Q&A with Louisville receivers coach Lamar Thomas

Louisville receivers coach Lamar Thomas is part of the newest class of Miami Hall of Fame inductees.

Thomas, 44, spoke to The Courier-Journal ahead of the Hall of Fame festivities on Thursday night in Miami, where he'll be recognized with seven other Miami Hall of Fame inductees.

Thomas left Miami as the program's all-time leader in receptions, and has since only been passed by Reggie Wayne. He's second in touchdown catches and fourth in receiving yards.

Follow Louisville writer Jeff Greer on Twitter.

He just finished his first 14 practices as the receivers coach at Louisville, and his position group is widely considered the best on the team.

Here's what Thomas had to say about Miami's Hall of Fame, Louisville and his new team's receiving corps:

Coach, congratulations on your Hall of Fame induction. When did you find out?

Thomas: I actually found out this summer. I've had a couple months for it to sink in, but it really won't sink in until I get there. I've been very happy.

What was your initial reaction to the news that you'd been inducted?

Thomas: It took so long that I kind of forgot about it. I did everything I could to leave there as arguably one of the best. That's what I wanted to do when I got there. It's a world of instant gratification. I thought maybe one day they'll vote me in.

What does a Hall of Fame induction say about you as a player?

Thomas: To me, it's confirmation that I was able to do something right. I wanted my teammates, at the end of the day, to say, 'He was a helluva football player, a helluva teammate and he was so passionate about the game,' and when the game was on the line, they could count on me. I wanted the respect of my teammates. If I got that, that'd be great.

I come to practice (at Louisville) every day with that same type of intensity, that same kind of passion. I try to pass that along to my guys. A season can be long. There's going to be lulls. In that season, you need the guy who's going to keep going. You're going to need that playmaker to step up, or give those words of encouragement and be that leader.

I'd assume you guys are looking to (star receiver) DeVante Parker to be that guy?

Thomas: He doesn't say much. He lets his talking be done on the field. You need a guy to make that play. When the game's on the line, you need that guy. He just does it. He's very coachable, and as a coach, you like that. He doesn't complain. He goes about things. He does his job. The other guys have to jump on board because their leader is doing that.

The receiving corps is considered Louisville's best asset for the 2014 season. What have you seen from them so far?

Thomas: It's talent I look forward to every day I go to work. I don't want to mess it up. I want to make sure I can get them every advantage. Teaching them about the game and life, being that guy who comes to work every day with enthusiasm. Just enjoy the fact that you're doing something that a lot of people don't get to do.

Aside from DeVante, which other guys have stuck out to you so far?

Thomas: You have such a good group: A local kid in (James Quick), then you have (Kai) De La Cruz, Eli Rogers, Robert Clark ... And then we'll get Michaelee back, too. It's gonna be a really good group. You have another big receiver in (Matt) Milton. you have a lot of guys who can do a lot of good things.

One thing about Coach Petrino, he knows how to expose those matchups and use them to your advantage.

Matt Milton's a guy whose name probably wasn't originally included in that group of returning receivers. What's he done this spring to stand out?

Thomas: For Matt, it's taking advantage of the opportunity. Take advantage of the new opportunity: New coaching staff, new receivers coach. He can learn and be successful, and it's paid off. There's going to be a lot of time when teams want to shift coverage to (Parker), so let the other team know you can't double that guy.