Since he arrived in the NFL in 2010, Earl Thomas has steadily built a reputation as one of the most effective safeties in the league. Never one for controversy, the player has kept his nose clean and has let his skills on the field of play speak for him. These skills have fetched him several accolades, including one Super Bowl ring and multiple Pro Bowl Honours, and the player has been touted as a future Hall of Famer.
That bright prospect has however been threatened by a recent domestic altercation involving Thomas and his wife. In what sounds like the plot of a daytime soap opera, the whole episode has spewed lurid details of cheating, gun scare, aggravated assault, and felony charges; one can only wonder if the couple, who have three kids together, can ever recover from it.
The Miracle Child Who Became a Football Star
After losing all hopes of having her own kids as a result of cervical cancer, Earl’s mother Debbie Thomas got the surprise of her life after two years of being diagnosed; she discovered she was pregnant with Earl. It was a bag of surprises for her as she never underwent any sort of treatment but rather clung to the belief that her body could heal up her wounds naturally. That was how Earl Thomas came to be on the 7th of May in 1989 and his father, Earl Snr, couldn’t hide his joy.
Earl Thomas was raised as a responsible child in Orange town. His mom preferred calling him her ‘miracle child’ than his name. He was showered with all kinds of love and parental care and by the time he was of age, he started showing interest in the game of football. His father noticed his passion and helped him walk his way into developing a strong career foundation. With the kind of support he had from his parents, Earl emerged to be one of the best in sports and academics during his days at West Orange-Stark High School.
Upon leaving high school, Thomas was rated as a four-star recruit and was acknowledged as the best athlete in his class. He joined the University of Texas football team where he proved to be priceless with the team. By the end of his collegiate career, Thomas’ top form had spread his fame far and wide. He was overwhelmed with compliments from both his coaches and fans and so, he publicly declared his intentions of joining the National Football League (NFL) despite not having graduated from college.
Winning Super Bowl and Joining The Baltimore Ravens
That same year the miracle child made his intentions known, he pulled a lot of athletic stints during the NFL Scouting Combine organized in Indianapolis. Thomas performed most of the drills and every single task given to him. With that, the Seattle Seahawks picked him in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft.
He was one of the youngest players drafted that year and was also the second safety chosen in that year’s draft. The Seahawks subsequently named him their starting safety for the 2010 season and he went on to live up to expectations by retuning an impressive 76 tackles (64 solos), 7 pass deflections, and five interceptions.
In doing this, he helped his team finish first in their division. He also took them to the playoff rounds but they, unfortunately, lost to the Chicago Bears. Following that impressive debut season, Earl Thomas spent seven more years with the Seahawks. During this period, he helped them reach the playoffs on multiple occasions. He also took them to the Super Bowl on two occasions, out of which they won one. This was Super Bowl XLVII where they routed the Denver Broncos 43 – 8 to emerge champions in February 2014.
After eight fruitful years with the Seattle Seahawks, Earl Thomas joined the Baltimore Ravens in March 2019. He remains there and hopes to consolidate his career achievements thus far. Some of these achievements include Pro Bowl honors (7x), First Team All-Pro (3x), and Second Team All-Team Pro (2x). The veteran safety was also named to the NFL team of the decade for the 2010s.
A Breakdown of His Contract Earnings Over The Years
Thomas has been the recipient of three major contracts in the course of his decade-long journey in the NFL. The first is predictably his rookie contract with the Seahawks which was a five-year deal worth $21.1 million. It paid him about $3.6 million per annum and also included half a million in bonuses.
Following his fine contributions to the Seahawks’ Super Bowl victory in 2014, Thomas was offered a four-year contract extension worth $40 million that same year. This particular contract increased his annual salary to $10 million and also saw him pocket about $9.5 million in signing bonuses. The safety remained on this deal until it eventually ran out in 2018 and he left the Seahawks for the Ravens.
Thomas’ current contract is a four-year deal with the Ravens worth $55 million. The contract comes with about $32 million guaranteed which makes him one of the highest-paid safeties in the NFL.
Welcoming Three Kids With His High School Sweetheart
For the longest time, Earl Thomas gave off the aura of a man who was very much crazy about his wife. The NFL safety had tied the knot with his high school sweetheart, Nina Thomas nee Heisser, as far back as 2016.
As the story goes, Nina is originally from New Orleans and relocated to Texas after the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina. In Texas, she restarted her high school education and met Thomas during their junior year of 2006.
They commenced a relationship that same year and remained together for about nine years before the NFL star popped the question in 2015. The love birds subsequently tied the knot a year later at the Chateau Cocomar in Houston. The nuptials was attended by many of Thomas’ teammates while the bride stunned in a gorgeous white gown. The groom also looked dapper in a white tux and even wore a diamond-encrusted crown.
Following the elaborate nuptials, Thomas and Nina settled down to family life and welcomed three kids, two daughters – Kaleigh Rose Thomas and Veee, and a son, within the next several years. Nina primarily played the role of a homemaker and also kept herself busy with charity activities. Her husband on the other hand doted on her and the kids, frequently showing off their pictures on his Instagram page.
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Cheating Allegations and Gun Scare
All seemed rosy in the couple’s life but that belief was shattered in April 2020 following reports that the NFL star was cheating on his wife and that she had pulled the gun on him. According to police reports, Nina got wind of the fact that her husband had been carrying on an affair for the past two months; and used his Snapchat account to track him and the lady to a short-term rental facility.
When she got there with her two companions, her best friend Camisha Garlow and sister-in-law Kayla Baham-Heisser, they discovered her husband and the lady in bed. This sight infuriated her and she pulled out his 9mm Beretta gun on him. Thomas attempted to take the gun from her and a tussle ensued during which she hit him in the eye, arm, and groin. The NFL player eventually got hold of the gun and his wife brandished a knife.
The couple used these weapons to chase each other around until the cops arrived. Upon the arrival of the cops, Nina Thomas was arrested and charged with first-degree felony burglary of a residence with the intent to commit aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. She later made bail but the matter remains in court. Her attorney has so far indicated that she was wrongfully arrested and that she would clear her name in court.
Meanwhile, since all this went down, Earl Thomas has kept a low profile. He however posted a video on his Instagram account in which he acknowledged what was going on. In the now-deleted video, the player stated that things like this happen and asked fans for their prayers. He also made it known that he was in touch with his wife and kids. Nina, on the other hand, is yet to address the issues. She however posted a picture of her three kids on Instagram and described them as her everything. She also thanked God for the gift of her babies.
