Former running back Sidney Thornton of the Pittsburgh Steelers has passed away. On Wednesday, the group made the announcement. He had 68 years on him.
September 2, 1954 marked Sidney Thornton’s birth. He was a professional American football player who the Pittsburgh Steelers selected in the second round (48th overall) of the 1977 NFL Draft. A 5’11”, 230 lb (100 kg).
From 1977 through 1982, he played for the Steelers in 6 NFL seasons as a running back out of Louisiana’s Northwestern State University, helping the team to two Super Bowl victories. In 1984, Thornton made a comeback in the NFL. He spent one season with the Oklahoma Outlaws and gained 288 yards on the ground on 101 carries (2.9 yards per carry average).
Sidney Thornton Net Worth At Time Of Death
At the time of his passing, Thornton’s net worth was reportedly anywhere from $1 million to $6 million.
According to Pro Football Reference, he made 74 appearances for the Steelers between 1977 and 1982, starting 21 of those games. Thornton averaged 4.2 yards per carry for a total of 1,512 yards and 18 running touchdowns on 356 attempts. Additionally, he hauled in 46 catches for 515 yards and six touchdowns.
The cause of his passing has not yet been disclosed, although according to a 2018 interview segment by KSLA-TV (Shreveport, La. ), he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), having also had a stroke in 2005 that left him partially paralyzed.