Player Roster

A powerful and consistent player for four seasons of high-level college action, Thompson saw action early in rookie NFL season ... Didn’t attract excessive hype in college, but history indicates he has skills and smarts to be successful in NFL ... Strength is his biggest plus, and his 35 bench presses (at 225 pounds) was one of dominant weightlifting performances at 2012 Combine.

CAREER TRANSACTIONS: Selected by Cincinnati in third round of 2012 NFL Draft (93rd overall) ... Signed on 7-25-12.

2012 RECAP: Played three games (Games 1-2 and 4) and had two tackles ... Inactive for Games 3 and 5-16 ... One tackle Sept. 10 at Baltimore and Sept. 16 vs. Cleveland ... Played all four preseason games and had five tackles.

COLLEGE: Played four seasons (2008-11) at Clemson ... Was a durable performer and saw action in 53 games, and 37 of his 38 starts came in his last three seasons ... Finished with 208 total tackles, including 4.5 sacks and 22.5 tackles-for-loss ... Had two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries ... Was a team captain for 10-4 club as a senior and was named honorable mention All-America by Pro Football Weekly.

PERSONAL: Hometown is Thomasville, Ga. ... Attended Thomasville (Ga.) High School, where he was a four-year starter as a two-way lineman ... Earned all-state honors as both a junior and a senior ... As a senior at Thomasville, he was named the state’s Defensive Player of the Year by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper ... Management major at Clemson.