Swarm select Lyle Thompson No. 1 overall

Lyle Thompson – Photo Credit: Graig Abel Photography

TORONTO – With the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NLL Draft, the Georgia Swarm selected UAlbany attackman Lyle Thompson, making him the team's first draft pick in team history.

“It feels like I’m right where I’m supposed to be,” Thompson said. “I’m excited for a lot of things: to play with Miles, a new team and to play with some old friends. Chemistry is not going to be problem offensively for this team.”

Thompson, 23, is the NCAA's all-time leading scorer in DI lacrosse, totaling 400 career points during his four-year career as an attackman at UAlbany from 2012-15. Thompson also holds NCAA DI records for all-time career assists (225) and points in a single-season when he totaled 128 (51G, 77A) in 2014 – his 121 points (52G, 69A) in 2015 rank second all-time. Regarded as one of the best athletes to ever play the collegiate game, the Onondaga Nation, N.Y. native became the first back-to-back male recipient of the prestigious Tewaaraton Trophy (Lacrosse Player of the Year) when he received the award during the 2014-15 seasons. Thompson's 77 assists in 2014 also tied an NCAA record for the most in a single-season.

“Lyle is a unique talent that comes along only once in a generation,” Swarm Owner and General Manager John Arlotta said. “We couldn’t be more happy to have him, not only because he is a great lacrosse player, but because he is very focused on the history and culture of the sport."
 
The 6-foot, 180-pound attackman, who is the younger brother of Swarm forward Miles Thompson, posted three-straight seasons with at least 50 goals from 2013-15, and finished his career with 175. With his natural ability to both distribute and score, Thompson led the nation in points per game (6.37) en route to First Team All-America honors this past season.
 
While at UAlbany, Lyle was a member of the well-known “Thompson Trio” which included his brother, Miles, and cousin, Ty. With their unique chemistry and lethal scoring abilities on the field, the Thompson Trio garnered national attention on ESPN’s SportsCenter, CBS News and the New York Times. With Miles and Ty having graduated in 2014, Lyle managed to lead UAlbany to its second consecutive NCAA Quarterfinal appearance on National TV.
 
Thompson is also a member of the Iroquois Nationals (National Team), who won the silver medal in the 2015 World Indoor Lacrosse Championships on Sunday in Syracuse, N.Y. in front of over 10,000 fans at the Carrier Dome. While playing against many of the top NLL players at the world games, Thompson totaled 30 points (16G, 14A) in six games and was named to the All-World Team.
 
Thompson's brother, Miles, was selected No. 3 overall in the 2014 NLL Draft by the Swarm. Thompson also has two other older bothers, Jerome, and Jeremy, who play in the NLL.

Photo Credit: UAlbany Athletics

Lyle Thompson Highlights (via Lacrosse Film Room)