View source for Derrick Thomas

{{Short description|American football player (1967–2000)}}
{{for-multi|the British agricultural researcher|Derrick Thomas (agricultural scientist)|other people|Derek Thomas (disambiguation)}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name        = Derrick Thomas
| image       = Derrick Thomas Chiefs portrait photo.jpg
| alt         =
| caption     = Thomas with the [[Kansas City Chiefs]]
| number      = 58
| position    = [[Linebacker]]
| birth_date  = {{birth date|mf=yes|1967|1|1}}
| birth_place = [[Miami, Florida]], U.S.
| death_date  = {{death date and age|mf=yes|2000|2|8|1967|1|1}}
| death_place = Miami, Florida, U.S.
| height_ft   = 6
| height_in   = 3
| weight_lb   = 243
| high_school = [[South Miami Senior High School|South Miami Senior]]
| college     = [[Alabama Crimson Tide football|Alabama]] (1985–1988)
| draftyear   = 1989
| draftround  = 1
| draftpick   = 4
| pastteams   = * [[Kansas City Chiefs]] ({{NFL Year|1989|1999}})
| highlights  = * [[NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year]] (1989)
* [[NFL Man of the Year]] (1993)
* 2× First-team [[All-Pro]] ([[1990 All-Pro Team|1990]], [[1991 All-Pro Team|1991]])
* 3× Second-team All-Pro ([[1993 All-Pro Team|1993]], [[1994 All-Pro Team|1994]], [[1996 All-Pro Team|1996]])
* 9× [[Pro Bowl]] ([[1990 Pro Bowl|1989]]–[[1998 Pro Bowl|1997]])
* [[List of National Football League annual sacks leaders|NFL sacks leader]] (1990)
* [[NFL 1990s All-Decade Team]]
* [[PFWA All-Rookie Team]] ([[PFWA All-Rookie Team#1989|1989]])
* [[NFLPA Alan Page Community Award|"Whizzer" White NFL Man of the Year Award]] (1995)
* [[Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame]]
* [[Kansas City Chiefs#Retired numbers|Kansas City Chiefs No. 58]] retired
* [[Butkus Award]] (1988)
* [[List of unanimous All-Americans in college football|Unanimous All-American]] ([[1988 College Football All-America Team|1988]])
* [[SEC Male Athlete of the Year]] (1989)
* 2× First-team [[List of All-SEC football teams|All-SEC]] ([[1987 All-SEC football team|1987]], [[1988 All-SEC football team|1988]])
*[[AP All-Time All-America college football team#First team|First-team AP All-Time All-American]] (2025)
; NFL record 
* Most sacks in a game: 7
| statlabel1  = Total [[Tackle (football move)#Gridiron football|tackles]]
| statvalue1  = 641
| statlabel2  = [[Quarterback sack|Sacks]]
| statvalue2  = 126.5
| statlabel3  = [[Safety (gridiron football score)|Safeties]]
| statvalue3  = 3
| statlabel4  = Forced [[fumble]]s
| statvalue4  = 41
| statlabel5  = Fumble recoveries
| statvalue5  = 19
| statlabel6  = [[Interception]]s
| statvalue6  = 1
| statlabel7  = Defensive [[touchdown]]s
| statvalue7  = 4
| pfr         = ThomDe01
| HOF         = derrick-thomas
| CollegeHOF  = 2369 
}}

'''Derrick Vincent Thomas''' (January 1, 1967 – February 8, 2000), was an American professional [[American football|football]] [[linebacker]] for the [[Kansas City Chiefs]] of the [[National Football League]] (NFL). Nicknamed "'''D. T.'''", he played 11 seasons with the Chiefs until his death in 2000. He is considered one of the greatest [[pass rush]]ers of all time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/nflnetwork/story?id=09000d5d8088a0ec&template=with-video&confirm=true|title=Top 10 pass rushers in NFL history|date=October 7, 2008|work=NFL.com|access-date=February 1, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090206011446/http://www.nfl.com/nflnetwork/story?id=09000d5d8088a0ec&template=with-video&confirm=true|archive-date=February 6, 2009}}</ref>

Thomas played [[college football]] for the [[Alabama Crimson Tide football|Alabama Crimson Tide]], winning the [[Butkus Award]] in 1988. He was selected fourth overall in the [[1989 NFL draft]] by the Chiefs, where received nine [[Pro Bowl]] and two first-team [[All-Pro]] selections. Thomas also set the single-game sacks record in 1990.

