Paul Thurston

Height:
6-5
Weight:
300
Class:
Redshirt Senior
Hometown:
Arvada, Colo.
High School:
Nebraska

2016 (Senior): Named honorable mention All-Mountain West by vote of coaches and media... Played in 11 games and started eight at left guard... Rams' offensive line allowed just 1.0 sacks per game, a number that ranked 8th in the country... Colorado State's offense ranked 12th in the country in passing efficiency, 31st in rushing offense. 28th in scoring offense and 30th in total offense... behind the Rams' offensive line, quarterback Nick Stevens ranked fifth in the country and first in the Mountain West with a 171.3 passer efficiency rating... blocked for three primary running backs whom all had 90+ rush attempts on the season, and a combined 2,199 total yards... Rams' offense ranked fourth in the country in Red Zone offense with a 94.3% success rate, and 38th in the country with a 59.1% 4th down conversion percentage... the offensive line allowed just one sack in the final six games of the season.

Helped block for 569 total yards of total offense, including 245 on the ground, in a 47-21 win over UNC (Sept. 17)
Blocked for quarterback Collin Hill's career-high 370 passing yards against Wyoming (Oct. 1)
Helped block for 464 yards of total offense against a Utah State defense that ranked 29th in the country in yards allowed (Oct. 8)
The Rams became just the second team this season to rush for 100+ yards against Boise State (Oct. 15), with 184 total yards on the ground
At Air Force (Nov. 12), blocked for a 300-yard passer in Nick Stevens, 200-yard receiver in Michael Gallup and 100-yard rusher in Dalyn Dawkins, the first such game in CSU history
Blocked for a trio of 100-yard running backs against New Mexico (Nov. 19), a game in which the Rams also posted a season-high 576 yards of total offense
The Rams scored 63 points and put up 507 yards of total offense against a San Diego State defense that came into the game ranked eighth in the country in total defense and averaged 16.9 points allowed per game (Nov. 26)
Blocked for a season-high 600 yards of total offense in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Dec. 22), including a school-record 265 receiving yards for Bisi Johnson and a career-high 445 passing yards for quarterback Nick Stevens

2012-15 (Nebraska):

Spent four seasons with the Huskers, playing in 23 games.
In his final game at Nebraska, a win over UCLA in the 2015 Foster Farms Bowl, helped block for 326 rushing yards.
In addition to time at center, also played every game on the Huskers’ kicking unit and punt team.
Saw extensive time at center in a win over Iowa in 2014, helping Nebraska overcome a 24-7 deficit – its largest road comeback in school history – and in the Holiday Bowl vs. USC.
Largest impact in 2014 was again on special teams, helping Nebraska lead the Big Ten in net punting.

High School:

Is a 2012 graduate of Arvada West High School in Arvada, Colo.
Named a 2011 Colorado Class 5A first-team all-state selection by the Denver Post.
Two-time all-conference honoree.
As a sophomore in 2009, helped the Wildcats to an 11-2 record and a berth in the Class 5A state semifinals.
Head football coach was Casey Coons.
Coming out of high school, was rated as one of the top five players in Colorado by both Rivals and 247 Sports… Also listed among the top 150 overall prospects in the country by Rivals and Scout.
Originally committed to Nebraska over reported offers from Michigan, Notre Dame, Oregon, Stanford, Colorado, Northwestern, Kansas State, UCLA and others.

Personal: Born June 25, 1993... Hometown is Arvada, Colo. ... Parents are Greg and Janet Thurston... Has an older brother, David, and four sisters – Leanne, Lindsey, Torrie and Natalie... Uncles, Guy Thurston (Colorado) and Brant Thurston (Colorado and SMU) played collegiate football... Two-time Nebraska Scholar-Athlete... Graduated from Nebraska with a degree in broadcasting... Working toward his master's degree in education and human resource studies.