Derrick Thomas
Derrick Thomas was a prominent American football linebacker, born on January 1, 1967, in Miami, Florida. He faced significant challenges early in life, including the loss of his father during the Vietnam War and a troubled youth marked by delinquency, which he overcame through educational opportunities at a juvenile facility. Thomas excelled in high school football, earning a scholarship to the University of Alabama, where he set impressive records and won the Butkus Award in 1988. He was selected fourth overall by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 1989 NFL Draft, becoming the first linebacker drafted in the first round by the team.
Throughout his 11-year career, Thomas was known for his explosive style of play, earning Pro Bowl selections nine times and ranking ninth on the NFL's all-time career sacks list at his passing. He was also recognized for his philanthropic efforts, founding the Third and Long Foundation to promote literacy among disadvantaged youth. Tragically, Thomas's life was cut short following a car accident in 2000, which left him paralyzed before he died from a blood clot shortly thereafter. His legacy endures in the NFL, highlighted by his 2009 induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Derrick Thomas
Football Player
- Born: January 1, 1967
- Birthplace: Miami, Florida
- Died: February 8, 2000
- Place of death: Miami, Florida
Sport: Football
Early Life
Derrick Vincent Thomas was born on New Year’s Day, 1967, in Miami, Florida, the son of Edith Morgan and U.S. Air Force captain Robert Thomas. At the age of five, Derrick lost his father when he was shot down over North Vietnam during a 1972 bombing mission designated Operation: Linebacker Two. Initially declared missing in action, Captain Thomas was pronounced dead in 1980.
Raised primarily by his mother, Edith, Derrick led a troubled life as a youngster. He began committing petty crimes and at the age of fifteen was sent to Dade Marine Institute, a school for juvenile offenders, following his arrest for burglary, vandalism, and theft. The school provided Derrick with an opportunity to turn his life around, and he took advantage of it, scoring well on his tests while developing an interest in such activities as scuba diving and boating. He completed the six-month program in a four months.
The Road to Excellence
In 1985, Derrick graduated from South Miami High School, where he excelled as a running back and tight end. Pursued by dozens of colleges, he accepted a football scholarship to the University of Alabama. During his junior and senior years, Derrick was recognized as the nation’s leading pass rusher and in 1988, won the Butkus Award as the top collegiate linebacker. Derrick set Alabama school records with 52 sacks and 74 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. He also recorded 204 tackles, 12 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries, 5 blocked kicks, 1 safety, and 1 touchdown. As a senior, he finished tenth in the Heisman Trophy balloting and was a unanimous all-American first team selection.
Derrick was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the 1989 NFL draft and was the fourth pick overall, following Troy Aikman, Tony Mandarich, and Barry Sanders. He was the first linebacker ever drafted by the Chiefs in the first round.
The Emerging Champion
Derrick immediately became a dominating force on the Chiefs’ defense. In his first NFL season, he recorded 55 quarterback pressures and 10 quarterback sacks. He was named defensive rookie of the year by the Associated Press, Pro Football Weekly, College and Pro Football Newsweekly, and the NFL’s Players’ Association. He was also an all-NFL selection by Sports Illustrated and a second team all-pro pick by College and Pro Football Newsweekly. His impressive rookie season was capped when he was named as a Pro Bowl starter for the American Football Conference (AFC) team.
Continuing the Story
In only his second full season in the NFL, Derrick achieved perhaps his most impressive single-game performance. In a November 11, 1990, contest against the Seattle Seahawks, he sacked opposing quarterback Dave Krieg seven times, establishing a new NFL record, and forced 2 fumbles. He nearly registered his eighth sack on the final play of the game, but Krieg escaped his grasp to throw a game-winning touchdown pass.
Derrick was a mainstay of a defensive team that spurred the Chiefs to more than one hundred victories in the 1990’s, one of only three NFL teams to reach that milestone. His brand of football was the big play, a style adopted by the entire defensive team. Its aim was simply to make a sack, block a punt, force a fumble or an interception, and return the football for a touchdown.
In 1993, Derrick was selected as the NFL man of the year, an award that recognizes both on-field performance and community service. His charitable works on behalf of disadvantaged children began soon after his entry into the NFL. In 1990, he had founded the Third and Long Foundation, which promoted literacy among academically challenged students. In addition, he made frequent visits to sick children across the country. Through his generosity thousands of inner-city youth were able to attend Chiefs home games. For his efforts he was awarded the Byron White Humanitarian Award in 1995.
By 1997, there were signs that Derrick’s career was beginning to wane. An injury to his left tricep tendon and the use of a bulky arm brace slowed his movements considerably, and he ended up missing four games. The following year he started only ten games, the lowest total of his career. In 1999, a mediocre season for both him and the Chiefs raised questions about how much longer his career would last.
On January 23, 2000, Derrick was driving to the airport with two friends when his vehicle skidded out of control and crashed on an icy road, throwing him from the car and killing one of the passengers. The third passenger suffered only minor injuries. Derrick, however, was left with two fractured vertebrae and was paralyzed from the chest down. On January 24, he was transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, where he underwent spinal cordsurgery. On February 8, following two weeks of medical treatment, Derrick died suddenly after suffering cardiorespiratory arrest caused by a massive blood clot that had formed in his pulmonary artery.
Summary
Derrick Thomas’s legacy as a professional football player is an impressive one. During his eleven-year career he was named to the Pro Bowl nine times; at the time of his death, he was ranked ninth on the league’s career sacks list. In 2009, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Though he was recognized as one of the NFL’s premier linebackers, Derrick’s style did not always fit the profile of the position. At one stage the Chiefs invented a new position for him, called the Falcon, which called for a combination of linebacker-lineman skills. The move was a testimony to the unique blend of talents Derrick brought to the football field.
Bibliography
Dean, Rick, and Dave Eulitt. Forever a Chief: Derrick Thomas—Always Giving Back. Chicago: Triumph Books, 2000.
Silver, Michael, and Mark Mravic. “Derrick Thomas Remembered.” Sports Illustrated 92, no. 7 (February 21, 2000): 21.
Whitlock, Jason, and Buck O’Neil. Love Him, Hate Him: Ten Years of Sports, Passion, and Kansas City. Kansas City, Mo.: Kansas City Star Books, 2004.