Posted by Old Timer on the Mean Green board.

North Texas has probably the best college program in Texas and surrounding states for Dislexic studies.

Standing out, fitting in

Athlete finds success at UNT

07:14 AM CDT on Monday, October 18, 2004

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

Terry Warr first noticed Jamario Thomas’ quiet struggles midway through the ninth grade.

Thomas was a standout athlete and solid student at Longview Spring Hill who handled any task Warr threw his way — unless she asked him to read.
Jamario Thomas

"I don’t know how I realized it, but when you asked him something, he could answer," Warr said. "If you put the printed word in front of him, he had a much harder time. We put it together and found out he had dyslexia."

The disorder, which is characterized by difficulty with reading comprehension, identifying words and spelling, is one Thomas has struggled to overcome throughout a standout football career that has reached new heights at the University of North Texas this fall.

Thomas was recruited by multiple schools, but picked UNT in part because of its program for students with dyslexia. The choice has paid off for Thomas, who has found his niche in Denton.

"Dyslexia is something I have struggled with," Thomas said. "They have a good program for it here."

The former all-state selection has rushed for 739 yards in just five games at UNT. He ranks sixth nationally with an average of 147.8 yards a game heading into the Mean Green’s showdown with New Mexico State on Saturday.

Finding the same level of success in the classroom is a constant battle for a player described by current and former teachers and coaches as quiet and intelligent.

Thomas passed on scholarship offers from Colorado, Arkansas and Arizona State to play for UNT, which has built a statewide reputation for its ability to help students with all types of special needs, including dyslexia.

UNT’s coaches made the program part of their recruiting pitch to Thomas and landed one of the top recruits of Darrell Dickey’s seven-year tenure with the team.

Thomas was ranked No. 31 on The Dallas Morning News’ list of the top 100 college football prospects in the state last season. Over the past few years, UNT has signed several players who have been on the list, including defensive back Jonas Buckles and defensive lineman Brandon Kennedy, but few were ranked as high as Thomas.

"The coaches talked with me about North Texas and the program they have for kids with dyslexia," said Laverne Thomas, Jamario’s mother, who has been to each of her son’s games in Denton. "I wanted him to go somewhere where he could get help. UNT was one of the places that could offer it."

UNT’s Office of Disability Accommodation serves more than 700 students on campus with a variety of problems, including dyslexia.

Thomas has taken advantage of the opportunity UNT has offered him both on and off the field in what was supposed to be a transition season.

A change in plans

Senior Patrick Cobbs led the nation in rushing in 2003 and was expected to make a run at a second title this year while tutoring Thomas. Cobbs hosted Thomas on his recruiting visit to UNT and quickly took him on as his understudy.

That plan changed when Cobbs sprained his left knee the second week of the season in a game against Florida Atlantic.

Thomas moved into the starting role the next week against Colorado and quickly showed that he could carry the load in UNT’s ground-based attack.

Thomas rushed for 247 yards against the Buffaloes’ defense, ranked fourth nationally against the run at the time. He followed that performance by breaking the UNT single-game rushing record of 249 yards, set by Cobbs, when he rushed for 256 yards against Utah State on Oct. 9.

Thomas has carried the ball in just five games thus far in his career and already owns two of the top four performances for a single game in school history.

"Jamario has a lot of talent and fits our style of offense," Dickey said. "He has deceptive speed and quickness. He also finds the holes in a defense a high percentage of the time for a freshman and is hard to tackle."

Those talents have made Thomas a threat to score any time he touches the ball. He has already scored on six runs of at least 25 yards this season.

Facing the challenge

Matching the success he has enjoyed on the field in the classroom has been a challenge for Thomas ever since his days at Spring Hill.

"Having dyslexia made it tough to get through school," Thomas said. "I got through middle school by just remembering what the teachers would say and paying attention in class. In high school you have a lot more going on, so it got tougher."

Once Thomas’ teachers discovered his dyslexia, they placed him in a program with Gail Powell, the school district’s teacher who specializes in working with dyslexic students.

"He struggled, but we were able to match him with a program that helped him work on his weaknesses and capitalize on his strengths," Powell said. "He is a very sharp kid. He just has a specific need that has nothing to do with intelligence."

Thomas said he reads at a slower rate than most students, which has caused him trouble at times. The problem was one that forced Thomas to put more work into school than some of his peers.

"Jamario was dedicated to overcoming dyslexia," Powell said. "He did what he was asked."

Thomas has displayed that same attitude while working in UNT’s program.

Students with problems that are documented by health and psychology professionals work with the Office of Disability Accommodation to help them adapt to a university environment. Students have access to extra tutoring to help ease the transition from high school to college.

"Based on our reputation in the state, UNT is an excellent provider for students with disabilities, particularly students with dyslexia," said Ken Ballom, UNT’s dean of students. "The Office of Disability Accommodation has established a reputation that is tough to beat in the state."

Thomas’ high school coach, Steve Gaddis, said some of the other colleges that recruited his top player backed off when they found out that they didn’t have a program for dyslexic students that could match the one Thomas is excelling in at UNT.

"From the reports we get, Jamario is very attentive and is doing well in school," Dickey said. "He has also picked up the football part of it faster than a lot of kids we have dealt with."

Stepping up

Thomas’ attitude has made almost as big an impression at UNT as his football skills.

He is quick to credit his teammates for his accomplishments and frequently praises Cobbs for serving as his mentor during the early days of his college career.

"Jamario is a very humble young man," UNT athletic director Rick Villarreal said. "It’s refreshing to have another person who is humble like Patrick. He is the type of kid you get into the coaching business to work with."

Thomas’ teammates have already dubbed him "Little Jamario" and frequently rush over to congratulate him when he breaks off a big run. Quarterback Scott Hall is just one of several members of UNT’s team who said he has been impressed with the way Thomas has handled the responsibility placed on him early in his career.

Thomas’ performance over the last few weeks caused Cobbs to predict his replacement will surpass all the records he has set during his standout career at UNT. Cobbs ranks as one of the top players in UNT history and is in line to break the school’s career rushing record when he returns next season.

"He has adapted well for a true freshman, especially when you consider all that has been placed on him since the Colorado game," Dickey said. "He has handled it extremely well."

Gaddis believed Thomas would succeed in college, both in the classroom and on the field, as long as he found the right place to play. Finding the right fit at UNT and overcoming the challenge of dyslexia has been a rewarding experience for Thomas.

"Dyslexia is something I have worked hard to overcome in life," Thomas said. "I am proud of the fact that I got through it and got a chance to play college football."

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870.