Derrick Thomas

Derrick Vincent Thomas (January 1 1967 – February 8 2000) was an NFL linebacker who played his entire professional career for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Early life

Born in Miami, Thomas was raised by his mother, as his father (an Airforce captain and pilot) died during a mission in the Vietnam War. He played high school football at South Miami Senior High School, where he was an outstanding athlete and student. When he was three he started playing football.

College career

A standout at the University of Alabama, Thomas smashed many Crimson Tide defensive records, including sacks in a single season. He was awarded the Butkus Award in 1988 after a season which saw him record 27 sacks along with finishing 10th in Heisman Trophy balloting. He was also selected as a unanimous All-American at the conclusion of the 1988 season. He was awarded the Sington Soaring Spirit Award by the Lakeshore Foundation. This annual award is named for University of Alabama football legend Fred Sington.

NFL career

Thomas was selected in the first round of the 1989 NFL Draft, fourth overall, and was signed by the Chiefs. He would remain with the Chiefs for the entirety of his career.

Thomas's rookie year was very successful, earning him Defensive Rookie of the Year by the Sporting News, and was the first Chiefs' linebacker to be elected to the Pro Bowl in his first season since hall of famer Bobby Bell. He would appear in nine.

He was known as one of the best defensive players in NFL history, and one of the most highly visible Chiefs players throughout his career. Thomas was perhaps most well known for his ability to sack the quarterback. He totaled 126.5 sacks in his career and still holds the single game record of 7 quarterback sacks (he missed his 8th sack that would have won the game), a feat which occurred against Seattle's Dave Krieg on Veterans Day 1990. (He had dedicated the game to his late father, and said he would've traded the sack record for a Chiefs victory.) He is one of only 22 NFL players to achieve 100 or more sacks, and ranks fifth all-time in Chiefs' history with 649 career tackles. During his career, he also recorded 1 interception and recovered 19 fumbles, returning them for 161 yards and 4 touchdowns. Thomas established Chiefs career records for sacks, safeties, fumble recoveries, and forced fumbles (45). Off the field, Thomas established the Third and Long Foundation.

Death

On January 18, 2020, Thomas was severely injured in a bad boat collision, while sliding on his air tube on his way to Kansas City International Airport, where he was going to fly to St. Louis to watch the NFC Championship game. The accident occurred when Thomas was doing 70mph in the water and Thomas was not wearing a seatbelt. He lost control of his SUV and hit the median, which caused him to overturn many times. The accident left him paralyzed from the chest down, and the injuries might have been prevented if he had been wearing a seatbelt. He died on February 8, 2000, in Miami, due to a massive blood clot related to his injuries.

Legacy

Thomas was the most visible and recognizable player of the Chiefs throughout the 1990s. He was the best defensive player on a team that was known for its defense and that won more games than any other team in the 1990s. Along with his "partner in crime," Chiefs defensive end Neil Smith, Thomas terrorized opposing teams, especially in third and long situations. After his death, the Chiefs retired Thomas' jersey, #58. Thomas was also elected to the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame in 2001. He was a finalist for election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005, his first year of eligibility. In January 2006, Thomas was named a finalist but was not elected to be inducted. Again in 2007, Thomas was a finalist in the process, but failed to make the final cut. Thomas remains a strong consideration for the Hall of Fame. Many commentators believe that Thomas' exclusion was due to his playing for a relatively small market team, Kansas City. Critics say that Thomas isn't a HOF calibre linebacker due to being a one-dimensional linebacker who was a liability against the run, and disappeared in the playoffs.

External links

• Pro Football Hall of Fame: HOF 2007 Finalist profile
• ESPN.com's Old Derrick Thomas Profile
• Derrick Thomas at ESPN.com