“I’ve always wanted to play in this place since high school and I never got a chance, now I’m finally getting a chance to be here with a team that I created a great bond with,” Thompson said. “It’s just great to end it right, in the right place, being back home, and sharing my hometown with [the team] and giving them the experience that I had while I was here.”
Thompson did not find his way to Western, and ultimately the Cotton Bowl easily. His college football career did begin in Michigan, but far from Kalamazoo. Thompson recorded 10 touchdowns and 1,210 yards for the Northwood University Timberwolves in Division II before ever stepping foot on WMU turf.