Malik Thornton is a soft-spoken individual but his hits on the football field can pack a mean, loud punch.
The former Putnam County star wrapped up his freshman season last November at the University of the Cumberlands, a successful National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) program in Williamsburg, Ky.
At season’s end, the 6-foot-1, 150-pound cornerback was named 2023 Mid-South Conference Freshman Defensive Player of the Year. He also garnered Mid-South Conference and NAIA Defensive Player of the Week honors after Cumberlands’ upset win over No. 11 Georgetown last October.
Now, Thornton heads into his sophomore campaign anxious to get back in the defensive backfield for the Patriots.
Thornton told The Eatonton Messenger he learned a lot about the game as a college freshman after playing for former Putnam County head coach Shaun Pope.
“Mainly, I know college is a different level, so there was a transition. It really doesn’t matter what level you’re at, because, at the next level, everyone is going to be bigger, stronger and faster. It’s going to be a whole different ball game than playing at the high school level,” Thornton said.
“So, it was a big adjustment to make. I had to wake up early during fall camp for those practices and then do two a days. It just took some adjusting, but I got the hang of it quickly and got settled in.”
Thornton said he also learned it was important to give every rep his best effort, especially since he didn’t know when he would see the field again.
“You’ve really got to make the most of the opportunities you get throughout the season because anything can happen,” he said, such as getting the call when someone gets injured. “You’ve got to know what you’ve got to do at all times. You’ve got to be ready.”
That attitude led Thornton to become one of Cumberland’s top defenders as the once two-way player for the War Eagles wound up a force to be reckoned with on the Patriots’ defense. Despite finishing his first-year campaign with only 15 tackles, Thornton had a team-leading five pass breakups and four interceptions, with one being returned to the end zone for a defensive score.
In the upset win over Georgetown, Thornton had two tackles, a pass breakup, and a pair of interceptions, with one being a pick-six. His 74-yard-interception-returned- for-a-touchdown also came late in the fourth quarter.
“I feel like I did pretty good for my freshman season and that I was ready for the moment. The situations they threw me in, I was definitely ready,” Thornton said. “I felt like I prepared pretty well for each game. Even if I didn’t play much during a game, I was ready for them to put me in.”
The Eatonton native remains humble and credits his former Putnam County teammates and coaches for his success. Pope spoke to The Eatonton Messenger in February about Thornton’s success at Cumberland.
“He’s a really special young man,” Pope said. “We all knew he could play ball well. He’s not going to ‘wow’ you with his speed or anything like that, but his instincts and the toughness of him is great. He’s also very intelligent. It didn’t surprise me one bit that he won those awards.”
Thornton stays in contact with Pope and War Eagles’ defensive backs coach Kedric Manning, as well as former teammates Gerald and Jalon Kilgore, DJ Bland, and the rest of his 2022 senior class.
“Those guys helped prepare me a lot for the next level. Playing with Gerald, Jalon and DJ, I know they are as competitive as I am. I expect them to perform well at the college level,” Thornton said. “And my coaches, they had me prepared by putting me in the mindset of already playing at a higher level. They made sure I performed well in each and every game.”
According to Thornton, Pope and Manning devoted a lot of time to helping him become a leader.
“Coach Pope always put me into more of a leader-type role, despite me not being very vocal. He would put me in positions where I would show [others] what to do and how to lead a team,” he said. “Coach Manning had been my coach since rec ball. From ages 10 to all the way to middle school. He was a great mentor throughout my years of playing football. He always let me know when I was doing something wrong. He was going to tell me. He wasn’t going to sugarcoat things.”
Putnam County went 12-1 overall in Thornton’s 2021 senior season. The War Eagles were knocked out of the postseason by eventual state champion Fitzgerald in the Elite Eight, but still accomplished a lot. The 2021 Putnam County squad was the first to win at least 10 games since 1996 and also was the first War Eagles team since 2010 to capture a region title. There was a lot to be proud of.
Thornton often reflects on that 2021 season. He said it was one the best teams he’s ever played on.
“Playing with those guys, it was fun. We also had a great bond and it all started during summer workouts,” he said. “Every one of us pushed each other. We always competed hard against each other and that made us better. We also always learned together as a whole, as a unit. We got that 12-0 season and the region championship. It was an amazing run, and I loved every second of it.”
Thornton is home in Eatonton for the summer but will return to Williamsburg on Aug. 1, for fall camp.