The San Francisco 49ers' defensive end Solomon Thomas is coming off a tough 2018 outing following the tragic and sudden death of sister Ella, who took her own life in January of that year. The third-year player is coming back from a break and speaking about continuing the conversation about mental health issues.
Via Jennifer Lee Chan in NBC Sports Bay Area:
“Solomon’s mindset has been phenomenal since he’s got back from the little break,” [Defensive lineman DeForest] Buckner said. “He was dealing with a lot last year and we all understand and honestly, the mentality, the chip that he has on his shoulder this year is amazing.
“Seeing him come into work every day and improve, and seeing a different Solomon around the office, I just think he found a little peace with everything. Just to see his mindset this year is very exciting and I can’t wait for the Faithful to see it on Sundays.”
San Francisco selected Thomas from Stanford University with the third overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. He recorded 41 combined tackles his rookie season, 10 tackles for loss, and three sacks in 14 games played.
In the 2018 season, however, following the passing of his sister, Thomas made 31 tackles in 16 games and one sack. Per NBC Sports, Thomas' teammates were “not aware of his mental struggles at the time but in retrospect, see how it affected his play.”
“The sky is the limit for us,” Niners defensive lineman Arik Armstead told NBC Sports. “To see him playing well, especially what he went through last year, and is still is dealing with continually, and will for the rest of his life, I’m just praying for him. I really want the best for him and his career on and off the field. It’s definitely good to see him succeeding.”
Super Bowl champ and four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Richard Sherman, coming off his first season with San Francisco, called Thomas “energized.”
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