Lyle Thompson


Lyle Thompson is an American professional lacrosse player for the Chesapeake Bayhawks of Major League Lacrosse and the Georgia Swarm of the National Lacrosse League. He holds the record for the most career points in Division I with 400 and the second most career assists with 225. He shared the 2014 Tewaaraton Trophy with his brother Miles while winning the award again in 2015 and won the Turnbull Award for the top collegiate attackman twice.

Early life

Lyle grew up in the Onondaga Nation, NY, one of the five children of Doloris and Jerome Thompson. He began playing lacrosse from a very early age as lacrosse carries spiritual and cultural significance with the Onondaga. He attended LaFayette High School for his Sophomore and Junior years and Salmon River High School where he was an All-American and scored 66 goals and 54 assists in his senior season.

College

Playing for coach Scott Marr at UAlbany, Lyle started at midfield in his freshman season in 2012, scoring 22 goals and 16 assists along with 32 face-off draws. That was his last collegiate season scoring less than 100 points. Moving to attack in his sophomore year, Thompson scored 113 points in 2013, 128 in 2014 and 121 in 2015. Lyle, along with his brother Miles were the first Native American players to win the Tewaaraton Trophy; tewaaraton being the Mohawk term for the precursor of modern lacrosse.

Major League Lacrosse

Lyle Thompson was drafted as the top overall pick in the 2015 Collegiate Draft by the Florida Launch; his brother Miles was drafted by the Launch the previous year. Lyle's first game was played against the Ohio Machine, and he played a total of eight games for the Launch during the 2015 season. He had 22 goals and 16 assists in his first season in Major League Lacrosse. On March 3, 2017, Lyle Thompson and his brother Jeremy Thompson were traded from the Florida Launch to the Chesapeake Bayhawks. In 2018 Lyle appeared in 6 games for the Bayhawks netting 20 goals, 1-2pt goal, 8 assists, and 17 ground balls.

National Lacrosse League

On September 28, 2015, Lyle was drafted first overall in the 2015 NLL draft by the Georgia Swarm. Lyle played alongside his brother Miles on the Swarm. In 2017, Thompson was named both league MVP and Championship MVP as the Swarm won their first NLL title.

International competition

As a player for the Iroquois men's national lacrosse team in the 2014 World Lacrosse Championship, Lyle helped the Iroquois Nationals place third, their best-ever result in international field lacrosse competition.
Lyle played for the Iroquois national indoor lacrosse team at the 2015 World Indoor Lacrosse Championship. The Iroquois won the silver medal, falling to Canada in the final match on September 27, 2015.
Lyle again played for the Iroquois in the 2018 World Lacrosse Championship in Israel. They placed 3rd.

College Statistics

Awards