Michigan Wolverines football senior cornerback Ambry Thomas announced last week he'd be departing Ann Arbor for the NFL Draft, vacating his starting spot in U-M's secondary in the process.
Thomas started at cornerback last year and served as the team's primary kick returner in both 2017 and 2018, making several highlight-reel plays along the way.
We take a look back at the most memorable moments he had during his time as a Wolverine, with plays from both the defensive side of the ball and special teams making the cut.
3. The Leaping Interception he Made Against Middle Tennessee State in the 2019 Season-Opener
Thomas recorded an interception at the 11-minute mark of the second quarter in the 2019 season-opener against Middle Tennessee State, showing off impressive leaping abilities at the U-M 40-yard line in the process.
The then-junior read the play perfectly, which allowed him to have enough time to step in front of his receiver and pick off the pass along the Blue Raider sideline. The pick, however, didn't have much of an impact on the outcome of the game in what was a 40-21 Michigan blowout.
The reason Thomas' interception against Middle Tennessee State makes this list is because of the way it represented his triumphant return from colitis. He contracted the condition in the offseason, with many not even expecting him to play as a junior in 2019.
Instead, the colitis didn't even cause him to miss a single game, with the Detroit native returning quicker than anyone expected. Thomas displayed his return to full health by putting on a stellar performance against the Blue Raiders, recovering a fumble and tallying a tackle for loss in addition to his aforementioned interception.
2. His Pick Against Michigan State in 2019 That Helped Kickstart the 44-10 Blowout
This was one of the more memorable moments in a 44-10 blowout of Michigan State that was filled with memorable plays. Thomas' interception came at his own 40-yard line at the start of the third quarter with Michigan already leading 17-7, on a pass that was severely underthrown by MSU fifth-year senior quarterback Brian Lewerke.
Hailing from Detroit, Thomas had been outspoken during the week about how much the rivalry meant to him personally, and backed up his talk by helping kickstart what would eventually turn into an old-fashioned rivalry beatdown.
The Maize and Blue were already feeling good about themselves at the time of Thomas' pick, with the cornerback's interception killing any brief momentum the Spartans had built by approaching midfield.
From there, the blowout was on. Michigan would march 57 yards for a touchdown in just four plays on the drive following Thomas' pick, going up 24-7 in the process. The Wolverines picked up points on each of their next four drives as well to eventually cap off the 44-10 destruction of Michigan State.
The interception was the highlight of what was an outstanding afternoon for Thomas, whose six tackles finished tied for the second-most on a U-M defense that yielded just 220 yards on the day.
1. The 99-Yard Kickoff Return for a Touchdown in 2018 at Notre Dame
This was one of the few bright spots in what was a very disappointing 24-17 season-opening loss at Notre Dame in 2018. Thomas' 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown kept the team afloat, occurring with just under four minutes left in the second quarter with the Wolverines already trailing 21-3.
The cornerback served as Michigan's primary kick returner in both 2017 and 2018, with his kickoff return in South Bend standing as the only one he took to the house during his career.
Thomas darted straight upfield on his path to the end zone, breaking two tackles along the way and showing off superior speed to that of the Irish defenders. Once he hit his own 45-yard line, there was nothing but green grass between him and the end zone, and it was apparent at that point he was going to score.
The touchdown helped eventually trim Notre Dame's lead to 24-17 and actually gave Michigan a chance to tie the game late in the fourth quarter on its final possession, though it wasn't able to do so.
Thomas' touchdown was just the fourth kick return of 99 yards or longer in Michigan football history, matching Dennis Fitzgerald's in 1960 at Michigan State and Tyrone Wheatley's in 1992 against Houston.
The school-record belongs to Seth Smith, who took a kickoff 100 yards to the house against Wisconsin in 1994.
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