Biography

When legendary Attleboro High School and hall of famer Coach Jim Cassidy looked over his squad coming into the 1966 season, he saw plenty of star power in future hall of famers Dave Hardt, Kenny Furtado, Frank Marcoccio, and junior Steve Mendes. But there was a 5’7”, 140-pound speedster that Cassidy saw as a difference maker as a two-way threat out of the offensive and defensive backfields. His well-known speed and quickness was a well-known commodity for the Blue Bombardiers from his exploits in track and field. What separated Thornhill from others was his innate determination and intestinal fortitude. Teammate and former longtime AHS assistant football coach and Physical Education teacher Mike Martin remembers of Thornhill, “pound for pound the toughest player I have ever seen wear an Attleboro uniform. He got every ounce of energy and effort out of his frame that he could every time he took the field”. Whether it was running the ball out of the backfield on sweeps or powers, catching the ball downfield, or returning punts and kicks on the special teams, Thornhill quickly became known as a threat to score each time he touched the ball. He became a true weapon for the Big Blue as he scored six touchdowns in the first five games of that ’66 season. He scored touchdowns on punt returns vs Foxboro and Masconomet, a TD run in a 40-8 blowout of the Durfee Hilltoppers, and was a one-man wrecking crew vs New Bedford Vocational. In that game, he had 99 yards on only 9 carries, returned three kicks for 85 yards, scored a touchdown on a 15-yard run, and also hauled in a 24-yard TD reception. He also became a gamechanger in the defensive backfield from his cornerback spot as a key cog in an Attleboro defense that pitched five shutouts, four in a row at one point! Thornhill, at season’s end, was the leading scorer in the entire Sun Chronicle area and all-star, as well as being named first team to the prestigious Bristol County League All-Star team.