Syd'Quan Thompson

Syd'Quan Tramele Thompson (born February 7, 1987) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the California Golden Bears and was selected by the Broncos in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL draft.

Since 2022, Thompson has served as co-head coach of his alma mater, Grant Union High School in Sacramento, California. He has led the Pacers to two CIF state championships.

Early life Thompson was born in Sacramento, California.

Scout.com rated him the number-five player in its West Hot 100. Rivals.com rated him the 13th-ranked athlete in the nation and the 21st-ranked player in California. ESPN assessed him as the 11th-ranked cornerback in the nation. PrepStar named him an All-American, as did SuperPrep, which also rated him the 17th-ranked defensive back in the nation and the 13th-ranked player in California. He received scholarship offers from Arizona, California, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oregon, UCLA, and Washington. Against Colorado State, he returned a punt 73 yards for a touchdown, for which he was named the Pac-10 Special Teams Player of the Week. Thompson was named to the All-Pac-10 first team. The Austin-American Statesman and ESPNU considered Thompson key to a strong California secondary. One teammate, California linebacker Worrell Williams, said in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle that Thompson would "shut down one side of the field when he's out there."

Rob Rang of NFL Draft Scout rated Thompson 15th of its Top 32 seniors for the 2009 season, and wrote: "His straight-line speed, agility, reliable open-field tackling and natural return skills would be earning significantly more attention from the national media if he played in the Big Ten or SEC." The NFL Draft Scout assessed him as the best cornerback out of the 226 available for the 2010 NFL draft and projected him as a first or second round selection. Following his senior season, Thompson represented Cal at the 2010 Senior Bowl. He recorded his first NFL interception against the New York Jets on October 17, 2010.

On September 2, 2011, during the Broncos' last preseason game at the Arizona Cardinals, Thompson suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon, and missed the entire 2011 season. Thompson was released from the Denver Broncos roster during the roster cuts before the 2012 regular season.

San Jose SaberCats Thompson was assigned to the San Jose SaberCats, of the Arena Football League, on November 1, 2013.

Orlando Predators On February 3, 2014, Thompson was traded, along with Quentin Sims and Andre Freeman, to the Orlando Predators for Simeon Castille.

Los Angeles Kiss On February 6, 2014, Thompson was traded, along with Matt Spanos, to the Los Angeles Kiss.

Coaching career In 2022, Thompson was named co-head coach of his alma mater, Grant Union High School in Sacramento, California, alongside Carl Reed. Thompson and Reed led the Pacers on a turnaround from an 0–9 2021 season, culminating in winning the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Division 3-AA championship. The championship was Grant's second in program history.

After losing the Division 2-AA championship game in 2023, Thompson, Reed, and the Pacers won the 2024 Division 2-AA title for their second state triumph in three years.

Personal life Thompson's younger brother Shaq also played in the NFL. Syd'Quan has two children.

Head coaching record