Lyle Thompson Bio
Lyle Thompson (born September 9, 1992) is an Iroquois professional lacrosse player from the Hawk Clan of the Onondaga Nation. He plays both indoor and outdoor professional lacrosse, currently serving as an attackman for the Cannons Lacrosse Club of the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) and as a forward for the Georgia Swarm of the National Lacrosse League (NLL). He is widely regarded as one of the greatest lacrosse players of all time, having captured the NLL MVP award and the Tewaaraton Award twice during his career.
His native name is Deyhahsanoondey, meaning “He is Flying Over Us.” Thompson is celebrated for his creativity, vision, and extraordinary stick skills, and he has become an influential figure in promoting the traditional Indigenous style of lacrosse. Beyond his on-field accomplishments, he is recognized for his humanitarian work and his role as a cultural ambassador for the Haudenosaunee community.
Early Life and Background
Lyle Thompson was born on September 9, 1992, in Nedrow, New York, and grew up on the Onondaga Nation reservation. He is the second youngest of five children born to Jerome “Ji” Thompson Sr., a Mohawk father from Akwesasne and third-generation ironworker, and Doloris Thompson, an Onondaga mother. His three older brothers, Jeremy, Jerome, and Miles, are all professional lacrosse players, as is his cousin Ty Thompson from the Mohawk Nation.
In accordance with Haudenosaunee tradition, each of the Thompson brothers was given a wooden lacrosse stick as a newborn. The family moved from the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation to the Onondaga Reservation in 1999. The house they grew up in was built by their father and had no electricity or running water until about 2003, which meant the children spent most of their time playing lacrosse in the backyard rather than watching television or playing video games.
Lacrosse carries deep spiritual and cultural significance within the Onondaga Nation, and Lyle began playing at a very early age, often coached for hours by his father. He admired his eldest brother, Jeremy, as a role model. The Thompson family has an extensive lacrosse heritage, with both his father and grandfather having played the sport. His father, Jerome Thompson Sr., played men’s Senior B lacrosse until age 37 and was a member of the 1990 Iroquois Nationals international lacrosse team.
Path to Professional Lacrosse
Lyle Thompson attended the University at Albany, where he majored in sociology and played for the Albany Great Danes men’s lacrosse team under head coach Scott Marr. He was ranked as the number one recruit for the 2011-12 high school graduating class by Inside Lacrosse. Choosing UAlbany over Syracuse University was a landmark decision for the Thompson family, reflecting their desire to build their own legacy.
At Albany, Thompson joined his brother Miles and cousin Ty Thompson on the attack line. This trio, known as the Thompson Trio, shattered multiple NCAA Division I records and is widely considered one of the greatest attack lines in college lacrosse history. In his junior year, Lyle shared the 2014 Tewaaraton Award with Miles, becoming the first Native American players to win the prestigious trophy. He won the award outright the following year, making him the only men’s college lacrosse player to win the Tewaaraton Award twice consecutively.
Thompson concluded his college career as the all-time points leader at Albany with 400 career points. He was named Lacrosse Magazine’s 2014 Person of the Year, the only college player ever to receive that honor, and was nominated for the 2014 Best Male College Athlete ESPY Award. He later received the University at Albany 2024 Stoneman Distinguished Alumni Award.
Lyle Thompson Career
Early Career (2015)
Lyle Thompson entered the professional ranks in 2015 after being selected as the number one overall pick by both the Florida Launch in the MLL Collegiate Draft and the Georgia Swarm in the NLL Entry Draft. In his first MLL season with the Florida Launch, he appeared in eight games and recorded 22 goals and 16 assists, demonstrating the offensive talent that had made him a college star.
On September 28, 2015, he joined his brother Miles on the Georgia Swarm in the NLL, beginning a professional indoor career that would quickly flourish. He also made his international debut that same year, representing the Haudenosaunee men’s national lacrosse team at the 2015 World Indoor Lacrosse Championship.
Major League Lacrosse and Premier Lacrosse League Breakthrough (2015-2022)
On March 3, 2017, Lyle Thompson was traded along with his brother Jeremy from the Florida Launch to the Chesapeake Bayhawks. In 2018, he appeared in six games for the Bayhawks, scoring 20 goals, one two-point goal, and eight assists. He later joined the PLL in 2020 following the merger of the MLL and PLL, joining the Cannons Lacrosse Club.
In the 2022 PLL season, Thompson set a new league record with 44 points across just nine games, despite missing one contest due to injury. He also led the league with 26 one-point goals. That year, he was named the Eamon McEneaney Attackman of the Year, earned First Team All-Pro honors for the second consecutive year, and was recognized as the PLL Top Scorer.
Georgia Swarm and Indoor Career (2015-Present)
Thompson has spent his entire NLL career with the Georgia Swarm. In 2017, he was named both league MVP and Championship MVP as the Swarm won their first NLL title. Winning the MVP award in only his third NLL season was the fastest any player had ever earned the honor. He was also named First Team All-Pro in 2019.
