Devin Thomas Speaks

Things learned from Devin Thomas's introductory press conference?

* Washington D.C. has a new No. 85. Huuuuuuge shoes to fill.

* That nickname "Showtime?" Yeah, he has "Show" tattooed on the back of his left arm, and "Time" tattooed on the back of his right arm.

"Sometimes it's 'Show' for short," said his childhood friend, Daynin Blake.

"Matter of fact, his car has personalized license plates that say 'Show.' " his father, Dwight, told me. Yup, the new No. 85 has license plates on his black 2004 Ford Taurus that read "Show."

"Matter of fact, I'm gonna have to renew that plate in July," Dwight said.

"I don't know if you're gonna have to renew that one," Blake pointed out, wisely.

* His dad's draft-day gift from son? Retirement.

"He told me I could quit working," said Dwight, 46, a machinist in a Ford plant who was 15 years from retiring . "As of April 9, I'm retired. He doesn't have to buy me anything but that. I'm satisfied."

"I feel like this is a big thing for him, to get out of that plant," Devin said. "That's probably the best thing he could wish for."

"I work with guys who worked there 30 years in the factory, and then the retire and two years later they're gone," Dwight said. "The opportunity arose for me to enjoy my life at a young age, and I'm gonna do it."

How will he now spend his time?

"I really don't know," the retiree said. "It's just all been so overwhelming. Just take it one day at a time. I really don't know how I'm gonna handle it."

His one idea: watch a lot of football.

* Devin's guess at the team colors? Maroon and gold, but he got to burgundy pretty quick.

* And his suit? Cream-colored, I guess.

"Pretty much pick and choose," he said, of selecting the winning suit out of the three he had with him. "I just felt like the cream was probably the smoothest."

"We didn't find out we were coming here until yesterday evening," Dwight said. "I tried to get to the mall so he could wear something with Redskins colors, a tie or something, but unfortunately the malls were closed. I didn't have the opportunity to catch a mall or anything."

* Traditional soundbites?

"I just want the teams that passed on him to regret it," Dwight said. "I think within the next year or two they will. I'm very confident in my son."

"I'm on Cloud Nine right now. This is something you dream of when you're younger," Devin said. "It's just all a dream come true, but now I know it's a job and I'm ready to go to work....Hopefully there are just a whole bunch of balls going around, that's all I can hope for. [I'll] put some more fire to this offense that already has a lot of fuel."

By Dan Steinberg |  April 28, 2008; 11:55 AM ET  | Category:  Redskins
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