After the Chiefs' 1999 season, Thomas was rendered [[paraplegia|paraplegic]] in a car crash and died two weeks later from a [[pulmonary embolism]]. He was posthumously inducted to the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] in 2009 and the [[College Football Hall of Fame]] in 2014.

==Early life==
Born on January 1, 1967, in [[Miami, Florida]], Thomas was raised by his mother Edith Morgan.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Farmer |first=Sam |date=January 31, 2020 |title=Derrick Thomas still chief in minds of Kansas City faithful as Super Bowl approaches |url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2020-01-30/derrick-thomas-mother-talks-about-memories-of-her-son/ |access-date=2020-09-28 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-GB}}</ref> His father, [[United States Air Force|Air Force]] [[Captain (U.S. Air Force)|Captain]] and [[B-52]] pilot Robert James Thomas, died during [[Operation Linebacker II|a mission]] in the [[Vietnam War]] when Derrick was five years old.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theaviationgeekclub.com/remembering-capt-thomas-the-co-pilot-of-charcoal-01-the-first-b-52-shot-down-during-operation-linebacker-ii/|title=Remembering Capt. Thomas, the co-pilot of Charcoal 01, the first B-52 shot down during Operation Linebacker II|last=Leone|first=Dario|date=2018-12-22|website=The Aviation Geek Club|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-12-20}}</ref> Thomas  played his high school football at [[South Miami Senior High School]].

==College career==
Alongside [[Cornelius Bennett]] and later [[Keith McCants]] at [[Alabama Crimson Tide Football|Alabama]], Thomas spearheaded one of the best defensive lines in college football and smashed many Crimson Tide defensive records, including sacks in a single season. He was awarded the [[Butkus Award]] in 1988. He was also selected as a consensus [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] at the conclusion of the 1988 season, a season which culminated in the Crimson Tide's thrilling 29–28 victory over Army in the [[1988 Sun Bowl]]. In 2000, Thomas was named a Sun Bowl Legend.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sunbowl.org/legends-of-the-sun-bowl/137-derrick-thomas |title=2000 Legend - Derrick Thomas |access-date=May 31, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120707063701/http://www.sunbowl.org/legends-of-the-sun-bowl/137-derrick-thomas |archive-date=July 7, 2012 }}</ref> 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]]. Thomas was posthumously inducted to the [[College Football Hall of Fame]] in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|title=NFF Proudly Announces Impressive 2014 College Football Hall of Fame Class|author=National Football Foundation|publisher=FootballFoundation.org|date=May 22, 2014|access-date=May 22, 2014|url=https://footballfoundation.org/news/2014/5/21/_54778.aspx?path=football}}</ref>

==Professional career==
{{NFL predraft
|    height ft = 6
|    height in = 2 1/2
|       weight = 234
|         dash = 4.58
|    ten split = 1.55
| twenty split = 2.68
}}

Thomas was selected fourth overall in the first round of the [[1989 NFL draft]] by the [[Kansas City Chiefs]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=1989 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1989/draft.htm |access-date=2023-05-26 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> He was the first selection made by new head coach [[Marty Schottenheimer]].<ref>{{cite web|title=NFL Draft History - 1989|author=National Football League|publisher= National Football League | access-date=December 3, 2017|url=http://www.nfl.com/draft/history/fulldraft?season=1989}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Derrick Thomas Player Profile|author=National Football League|publisher= National Football League | access-date=December 3, 2017|url= http://www.nfl.com/player/derrickthomas/2503300/profile}}</ref>

Thomas would record his first career sack in the Chiefs week 2 game against the [[1989 Los Angeles Raiders season|Los Angeles Raiders]]. That game was also his first multi-sack game as he finished with 2.5 sacks. He would record another 7.5 sacks that season finishing with 10 his rookie year. He was named [[National Football League Rookie of the Year Award|AP Defensive Rookie of the Year]]. He was also named to the Pro Bowl.

In his second year, Thomas recorded at least a half of a sack in each of the Chiefs first 5 games. In the Chiefs week 10 game against the [[1990 Seattle Seahawks season|Seattle Seahawks]], he broke [[Fred Dean]]'s 7-year-old record of sacks in a single game with 7 sacks. The quarterback he sacked in that game, [[Dave Krieg]], would become his teammate 2 seasons later. However, on the game's final play, Thomas had a clear shot for an eighth sack, but missed it and the Seahawks would throw a game winning touchdown after the missed sack. He would later call that play the one play in his career he wished he could have a second chance at.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|title= Most NFL Single Game Sacks |author=Sports Illustrated |date=November 11, 2015 |publisher=Sports Illustrated |access-date=December 3, 2017|url=https://www.si.com/nfl/photos/2015/11/11/most-nfl-single-game-sacks}}</ref> He would finish the season with what would prove to be a career high 20 sacks, setting a franchise record that stood until it was broken by [[Justin Houston]] in 2014. He finished 2nd in defensive player of the year voting and was named 1st team [[1990 All-Pro Team|All-Pro]].

