Derron Thomas lined up against the likes of Notre Dame, West Virginia, Louisville and Nebraska while wearing a Pitt Panthers uniform. He performed in front of huge crowds and played in games on national television.

Those were the days ...

Now, he is wearing the blue and red of Duquesne University, which is a couple miles from Pitt's campus but whose football program is a world away from the glitz and glamor of major-college football.

Thomas, a 6-foot-1, 240-pound middle linebacker, is in the sports leadership graduate program at Duquesne after earning an undergraduate degree in administration of justice at Pitt. Because he graduated in four years and played just three seasons of football after being redshirted as a freshman, Thomas received a waiver from the NCAA for a fourth season of eligibility as a graduate student.

A prize recruit out of Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Md., where he was ranked the No. 6 prospect in the state by Rivals.com and the 34th linebacker in the country, Thomas sat out 2003, appeared in all 11 games in 2004 and started nine games with 45 tackles that included 5¹/₂ for a loss in 2005.

"My career looked very promising, but I guess I wasn't part of their plans," Thomas said.

Thomas saw action in just four games on special teams in 2006.

"It surprised me and hurt me," he said. "There are no hard feelings, and I still have a lot of love for the coaches. Some of my best friends are on the team. I'm glad I got the experience I did ... but, of course, it didn't go the way I wanted it to. I do have a chip on my shoulder. I feel I have to prove myself to the guys down the street [at Pitt]. They know I can play, but I have to show them I can play at a high level."

Duquesne coach Jerry Schmitt said Thomas already is penciled into the starting lineup for the Dukes, who are a heavy favorite to win or share their ninth consecutive Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship with the nucleus of a 7-3 team returning.

Thomas is familiar with Duquesne football because Harry Carter, who coaches the linebackers, was a former teammate at Eleanor Roosevelt along with a handful of other Dukes including All-American wide receiver Bruce Hocker. Pro scouts already have shown interest in Hocker, and Thomas is hoping they will take a look at him, too.

"That dream hasn't died," Thomas said of a pro career. "Every time I'm on the field, I have to dominate and show my talent. I know I have to be a special player. I know you can get to the NFL from Duquesne. Look at [defensive back Leigh] Bodden. he's starting for the [Cleveland] Browns."

Asked if he ever thought his football playing days were over when he received his diploma from Pitt.

"No way, not when you love the game. I never thought of not playing any more football. It never crossed my mind," he said. "God takes us through situations for a reason. I look at this as an opportunity I'm thankful for."

Duquesne wasn't exactly in Thomas' plans when he was being recruited out of high school.

"I wouldn't have been able to imagine that at all," he said, smiling. "You know when you are that age you think the world is your oyster. I had big plans. There's a pretty substantial difference between playing at Pitt and playing at Duquesne -- the speed and physical nature of the game -- but Duquesne has some talented guys.

"It's still football, and I love to play football. I'm going to practice hard and play hard because I want the guys to feed off my energy. They already accept me because I've been around, but I know they're going to want to see if I'm anything special because I played at Pitt.

"I have quite a bit of football left in me."

Facts & Figures

Coach: Jerry Schmitt, 3rd year (14-6).

2006 record: 7-3.

Affiliation: NCAA Football Championship Subdivison, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

Key players: LB Derron Thomas, QB Scott Knapp, WR Bruce Hocker, LB John Simmons, C Matt Stansfield, CB Aaron Strader.

The skinny: The Dukes are favored to win their ninth consecutive league title in their final season in the conference. They will join the Northeast Conference in 2008. Knapp and Hocker are big playmakers and Thomas, a transfer from Pitt who is in graduate school, will add toughness to an already unforgiving defense.