FRISCO, Texas -- Growing up in Coppell, Texas, a Dallas suburb, Solomon Thomas knows all about Dallas Cowboys history.
He chose No. 94 because of Hall of Fame linebacker DeMarcus Ware. He liked how former Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jay Ratliff played. In basketball, he played for the AAU team run by former Pro Bowl center Andre Gurode. In high school, he played playoff games at AT&T Stadium.
"It worked out exactly how I wanted it, how I pictured it," said Thomas, a defensive lineman and the No. 3 pick of the 2017 draft by the San Francisco 49ers, followed by stops with the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Jets. "To come back home and play for my hometown team is a blessing."
And he knows it has been a long time since the Cowboys have won a Super Bowl. Twenty-nine years, to be exact.
"The goal is always the Super Bowl. I know everyone is always afraid to talk about it because critics are going to say this and that, but that's the reason we play this game," Thomas said. "No one's starting a season off being like, 'Hey, we want to make playoffs and get there,' or 'We want to go 8-8 and not make the playoffs.' The goal is always to make the Super Bowl.
"If you're a competitor, if you're someone who loves this game, if you're someone who understands how hard NFL players work to get to where we are -- that's the only goal and that's the only way. So Dallas has a history of winning -- five Super Bowls -- and so we want to bring that history back, and this team has everything it needs to get there."
The Cowboys signed Thomas to be part of a defensive line rotation that can slow down the run and affect the passer. In his last two seasons with the Jets, he totaled 8.5 sacks.
Not only is Thomas reuniting with his hometown team, he's reuniting with his former Jets defensive line coach, Aaron Whitecotton, who joined coach Brian Schottenheimer's staff.
"I was manifesting it right away when I saw [Whitecotton go to Dallas]," Thomas said. "I was like, 'I want to be a Dallas Cowboy. I want to come home. I don't want to move anymore. This is where I want to play. This is where I want to win. Coach Whitecotton is the coach I want to play for.' I've played my best football under him. He instills confidence in me. He brings the best out of me, and he's just a guy who lets his players play the way they need to play to play their best football."
Whitecotton has earned praise from Thomas, as well as Dante Fowler Jr., who returned to Dallas following one season with the Washington Commanders. Fowler was with the Jacksonville Jaguars when he played for Whitecotton and said the coach was a big reason for "Sacksonville" in 2017, when the Jaguars made it to the AFC Championship Game. For the past few years, the Jets were considered one of the best defensive lines in football.
"He's an extremely passionate coach. He loves this game more than anything," Thomas said. "He's a guy who demands and expects greatness. Effort is everything to him. It doesn't matter if you're All-Pro or a guy coming off the bench, the standard is high effort, run to the ball, playing every play like it's your last, loving the game of football. [He is] a coach that's very hard on us, but his players respond well to him because he loves his players, and you get that same respect."
There is another reason why the Cowboys wanted Thomas, who signed a two-year deal for $6 million: leadership. The Cowboys lost leaders such as defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence and cornerback Jourdan Lewis in free agency.
Thomas can help, as Micah Parsons looks to gain more of a leadership role in his fifth season. At present, Thomas is the second-oldest Cowboys defender behind safety Donovan Wilson, who turned 30 in February.
Thomas has played eight seasons but doesn't turn 30 until December. He has been on playoff teams with the 49ers, who lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV, and teams that did not live up to expectations. Twice he has been named a finalist for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award.
"I believe I haven't played my best football yet. I think that's all in front of me," he said. "So they want me to come in. They want me be a vet. They want me to be a leader. Show the guys around how we put in this attack-style front defense and show them how to do it. Show them how to lead by example, lead with effort, lead with doing things the right way."