SAN FRANCISCO—The San Francisco 49ers announced on Wednesday, April 14 that one of its former players, Lynn Thomas, passed away at the age 61.
The football team posted on its Twitter page:
“The 49ers are saddened by the passing of DB [Defensive Back] Lynn Thomas. Drafted in the 5th round of the 1981 NFL [National Football League] Draft, he spent two seasons with San Francisco and was a member of the Super Bowl XVI championship team. Our thoughts are with his wife, Bettye, and the entire Thomas family.”
Born Ronald Lynn Thomas on July 9, 1959 in Pascagoula, Mississippi, he was drafted during the fifth round 40 years ago in 1981 while he was a student at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania.
He was with the SF 49ers when they won Super Bowl XVI against the Cincinnati Bengals on January 24, 1982 in Pontiac, Michigan.
For two seasons, Thomas was with the SF 49ers as the defensive back before joining the Oakland Invaders in the United States Football League (USFL).
The SF 49ers was founded by Tony Morabito during the 1940s and played its first game almost 75 years ago on August 24, 1946 as a member of the All-American Football Conference (AAFC), states the team’s website. They started playing for the NFL in 1950.
