NFF Legacy Award Recipients
Biography
Dr. Dennis Thomas served as the commissioner of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) from 2002 until his retirement in December 2021. A member of the NFF Board of Trustees from 1997-2008 and again since 2020, he will also be honored on Dec. 6 as a member of the 2022 College Football Hall of Fame Class.
As MEAC commissioner, Dr. Thomas negotiated a multi-million-dollar TV contract with ESPN. He was instrumental in the creation of the Celebration Bowl, the annual game between the MEAC and SWAC champions currently played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. He also forged a partnership with the NFF beginning in 2016 to announce the MEAC Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year during events surrounding the NFF Annual Awards Dinner.
Dr. Thomas was also instrumental in forging a partnership with the NFL to improve officiating and provide access for MEAC officials to advance to the next level. In May 2016, he helped broker an off-the-field partnership between the NFL and the MEAC to boost opportunities for non-playing careers in professional football.
Dr. Thomas was a two-time First Team All-America center at Alcorn State, where he became the only offensive lineman to ever be named the SWAC Offensive Player of the Year. Prior to the MEAC, Dr. Thomas served as an assistant football coach at Alcorn State, the head coach at South Carolina State for three years and the athletics director at Hampton University from 1990-2002. After earning his bachelor's degree from Alcorn State, he later earned his master's from the University of Louisiana at Monroe and his doctorate from the University at Buffalo.
"Dennis Thomas has accomplished so much during his storied career in college athletics," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "From his Hall of Fame playing days at Alcorn State to his posts guiding Hampton and the MEAC, he has long been a champion for the NFF and the game of football. The MEAC has a strong history, and we have enjoyed partnering with them to announce their players of the year during our Annual Awards Dinner. He has been an invaluable member of the NFF Board and a longtime friend, and we salute him on his retirement last December."
