Thomas humbly runs to glory

He is the original Black Mamba in these parts.

Slithers through defenses with astounding agility. Strikes for touchdowns without warning.

And, unlike a certain Lakers star, De’Anthony Thomas didn’t bestow the nickname on himself.

It came from Snoop Dogg some six or seven years ago after the famed rapper was dazzled by Thomas’ slick moves in his youth football league. Kobe Bryant adopted the same moniker a few years later.

The label seems even more fitting now as Thomas prepares for his senior season as a tailback and defensive back at Crenshaw High. He knows only one speed, and that’s blazing.

“He goes hard every play,” Cougars offensive lineman Marcus Martin said. “On defense, he’ll hit somebody in the mouth and have them hurting and we have to sit them out. On offense, he’s wearing our defense out every play.”

His humility is another special trait. The big man on Crenshaw’s campus by no means has a big head about his athletic feats.

Thomas greets strangers with a smile and a handshake, friends with a warm embrace. There is no such thing as an enemy.

“It’s hard not to like him,” Crenshaw Coach Robert Garrett said. “He’s not conceited, not braggadocio.”

Thomas has plenty of reasons to boast. He won Los Angeles City Section track titles in the 100- and 200-meter dashes in May, several months after becoming part of the first City football team to play in a state championship bowl game.

The 5-foot-11, 175-pound speedster did allow himself one bit of immodesty recently, vowing that the Cougars would play for a second consecutive City football title.

“I guarantee we’re going to make it to the City again,” he said.

It might be hard for Thomas to imagine otherwise after a season in which Crenshaw went 14-1 and appeared poised for a historic bowl victory over mighty Concord De La Salle.

On his first carry against the Spartans, Thomas burst up the middle for a 43-yard touchdown. When the Cougars got the ball back, Thomas took a fourth-down pitch and raced 10 yards for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead.

But Thomas suffered an ankle injury while making a tackle in the second quarter, and the Cougars never recovered, losing, 28-14.

Not that Thomas ever gave up. “He was still on the sideline motivating us, saying, ‘Don’t quit. Keep going. Keep fighting and pushing yourself to the limit,’ ” teammate Martin recalled.

Thomas did exactly that during a season in which he rushed for 902 yards and 12 touchdowns in only 81 carries while being hindered by ankle injuries. He also made 60 tackles and had innumerable big hits on defense.

Garrett called Thomas “the hardest player in practice consistently that I’ve ever been associated with,” saying he occasionally has to tell Thomas to take a play off so he won’t put himself at risk of injury because of overexertion.

“You practice the way you play,” said Gaylian Dupree, Thomas’ mother and herself a former track star.

“That’s what we always teach him. If you have an excellent practice, that’s how you’ll perform in the game.”

Harbor City Narbonne Coach Manuel Douglas knows all too well how Thomas plays in big games. Thomas left his footprints over much of the Coliseum field in the City title game while rushing for 193 yards and three touchdowns, and he also made a jarring hit on Gauchos quarterback Chad Dashnaw on a safety blitz during the Cougars’ 34-14 triumph.

“I can’t think of anybody who’s in his category right now,” Douglas said.

“Any time he has the ball in his hands, he’s a threat to go.”

College coaches all over the country were hoping Thomas would go their way, with USC’s Lane Kiffin the lucky one. Thomas said he winnowed his choices to USC and UCLA because his mother didn’t want him to leave California.

He eventually decided to become a Trojan after analyzing depth charts, talking to coaches and conversing with USC freshmen Hayes Pullard (a former Cougar) and D.J. Morgan as well as Trojans-to-be Martin and Victor Blackwell of Santa Ana Mater Dei.

“It’s basically like playing with my family again,” said Thomas, noting that he wasn’t scared off by USC’s two-year bowl ban stemming from NCAA sanctions.

Of course, given his popularity these days, Thomas always feels he’s among family.

“It feels great,” Thomas said of his success. “I never thought I would be a big player like this. I was just a random kid -- I still think I’m a random kid. But I guess De’Anthony Thomas, he is doing his stuff.”

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ben.bolch@latimes.com

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The Southland’s top players

A nine-part series:

*--* Today Running backs Thursday Quarterbacks Friday Receivers Saturday Tight ends Sunday Offensive linemen Monday Defensive linemen Tuesday Linebackers Sept. 1 Defensive backs Sept. 2 Kickers *--*

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Top Southland running backs

Player School Ht., Wt. Cl. Eric Sondheimer’s comment

Jared Baker Loyola 5-9, 187 Sr. Arizona commit is going to get the ball often.

Kevin Ervin Sun Valley Poly 5-11, 180 Sr. Scored 35 TDs, averaged 13.5 yards per carry.

Todd Handley Riverside King 5-9, 180 Sr. Rushed for 1,343 yards, 16 TDs.

Kyle Lewis Downey 6-2, 190 Sr. His speed is going to create problems.

Steven Manfro Valencia 5-11, 185 Sr. One of the most versatile players.

Elijhaa Penny Norwalk 6-2, 240 Sr. Rushed for 1,569 yards, 22 TDs.

Kawan Rally El Camino Real 5-11, 225 Jr. Rushed for 1,100 yards as a sophomore.

Superiorr Reid Arlington 6-3, 220 Sr. Rushed for 2,390 yards, 33 TDs.

Nick Richardson Los Alamitos 5-8, 155 Sr. Rushed for 1,906 yards, 15 TDs.

De’Anthony Thomas Crenshaw 5-11, 175 Sr. He runs with speed, power and passion.

Malcolm Thomas Panorama 5-9, 200 Sr. Rushed for 1,806 yards, 20 TDs.

Kelsey Young Norco 5-11, 190 Sr. Stanford commit is bruising runner.