| Thad Jefferson | |
| Number: | 53 |
| Position: | Linebacker |
| Birth Date: | 11 March 1964 |
| Birth Place: | Ontario, California |
| Height Ft: | 5 |
| Height In: | 11 |
| Weight Lbs: | 225 |
| College: | Hawaii |
| Pastteams: | |
| Pfr: | J/JeffTh20 |
| High School: | Ontario (Ontario, California) |
| Undraftedyear: | 1987 |
Thaddius Eugene Jefferson (born March 11, 1964) is a former American football linebacker who was a 1987 replacement player for the Houston Oilers of the NFL. He played college football at Hawaii.[1]
From 1983 to 1986, Jefferson played college football for the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.[2] He played running back for one year in 1983 before switching to linebacker in 1984.[3] In 1985, he made all-WAC second-team defense, making 129 tackles that year alone, 81 of them solo.[4]
Over his college career, Jefferson played in 43 games, made 298 total tackles, and recorded nine sacks. As of 2021, he had the ninth-highest amount of tackles all-time at Hawaii. His 129 total tackles in 1985 has him tied for the eighth-highest amount of single-season tackles at the university. He was also a member of Hawaii's "Warrior Club" for three years from 1984 to 1986.
Jefferson played with the Houston Oilers as a replacement player during the 1987 NFL players' strike. He started all three games affected by the strike: an October 4 game against the Denver Broncos, an October 11 game against the Cleveland Browns, and an October 18 game against the New England Patriots.[5] He was released by the Oilers on October 21, 1987.[6]
The Oilers signed Jefferson again on June 10, 1988,[7] but released him on August 24.[8]