Thomas
Illinois Supreme Court Justice Robert Thomas will be inducted this week into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame.
The induction ceremony will take place Wednesday at the organization's annual dinner at the Hawthorne Race Course in Cicero, according to a news release the court released today.
Thomas, who played professional football as a kicker for the Chicago Bears from 1975 to 1984, is one of 20 members of the 2012 class of inductees.
Other soon-to-be inductees include former football and baseball player Bo Jackson, University of Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari, one-time Chicago Cubs player Bill Madlock and former Bears' linebacker Otis Ray Wilson.
"What an honor to be included among such a talented group of Chicago athletes and sports personalities," Thomas said in a statement. "It was a genuine privilege to play 10 seasons with the Chicago Bears, and I am grateful to the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame for adding me to its ranks."
Thomas played professional football for 12 years, the majority of which he spent with the Bears.
The court's release notes that Thomas attended law school while still playing football and "was frequently seen after practices and between games in the library at Loyola University School of Law."
On Wednesday, Thomas will become the second Illinois Supreme Court justice to be inducted into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame.
Justice Anne Burke was inducted in 1996 for her work as a physical education teacher with the Chicago Park District and her role in founding the Chicago Special Olympics, which went onto become an international event.