The following season, he would record his first career touchdown on a 23-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the Chiefs week 11 game against the [[1991 Los Angeles Rams season|Los Angeles Rams]].

Thomas would record double digits sacks for each of the first four seasons in his career. In total, 7 of his 11 seasons in the NFL he recorded double digit sack totals.

In the [[1999 Kansas City Chiefs season|Chiefs 1999 season]], Thomas recorded a career low for sacks with 7. He would also record his first career interception in the Chiefs week 8 win over the [[1999 San Diego Chargers season|San Diego Chargers]]. He would record the final sack of his career in the Chiefs week 15 against the [[1999 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh Steelers]]. In what would be the final game of his career, as he would die 37 days later, the Chiefs played their rival the [[1999 Oakland Raiders season|Oakland Raiders]]. With a victory in the game, the Chiefs would qualify for the playoffs. The Chiefs lost in overtime 41–38. He didn't manage to record a sack on his former teammate [[Rich Gannon]], but he did record 6 total tackles.

===Legacy===
Thomas was named first-team All-Pro two times and was named to the Pro Bowl nine times.<ref name="auto1">{{cite web|title=Derrick Thomas |author=Pro Football Reference |publisher= Pro Football Reference |access-date=December 3, 2017|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/T/ThomDe01.htm}}</ref> He is 18th all-time in [[Quarterback sack|sacks]] and at the time of his death in 2000, he was 9th all-time with 126.5. He remains the Chiefs' all-time leader in sacks, safeties, forced fumbles, and fumble recoveries.<ref>{{cite web |title=All-time defensive leaders |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/kan/career-defense.htm |website=ProFootballReference.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=2017 Kansas Chiefs Media Guide |author=Kansas City Chiefs |publisher=Kansas City Chiefs |access-date=December 5, 2017 |url=http://prod.static.chiefs.clubs.nfl.com/assets/pdf/2017/2017_chiefs_media_guide.pdf |archive-date=December 5, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171205195000/http://prod.static.chiefs.clubs.nfl.com/assets/pdf/2017/2017_chiefs_media_guide.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> During his career, he recorded 1 interception and recovered 19 fumbles, returning them for 161 yards and 4 touchdowns. Thomas said in interviews his favorite quarterback to sack was [[Denver Broncos]] quarterback [[John Elway]], whom he sacked 26 times. The sack total over Elway is most against any quarterback in Thomas' career and the most any individual player sacked Elway.<ref>{{cite web |title=John Elway suddenly likes No. 58 |url=https://www.espn.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/40289/john-elway-suddenly-likes-no-58 |website=ESPN.com|date=May 2011 }}</ref> He was posthumously inducted into the [[Kansas City Chiefs#Chiefs Hall of Fame|Chiefs Hall of Fame]] in 2000, with the Chiefs breaking the tradition of waiting four years after the end of the player's career. In 2009, he was posthumously inducted into the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kansascity.com/160/story/1011004.html |title=Derrick Thomas elected to Hall of Fame. His son accepted the award in the hall of fame for Derrick Thomas |last=Covitz |first=Randy |date=January 31, 2008 |work=Kansascity.com: The Kansas City Star website |publisher=The McClatchy Company |access-date=February 1, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201135509/http://www.kansascity.com/160/story/1011004.html |archive-date=February 1, 2009 }}</ref> Later that same year, the Chiefs retired the number 58 in honor of him. Following his death until it was officially retired, the Chiefs did not reissue the number.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kcchiefs.com/news/2009/06/23/lb_derrick_thomas_will_have_his_58_retired_family_to_receive_hof_ring_at_arrowhead_vs_denver_on_december_6th/ |title=LB Derrick Thomas Will Have His #58 Retired, Family to Receive HOF Ring at Arrowhead vs. Denver on December 6th |work=Kansas City Chiefs Website |access-date=June 23, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090627074842/http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2009/06/23/lb_derrick_thomas_will_have_his_58_retired_family_to_receive_hof_ring_at_arrowhead_vs_denver_on_december_6th |archive-date=June 27, 2009 }}</ref> The Chiefs also named their [[Derrick Thomas Award|player of the year award]] in Thomas' honor, an award he won twice himself prior to the award being named in his honor. He is the only [[List of American football players who died during their careers|NFL player to die during their career]] that was later inducted to the Hall of Fame.

