A Distinguished Sports Career

by Gordon Pynes

Most outstanding athletes have relatively short careers as age takes away their athletic skills. Atlanta High School football star Ted Thompson was unique in terms of his sports longevity. Beginning as a middle school football player in the late 1960’s Ted compiled an amazing career for the next fifty plus years. His exploits on the field and off cover highlights from Atlanta’s old Bivins-Trice stadium through the Cotton Bowl, Astrodome and Green Bay’s Lambeau Field in addition to time at the Seattle Seahawks facilities.

With a motto of “hard work pays off” Ted excelled as an Atlanta Rabbit in four sports, football, basketball, golf and track. A top notch baseball player he missed out because Atlanta High had no baseball team in the early 1970”s. As a linebacker and running back Ted was the key to success for a young Rabbit coach by the name of George Jackson who had been a star runner for Atlanta in the mid 50’s. Jackson brought the Wishbone offense to town in 1969 and quickly saw that Thompson would be perfect as the leading ball carrier. Ted was outstanding in tackling and running over people while carrying the pigskin. As a team captain he compiled numerous honors for the Rabbs. They included Northeast Texas Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player in Cypress Valley.

Next came a football scholarship to Southern Methodist (SMU) where he lettered three years as a starting linebacker for the Mustangs. He served as team captain (1974) and was selected to Academic All - Southwest Conference honors. Still with a desire to play baseball he earned a letter his senior year with the SMU baseball team.

Thompson went undrafted out of SMU by an NFL pro football team but landed with the Houston Oilers as a free agent. Legendary Coach Bum Phillips signed him and he earned a spot with the Oilers that summer of 1975 and would play ten seasons with the team (1975-1984). Playing primarily as a special teams player and backup linebacker the former Rabbit applied his motto involving hard work to the pro game and it paid off. During that stretch he played in 146 of 147 games missing that only one with an injury. Former Oiler teammate and defensive great Elvin Bethea described Ted, “he had average talent, but he could take a lick and dish one out”. “He knew the game and stepped right in to fill a spot.” Several times Ted was even called upon to kick extra points for the Oilers and booted four.

Following his pro football playing career Ted worked in the financial world but was lured back to the NFL in 1992 when the Green Bay Packers hired him as a Scout. He stayed in that capacity until 1999 as the Seattle Seahawks signed him as their Vice President of Football Operations. While Ted served as a Packer scout Green Bay made the playoffs six times, participated in two Super Bowls and won Super Bowl XXXI.

Former Packer coach and then Seahawks general manager Mike Holmgren brought Ted to Seattle. During Thompson’s tenure in Seattle the team made the playoffs twice. Following his departure in 2005 Seattle reached the Super Bowl. Many of the team’s players had been acquired under Ted’s direction.

A dream came true for Ted in 2005. He became the General Manager of the Green Bay Packers, a team owned by many of the Wisconsin town’s residents. There is quite a story to go with this achievement. Former Rabbit football and track teammate of Ted, Danny Harp, relates this amazing story. The track coach told the team to take a break and gather around. Then he began asking each Atlanta athlete what they wanted to do in their adult life. When Ted had his turn to speak he said, “I’m going to be the general manager of the Green Bay Packers or New York Yankees.” His Rabbit mates laughed but according to Harp, Thompson looked at his friends as if to say “I’m not kidding.” Seems he wasn’t, assuming the Green Bay job more than 30 years later.

Ted got right to work and in his first player draft made a superb first round pick, quarterback Aaron Rodgers who later replaced Packer great Brett Favre and is currently Green Bay’s offensive leader. Thompson felt the team could best be built through the draft and he maintained that philosophy. The Packers went 13-3 in 2007 and Ted was named by the Sporting News as the NFL Executive of the year. Prior to the 2008 season he faced a most difficult decision. He and Favre agreed on a trade deal and the future NFL Hall of Fame Quarterback was sent to the New York Jets. Thompson had decided to put the Packers offense on the shoulders of Aaron Rodgers. That decision continues to be rewarding for the team.

The Packers continued to get better and won Super Bowl XLV after the 2010 season. This success prompted Green Bay to resign Ted to a multiyear contract extension. The following season in 2011 the Pack went 15-1 but lost their first playoff game to the eventual Super Bowl Champion New York Giants.

In January 2018 Thompson decided to step down from his General Manager role but would stay on as senior advisor to football operations. That same year he was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame. In May of 2019 Ted officially retired from the Packers organization. He revealed he had been suffering from an autonomic disorder. Thompson returned to Atlanta where he resides again after his long and distinguished career as an athlete and sports executive.

Perhaps former Houston Oiler Coach Bum Phillips and Ted himself sum up his performance as a player and NFL executive. Speaking of Ted the Oiler Coach stated, “A lot of guys don’t use what God gave them. Ted used it all. He had a lot of toughness.” Phillips also added, “He has the best judgement in football. He can tell if a kid has talent, but it takes a real sharp guy to tell if that kid has discipline and can get along with his teammates.” Ted knew the value of unearthing overlooked players. “I have an appreciation for guys that come up the hard way,” Thompson said.

Ted Thompson has come full cycle amassing a storied sports career from Atlanta’s sandlots as far as the Super Bowl. Probably no former Rabbit Athletic great can match the span and success he has achieved. The Atlanta Athletics Hall of Fame is proud to honor Ted Thompson as an inductee to its Class of 2020.