I’ve just tried to have fun with everything. We got to make a little trip to Disneyworld, and now we’re down here in Austin and get to do this, so it’s been a lot of fun and I’ve really enjoyed it.”
In addition to the weekend events, Thomas attended one of the Longhorns’ spring practices to catch up with players and coaches, including former players Michael Huff and Michael Griffin, who were also at practice.
“We just really enjoy our time and really appreciate all that The University has done for us and it’s always fun to get back here,” Thomas stated.
At Texas, Thomas finished as the all-time leader in receptions (98), yards (1,367) and touchdowns (15) for a tight end. He was a three-time All-Big 12 performer and was a team captain for the 2005 National Championship team.
In addition to the parade, Celebrate Texas offered a 5k run, a celebrity golf tournament, a memorial service honoring veterans of the Texas Revolution and a remembrance ceremony for defenders of the Alamo. Celebrate Texas, in its eighth year, is a non-profit organization that seeks to encourage and promote the education of the general public regarding Texas Independence Day and the history of Texas and its people.
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