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College Football Hall of Famer was a first-team All-American on national championship team in 1957
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Aurealius Thomas, a Columbus native who was a first-team All-American on Woody Hayes’ second national championship team in 1957 and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, passed away on Feb. 5. He was 86 years old.
In his Hall of Fame bio, Thomas was described as someone who had “tremendous technique as a blocker and mobility as a tackler.” He wasn’t big – just 200 pounds, which even by football standards for his time was undersized – but he more than made up for that with a tenacity that made him an All-American. Able to outmaneuver opponents with his quickness, Thomas lettered for the Buckeyes in 1955, 1956 and 1957 and was a part of two national championship teams.