Thornton Chandler

Thornton Chandler is a former professional American football tight end who played five seasons for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. He played college football for the University of Alabama.

Early years

Chandler attended William M. Raines High School where he was switched from wide receiver to tight end, after he grew up to 6-5 and 240 pounds as a freshman. He received All-City honors twice, even though he was mostly a blocker in his team's wishbone offense, finishing his career with 29 receptions and 4 touchdowns.

As a freshman at Florida A&M University, he played the flanker and tight end positions, before deciding to transfer to the University of Alabama after just two games.

At Alabama he was named the starter in 1983 and became an accomplished blocking tight end in the team's run-oriented offense. In 32 games, he registered 32 receptions for 504 yards and 2 touchdowns. He was the team's third-leading receiver in 1985, registering 16 receptions for 244 yards.

Professional career

Dallas Cowboys

Chandler was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the sixth round (140th overall) of the 1986 NFL Draft. He was Doug Cosbie’s backup for two years, until earning the starting job in 1988, after the fourth game of the season.

The next season he broke his wrist playing basketball before the start of training camp, which affected his play, losing his starting job to Steve Folsom and eventually being waived on October 18, 1989. In three-plus seasons, he was mostly known for his blocking ability, recording 29 receptions for 268 yards and 4 touchdowns.

New York Giants

The New York Giants signed him as a free agent on April 12, 1990, but he was released before the start of the season.

Personal life

Chandler was the director of the Boys & Girls Club in Deerfield Beach, Florida. He also served as a football assistant at Kingwood Park High School in Kingwood, Texas.