Talk about coincidences.

The last Kansas University football player who went on to become a doctor was an offensive tackle named Lance Snyder, a 1991 graduate who wore No. 55.

The next KU football player who wants to become a doctor is an offensive tackle named Matt Thompson, a junior who wears — you guessed it — No. 55.

“My parents thought I’d either be a hypochondriac or a doctor because I like hanging out at hospitals so much,” Thompson said with a smile.

Thompson’s desire to become a physician was a factor, he says, in his decision to leave the Air Force Academy after his sophomore year. Another year at the Colorado Springs, Colo., school would have locked Thompson into a mandatory stint in the Air Force after graduation.

“To be a doctor, I couldn’t do that,” he said.

So he packed up and went home to Missoula, Mont.

Great place, but …

“The Air Force Academy is a great place,” he said, “but I really wanted to make my own decisions. I wanted to live my own life, and I didn’t think the military would allow me to do that.”

Attending a military academy and playing football essentially is as difficult as taking pre-med courses and playing football, meaning Thompson has traded one rough road for another.

“It’s a challenge, it really is,” he said. “I’m limited to the number of courses I can take because of football. I’ll have to take my labs, for instance, in the spring.”

No one knows the challenge better than Snyder, who worked at the Kansas Center for Sports Medicine in Lawrence for two years before joining the Colorado University sports medicine staff a couple of weeks ago.

“Matt has to remember that academics are the most important thing,” Snyder said by phone from Boulder, Colo. “He has to be structured. I’ve talked to him, and he’s a great kid. He’ll do fine. But it is extremely difficult.”

Kansas University offensive tackle Matt Thompson has won the starting job for the Jayhawks in his first season after transferring from the Air Force Academy. Thompson hopes to attend medical school and would be the first KU football player-turned-doctor since 1991 grad Lance Snyder.

At the age of 22 and in his fifth year out of high school, Thompson would seem to possess the maturity necessary to juggle football and pre-med courses.

Prep school first

Thompson spent his first year after high school at the Air Force Prep school in Colorado Springs. Then he was on the Falcons’ football team in 2001 and 2002 where his offensive line coach was Ed Warinner, now the man in charge of the Jayhawks’ offensive front.

On the surface, it would appear Thompson jumped at the chance to follow his former position coach to Mount Oread. That would be oversimplifying the transition, however.

Fact is, after he left the Air Force Academy and went home, Thompson was wooed by Kansas State, visited Manhattan and nearly pulled the trigger.

“I was almost set to go there,” Thompson said. “It was very, very close.”

At Warinner’s urging, the 6-foot-4, 295-pounder made an unofficial trip 90 miles east and eventually changed his mind.

“I figured I could earn a scholarship the fastest here,” he said.

So Thompson sat out the 2003 season under NCAA transfer rules as a walk-on, eventually earning a scholarship in the spring.

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“It was really tough sitting out knowing I’d be a scout team player,” he said, “but blocking Travis (Watkins) and David (McMillan) really helped me out.”

Starting job

Now, the Air Force transfer who wants to be a doctor has earned a starting job.

“He’s very strong,” Warinner said. “He and (center) Joe Vaughn are the strongest offensive linemen we have. He’s tall and athletic, and he runs well.”

Just as important, he sounds like he couldn’t be happier in his latest home away from home.

“I’m so glad I chose Lawrence,” he said. “The town and the people here are unreal. It’s such a fun place to go to school.”

• Notes: KU went through its first two-a-day workouts Thursday with a pair of closed workouts. … The Jayhawks are inviting youths to the practice field Sunday for Kids Day. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. on the field behind Anschutz Sports Pavilion. … KU’s next open practice is scheduled for 4 p.m. Aug. 20.