experience has helped the game slow down for uab’s veteran safety

By Steve Irvine

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - September 26, 2024

The detour that Ray Thornton III took at the start of the football season was not one that was easily accepted.

Thornton, a 6-foot-1, 210-pound redshirt junior, entered the final week of preseason practice with what appeared to be a firm handle on the starting spot at free safety. He was a few days away from starting against Alcorn State when he was sidelined with a hamstring injury. Instead of making plays on the field, he was on the sideline.

“I mean, at first it was very frustrating, because I was going in as the starter and all that,” Thornton said. “But at the end of the day, I can't get too down on myself. We got a season to win, and I know my teammates, whether the person who was coming in behind me, I know he can go. Really I just had to basically be the leader like I am and just celebrate my teammates and just cheer on my teammates. At the same time, continue to get back for myself, get my leg back and all that. But it turned out to be fine, I put my trust in God, and that was it.”

Thornton, who spent his first three college seasons at Clemson and another year at South Florida, finally played his first game of the 2024 season at Arkansas. He didn’t fill up the stat sheet, contributing two tackles, but did enjoy getting back out on the field. He is expected to play a bigger role this week with Navy in town for the Blazers’ American Athletic Conference opener at Protective Stadium.

“It feels great, getting back out there and playing in the environment like that, playing in front of a big crowd,” Thornton said. “I’ve played in front of multiple big crowds, so, really, it was just like any other game, but I feel good.”

Thornton was a key member of the 2018 AHSAA Class 7A state championship team at Central Phenix City. He was the defensive leader for a team that allowed a touchdown a game over 14 games and was the first team at the school to finish unbeaten since 1944. His team won a state championship with a 52-7 win over Thompson, marking Central’s first state title since 1993.  He was a three-star recruit and chose Clemson out of high school.

In three seasons at Clemson, he played in 28 games, including during the 2019 national championship game loss to LSU.

“Being at Clemson those few years taught me so much,” Thornton said. “And it kind of slowed the game down.”

He chose to leave Clemson and landed at South Florida for the 2022 season. He played in just three games that season and said he was shown the door by the incoming coaching staff following the season.

“I hit the portal and really it wasn't my decision to hit the portal,” said Thornton, who didn’t report to UAB until after fall camp began in Dilfer’s first season. “I was on track to graduate in December (2023) but since they told me I had to go, when the new coaches came in, I basically had to speed up all my classes. In order to come here, I had to finish all my classes so that's really what it was. I ain't gonna lie, it was tough.”

He was a college football veteran when he showed up at UAB but was behind his teammates when it came to learning UAB’s defensive system. He had a career-high 20 tackles in eight games last season but missed the final three games with an injury. His work during the offseason, spring practice and early in fall camp pushed him to the top of the depth chart at free safety. A big reason for that was having the familiarity he developed in the UAB system.

“Slowing the game down, making plays, everything mentally, like everything is just smooth now,” Thornton said. “Last year, you know, I was still considered a veteran, but at the same time, that was my first year coming here. I dealt with certain things that I didn't know about. But this is my second year here now. And, like I said, everything is just going smooth, which allows me to take my time and not just focus on myself, but focus on my teammates. And that's really another reason why I didn't get too frustrated when I got hurt, because at the end of the day, you know, stuff happens.”