Tulane Football Star Named to American Football Coaches Association Watch List
In this story:
The Tulane Green Wave football team has a formula for winning games on the field: a culture off the field.
As the Green Wave head into the 2025 college football season, they’ll lean on their core values of attitude, toughness, discipline, and love, set by head coach Jon Sumrall as he enters his second season.
One of the players who best displays those values is one who will enter next season at a different position.
More News: Tulane Will Be Relying On Talented Big Man To Impact Frontcourt This Season
Initially part of last season’s quarterback competition and the brief starter for Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl loss to the Florida Gators, Ty Thompson will be one to watch on the team as a new tight end.
Despite losing the job to former quarterback Darian Mensah, Thompson was a leader on the sidelines as a mentor to Mensah, breaking down film on the iPads mid-game in every contest in the 2024 season.
His leadership and work in New Orleans through community service were recognized by the 2025 Allstate/American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team watchlist, to which Thompson was recently named as a nominee.
More News: What Are the Toughest Tests for Tulane Football This Season?
The award is in its second year of a partnership between Allstate and the Wuerffel Foundation—named after former NFL quarterback, Heisman Trophy winner, and College Football Hall of Famer Danny Wuerffel—to honor student-athletes “who demonstrate excellence in community service, academics, and athletics.”
The press release notes that Thompson is one of 197 nominees for the award, which recognizes both college football student-athletes and head coaches at every level of the sport for their efforts off the field.
Thompson has completed 59 hours of community service for 13 different commitments over the last year.
More News: Royals Select Tulane Star Michael Lombardi With No. 61 Pick in 2025 MLB Draft
That was all done alongside a transition to tight end from quarterback, where he played considerable snaps in the 2024 season primarily as a runner.
Thompson ranked third for the Green Wave with 260 rushing yards and was second on the team with six rushing touchdowns. He completed 12 passes for 199 yards and three touchdowns to three interceptions in 12 games, including the one bowl game start.
He will be as instrumental to this year’s consecutive quarterback battle when he returns from his rehab from a knee injury in spring camp, where he displayed elite hands and high point with strong long speed as the fastest player on the team last season.
For more Tulane news, head over to Tulane Green Wave On SI.
Maddy Hudak is the deputy editor for Tulane on Sports Illustrated and the radio sideline reporter for their football team. Maddy is an alumnus of Tulane University, and graduated in 2016 with a degree in psychology. She went on to obtain a Master of Legal Studies while working as a research coordinator at the VA Hospital, and in jury consulting. During this time, Maddy began covering the New Orleans Saints with SB Nation, and USA Today. She moved to New Orleans in 2021 to pursue a career in sports and became Tulane's sideline reporter that season. She enters her fourth year with the team now covering the program on Sports Illustrated, and will use insights from features and interviews in the live radio broadcast. You can follow her on X at @MaddyHudak_94, or if you have any questions or comments, she can be reached via email at maddy.hudak1@gmail.com