O'Dell Thruman's Son

[*pally*]

O'Dell's son, Jelani Thurman, is a 4-star TE prospect, heading to Ohio State for the class of 2027. As a Junior in high school he played both ways as both a TE with 31 receptions including 7 TD catches and as a defensive end with 61 tackles, 5 QB hurries, and 1 sack. He ha 33 scholarship offers, including from Alabama, Michigan, and Cincinnati.

At 6'5" and 230lbs with a 6'11" wingspan and a big catch radius (and as a teenager is still growing), he is described as an elite athlete with exceptional footwork who still has to work on specific position skills.

We know that his father was a great (with loads of upside) player until the drugs did him in. His mother was an all-star 6'5 player in the WNBA. His mom has also had run-ins with alcohol issues, so avoiding substance abuse will be a challenge throughout his life.

But, maybe one day, he can have the NFL career that eluded his father. It should be fun watching him develop over the next 4 years

[*bfine32*]

FWIW Odell is not Irish

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

Cool what is his Odell's son's first name? Or is he just Odell Thurman Jr.?

Will watch for him when I watch OSU in the years to come.

[*bengalfan74*]

Cool

It would be great as you say from him to thrive in the NFL like his father should have.

[*pally*]

(07-23-2022, 07:27 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Cool what is his Odell's son's first name? Or is he just Odell Thurman Jr.?

Will watch for him when I watch OSU in the years to come.

oops...I did forget to put his name in that post...sorry

it is Jelani Thurman

[Destro]

Hope the best for him. Terrible both parents had issues with substance abuse.

[BFritz21]

(07-23-2022, 08:38 PM)Destro Wrote: Hope the best for him. Terrible both parents had issues with substance abuse.

Yeah but I'm still pissed at O'Dell for how he'd get in trouble with Slim (RIP) and how he helped kill a few golden years of opportunity for this team.

I hope the son does well and maybe ends up here eventually. Being a die-hard OSU fan, I'm excited to watch him!

[Roland]

Whenever I hear "O'dell" I always hear it the way Marvin Lewis would scream it in exasperation.

Best of luck to the kid.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(07-23-2022, 08:29 PM)pally Wrote: oops...I did forget to put his name in that post...sorry

it is Jelani Thurman

Thanks Pally.

[Mike M (the other one)]

I hope he has a strong support system to help him along.
Would love to be rocking another Thurman jersey!

[Speedy Thomas]

Odell Thurman is one of the sad "what might have been" stories in Bengal history.

Greg Cook.
Stanley Wilson and Tim Krumrie.
KiJana Carter.
David Pollack.
Chris Henry.

Some were done in by injuries. Some by bad luck. Some by their own demons.

I wish this kid the best.

Speaking of Slim, his son is a freshman high school receiver who has already been offered a scholarship by Ohio State.

[*pally*]

(07-25-2022, 11:14 AM)Speedy Thomas Wrote: O'Dell Thurman is one of the sad "what might have been" stories in Bengal history.

Greg Cook.
Stanley Wilson and Tim Krumrie.
KiJana Carter.
David Pollack.
Chris Henry.

Some were done in by injuries.  Some by bad luck.  Some by their own demons.

I wish this kid the best.

Speaking of Slim, his son is a freshman high school receiver who has already been offered a scholarship by Ohio State.

Kenny Irons too...tore his ACL in the 2nd QTR of the 1st preseason game and never played another down

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(07-25-2022, 11:14 AM)Speedy Thomas Wrote: Odell Thurman is one of the sad "what might have been" stories in Bengal history.

Greg Cook.
Stanley Wilson and Tim Krumrie.
KiJana Carter.
David Pollack.
Chris Henry.

Some were done in by injuries.  Some by bad luck.  Some by their own demons.

I wish this kid the best.

Speaking of Slim, his son is a freshman high school receiver who has already been offered a scholarship by Ohio State.

Believe Slim's son is being raised by Adam Jones as well. Wish him the best too...

Don't be takin' him to no stripper bars Pac Man lol

[fredtoast]

Y'all know I am a big believer in giving college aged kids a second chance. But Thurman was one player who I guaranteed would not make it in the NFL. he got in so much trouble over and over again at Georgia that he was kicked off the team for an entire season. They eventually agreed to let him play again, and he did not even make it through that season before getting kicked off again.

That was one guy who was way off the rails and never got straight.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(08-22-2022, 05:28 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Y'all know I am a big believer in giving college aged kids a second chance.  But Thurman was one player who I guaranteed would not make it in the NFL.  he got in so much trouble over and over again at Georgia that he was kicked off the team for an entire season.  They eventually agreed to let him play again, and he did not even make it through that season before getting kicked off again.

That was one guy who was way off the rails and never got straight.

Here is hoping Jelani doesn't follow in his footsteps. 

[fredtoast]

(07-25-2022, 11:14 AM)Speedy Thomas Wrote: Odell Thurman is one of the sad "what might have been" stories in Bengal history.

Just look at the first three picks of the '05 draft.  Talk about "cursed".

David Pollack
Odel Thurman
Chris Henry

Those guys could have transformed our team for years.  Instead they averaged 29 games played over 2.6 seasons each.

Thurman made big plays from opening day, but by the end of the '05 season Pollack was coming on very strong. Over his first 9 games he only had 17 tkls, 1.5 sacks, and 1 TFL.  Over his last 6 games he had 19 tkls, 4 sacks, and 7 TFL.

If we had not lost Chris Henry in the middle of the '09 season that team might have had a shot to contend instead of making it into the playoffs on smoke and mirrors.

[J24]

(08-28-2022, 02:05 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Just look at the first three picks of the '05 draft.  Talk about "cursed".

David Pollack
Odel Thurman
Chris Henry

Those guys could have transformed our team for years.  Instead they averaged 29 games played over 2.6 seasons each.

Thurman made big plays from opening day, but by the end of the '05 season Pollack was coming on very strong. Over his first 9 games he only had 17 tkls, 1.5 sacks, and 1 TFL.  Over his last 6 games he had 19 tkls, 4 sacks, and 7 TFL.

If we had not lost Chris Henry in the middle of the '09 season that team might have had a shot to contend instead of making it into the playoffs on smoke and mirrors.

Underrated part of that draft was Tab Perry as a KR/WR and Johnathan  Fanene as a DE/DT. Both of those guys were good but suffered significant injuries. Perry with his Hip and Fanene had Hamstring issues throughout his career.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(08-28-2022, 02:22 PM)J24 Wrote: Underrated part of that draft was Tab Perry as a KR/WR and Johnathan  Fanene as a DE/DT. Both of those guys were good but suffered significant injuries. Perry with his Hip and Fanene had Hamstring issues throughout his career.

Both were good players for us.