On January 7, 2017, Lyle and his brothers Miles, Jeremy, and Jerome set a Guinness World Record for the most siblings to compete in the same professional lacrosse game. Thompson has also won the NLL Sportsmanship Award multiple times and was ranked the number four best forward in the NLL heading into the 2023 season. Following his PLL sabbatical in 2023 and 2024, he returned to action with the Six Nations Chiefs of the Major Series Lacrosse League, winning both the MVP award and the Mann Cup championship in 2023, and the Finals MVP in 2024.
Driving Style and Strengths
Lyle Thompson is renowned for his creativity, extraordinary stick skills, vision, and playmaking ability. He pioneered the backhand shovel shot, particularly his signature move known as the Deyhaus Dunk. Together with his brothers, he has popularized the traditional Indigenous American style of lacrosse, characterized by a freestyle, versatile approach that incorporates a wider variety of stick-handling, passing, and shooting techniques. He developed a one-handed playing style early in high school after a collarbone injury, giving him an uncanny ability to wield the stick with one hand under immense pressure.
Notable Events and Milestones
On January 12, 2019, during a Georgia Swarm game against the Philadelphia Wings at the Wells Fargo Center, the public address announcer made derogatory comments about Thompson’s traditional Indigenous hair braid. The incident drew widespread attention, and the announcer was permanently removed from his position. Thompson used the moment to raise awareness about the residential school system and the Every Child Matters movement, later appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated to highlight the cause.
Lyle Thompson Career Wins
Lyle Thompson has accumulated an impressive list of championship and individual awards across indoor, outdoor, and international lacrosse. His professional trophy case includes the 2017 NLL Championship and Championship MVP, the NLL MVP award, and Mann Cup titles with the Six Nations Chiefs in 2023 and 2024, along with the 2023 MSL MVP. He has represented the Haudenosaunee on the international stage at multiple World Lacrosse Championships and World Indoor Lacrosse Championships.
Major League Lacrosse and Premier Lacrosse League Highlights
Thompson was drafted first overall in the 2015 MLL Collegiate Draft by the Florida Launch before later being traded to the Chesapeake Bayhawks in 2017. Following the 2020 MLL-PLL merger, he joined the Cannons Lacrosse Club and went on to set a league record with 44 points in the 2022 season. He was named PLL Attackman of the Year and First Team All-Pro that season, adding the PLL Top Scorer honor to his accolades.
Other Wins and Performances
Thompson has also excelled at the international level, winning silver medals with the Haudenosaunee men’s national lacrosse team at the 2015 and 2019 World Indoor Lacrosse Championships and bronze medals at the 2014, 2018, and 2023 World Lacrosse Championships. He was named First Team All-World in 2014 for field lacrosse and in 2015 for indoor lacrosse. He has also been recognized with the Welles Crowther Humanitarian Award in 2021 and 2022 for his extensive charitable work.
Lyle Thompson Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
The Thompson family is one of the most storied lacrosse families in the sport’s history. Lyle’s father, Jerome Thompson Sr., played men’s Senior B lacrosse until the age of 37, and his grandfather also played lacrosse. Lyle is the second youngest of five siblings, all of whom have carried on the family’s athletic tradition. His three older brothers, Jeremy, Jerome, and Miles, are professional lacrosse players, as is his cousin Ty Thompson. Together, the four brothers once set a Guinness World Record for the most siblings to compete in the same professional lacrosse game.
Personal Life
Lyle Thompson is married to Amanda Longboat. The couple has four daughters and one son and currently resides on the Six Nations reservation on the Canadian side of the border. Their children are homeschooled, with Lyle personally teaching art and physical education. He is a devout practitioner of the Haudenosaunee religion, for whom lacrosse is considered a sacred medicine game, and he wears his hair in a traditional braid in keeping with Haudenosaunee custom. He is bilingual in English and Onondaga and is a lifelong teetotaler, drawing artist, and sneaker collector.
2025 Season Performance
Heading into the 2025 season, Lyle Thompson returns to the Premier Lacrosse League with the Cannons Lacrosse Club after taking a sabbatical during the 2023 and 2024 seasons to focus on his family and community. His return is expected to bolster a Cannons offense that has long been built around his creativity and vision. The 2025 campaign will mark his first full PLL season since his record-setting 44-point performance in 2022.
In the NLL, Thompson continues his role as a forward for the Georgia Swarm, where he has spent his entire indoor career since being drafted first overall in 2015. He remains one of the league’s premier offensive talents, and the 2025 season provides an opportunity to add to his already impressive indoor resume. He also continues to compete with the Six Nations Chiefs during the summer lacrosse season.
At 33 years old, Thompson remains one of the most recognizable figures in the sport, both for his on-field excellence and his cultural impact. With his combination of experience, leadership, and signature stick skills, the 2025 season offers another chapter in the career of a player widely considered among the greatest to ever play the game.