Past the Gridiron, NFL Star Finds his Calling at NSU
Julius Thomas
In 2011, when future NSU alum Julius Thomas left Portland State University for the National Football League, he was on top of the world. The 6’5,” 250-pounder was the fourth-round pick in the draft as a tight end for the Denver Broncos.
Thomas played for one of most potent offenses in the league, led by Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning. He competed against players he idolized and picked on his John Madden videogame teams. He also started his journey to become one of the best tight ends in the sport.
“Football was a surreal experience for me, because overall it was such a long shot,” he said. “I came out of college playing basketball, saying, ‘I think I can play in the NFL.’ It was crazy that I pulled it off.”
But as Thomas would soon find out, there would be struggles beneath all the stardom and glitz. There was something missing, he said, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.
As Thomas now reflects on his past, he says he found what was missing at Nova Southeastern University.
“I had this really challenging experience with sports,” Thomas recalls. “I had coaches say to me, ‘You know Julius, I don’t think you love the game enough.’ I liked the game, but I didn’t love it.”
Thomas began soul searching, asking himself what he was supposed to do, and who he was.
“I recognized I was very emotionally cold. I started to notice that I was suffering internally – mentally and emotionally. And then I noticed that it wasn’t just me, that people around me were also suffering,” he said. “Then I thought, ‘Somebody should help these people, and maybe I am that person.’”
In 2017, Thomas found himself on the field at the Miami Dolphins practice facility on NSU’s campus. (It has since been relocated to space adjacent to Hard Rock Stadium.)
“Every day that I would drive to practice I would pass the Nova campus,” he said. “One day a curious thought came to mind: ‘I wonder if NSU has a psychology program.’”
Thomas reached out to the Dolphins’ director of player engagement with his inquiry, and he was connected to Dean Karen Grosby with the College of Psychology. It was a connection that would change Thomas’ life.
“Dean Grosby is amazing and has been so instrumental in my life,” he said. “I’m eternally grateful for her.”
Dean Grosby and Professor Robert Seifer gave Thomas a tour of the college.
“Julius has always had a natural curiosity and appetite for knowledge,” Grosby said. “He was open to learning and new ideas, demonstrated a deep respect and compassion for those with whom he met or worked, and communicated easily with people from all backgrounds. No doubt he will do great things as a psychologist.”
Thomas says he was intrigued by the tour, adding that Dr. Seifer asked, “Are you sure you’re really ready to retire from football? If you’ve got nothing to do, you can come sit in on my doctoral classes some time.”
Thomas took Professor Seifer up on his offer. One day when Thomas was sitting in on a class, the professor asked him if he had ever been interested in getting a doctorate.
“My first answer was ‘No, I never thought about it,’” Thomas said.
Before he knew it, Thomas found himself in the classroom, working on his doctorate degree. But it wouldn’t be easy.
“So here I am stepping into a doctoral program saying to myself ‘Do I belong here? Can I do this? Can I keep up? Can I learn this?’” he said. “As a kid from Stockton, Calif., who graduated high school with a 2.7 GPA, there was a high opportunity for failure. I also felt out of place at first – in age, with different lives, and different problems than other students. I had to put in so much time at home on weekends to catch up.”
During his studies, Thomas had the opportunity to work with Dr. Jaime Tartar, the head of the Department for Neuroscience. She helped Thomas learn about behavioral neuroscience and introduced him to scientific research. Thomas learned about Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, a form of therapy that helps people increase their psychological flexibility by developing a more mindful relationship with their thoughts and feelings, and by committing to actions that align with their values.
“From the very first moment I met Julius,” Tartar said, “it was clear that he possessed an intense passion for learning and an authentic curiosity about the human mind and body. It was clear that he wasn’t just looking for a degree; he was seeking the knowledge and skills to make a meaningful impact in the world.”
While in school, Thomas developed his own company, Optimal Performance, which uses science to leverage the gap between performance and wellbeing and helps others maximize on both. Thomas says it allows him to get in front of people and work with them before things cave in emotionally and mentally.
“I feel like over the years I’ve been able to build myself from the inside out,” he said. “I try to help others create the same resilience.”
Thomas says his education at NSU has been life changing. He has worked with patients from age 10 to 70. He has received about 4,000 hours in clinical training. And he has spent thousands of hours in the classroom reading books and taking exams.
“This training is helping me be as prepared as I can possibly be to help people regardless of what they’re experiencing,” he said. “And it’s been fun to do that and learn how to teach and how to effectively provide beneficial information.”
In June, Thomas will have begun yet another career – this one in academia. He plans to take what he has learned at NSU on the road to continue his business.
“When you pursue your calling, there are a lot of things you might have to give up – such as status, fame, and money,” he said. “But there comes a time where you must decide if you want to fall into the trappings of the world or if you want to do what you’re aligned to do. I really wanted to chase a journey of service. I wanted to help people. But I didn’t know how. And that’s how I found Nova.”
The FY 2025 President’s Research Grant (PRG), formerly the Presidents Faculty Research Development Grant (PFRDG), and Quality of Life (QOL) grant cycles are now open! This year the application process will take place on Cayuse Sponsored Projects, NSU’s new grant management system. Applications are due via Cayuse no later than January 22, 2024, 5:00 p.m.. More information, as well as application instructions, can be found on the PRG and QOL websites, linked below. Through these programs, eligible faculty may apply for internal grants of up to $15,000 in support of a variety of research and scholarly activities. PRG and QOL are tremendous opportunities to obtain support for research and scholarship at NSU, and to build faculty research capacity that can be leveraged toward external funding pursuits.
Every year on November 19, International Men’s Day is celebrated worldwide to raise awareness about various issues that men face, such as parental alienation, abuse, homelessness, suicide, and violence. It is also an occasion to celebrate men’s lives, achievements, and contributions to their nation, union, society, community, family, marriage, and childcare. This year’s theme is “Zero Male Suicide.”
NSU Davie and Tampa campuses were well represented at the recent SENDCon meeting in Atlanta, Ga., with two of our colleges in attendance – Pharmacy and Psychology/Neuroscience.