==NFL career statistics==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="2"| Legend
|-
| style="background:#cfecec; width:3em;"|
| Led the league
|-
| '''Bold'''
| Career high
|}

===Regular season===
{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Team
! colspan="2"| Games
! colspan="5"| Tackles
! colspan="5"| Fumbles
|-
! GP !! GS !! Cmb !! Solo !! Ast !! Sck !! Sfty !! FF !! FR !! Yds !! TD !! Blk
|-
! [[1989 NFL season|1989]] !! [[1989 Kansas City Chiefs season|KC]]
| 16 || 16 || 75 || 56 || '''19''' || 10.0 || 0 || 3 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 
|-
! [[1990 NFL season|1990]] !! [[1990 Kansas City Chiefs season|KC]]
| 15 || 15 || 63 || 47 || 16 || style="background:#cfecec; width:3em;"|'''20.0''' || 0 || style="background:#cfecec; width:3em;"|6 || 2 || 14 || 0 || 0
|-
! [[1991 NFL season|1991]] !! [[1991 Kansas City Chiefs season|KC]]
| 16 || 15 || '''79''' || 60 || '''19''' || 13.5 || 0 || 4 || '''4''' || 23 || '''1''' || 0
|-
! [[1992 NFL season|1992]] !! [[1992 Kansas City Chiefs season|KC]]
| 16 || 16 || 67 || 54 || 13 || 14.5 || 0 || style="background:#cfecec; width:3em;"|'''8''' || 3 || 0 || '''1''' || 0
|-
! [[1993 NFL season|1993]] !! [[1993 Kansas City Chiefs season|KC]]
| 16 || 15 || 43 || 32 || 11 || 8.0 || 0 || 4 || 1 || '''86''' || '''1''' || 0
|-
! [[1994 NFL season|1994]] !! [[1994 Kansas City Chiefs season|KC]]
| 16 || 15 || 71 || '''67''' || 4 || 11.0 || style="background:#cfecec; width:3em;"|'''1''' || 3 || 3 || 11 || 0 || 0
|-
! [[1995 NFL season|1995]] !! [[1995 Kansas City Chiefs season|KC]]
| 15 || 15 || 53 || 48 || 5 || 8.0 || 0 || 2 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
! [[1996 NFL season|1996]] !! [[1996 Kansas City Chiefs season|KC]]
| 16 || 14 || 55 || 49 || 6 || 13.0 || 0 || 4 || 1 || 0 || 0 || '''1'''
|-
! [[1997 NFL season|1997]] !! [[1997 Kansas City Chiefs season|KC]]
| 12 || 10 || 34 || 30 || 4 || 9.5 || style="background:#cfecec; width:3em;"|'''1''' || 3 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
! [[1998 NFL season|1998]] !! [[1998 Kansas City Chiefs season|KC]]
| 15 || 10 || 42 || 35 || 7 || 12.0 || style="background:#cfecec; width:3em;"|'''1''' || 2 || 2 || 27 || '''1''' || 0
|-
! [[1999 NFL season|1999]] !! [[1999 Kansas City Chiefs season|KC]]
| 16 || 16 || 60 || 54 || 6 || 7.0 || 0 || 2 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
! colspan="2"| Career || 169 || 157 || 642 || 532 || 110 || 126.5 || 3 || 41 || 19 || 161 || 4 || 1
|}

==Death==
On January 23, 2000, Thomas's SUV went off [[Interstate 435]] in [[Clay County, Missouri|Clay County]] as he and two passengers were driving to [[Kansas City International Airport]] during a [[snowstorm]] for a flight to [[St. Louis]] to see the [[1999–2000 NFL playoffs#NFC: St. Louis Rams 11, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6|NFC Championship Game]] between the [[History of the St. Louis Rams|St. Louis Rams]] and the [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]]. Police reports indicated that Thomas, who was driving, was speeding at approximately 70&nbsp;mph even though snow and ice were rapidly accumulating on the roadway.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/news/2000/02/08/thomas_death_ap/ |title=Chiefs' Thomas dead at 33 |date=February 8, 2000 |work=CNNSI.com |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=August 26, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 21, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921061127/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/news/2000/02/08/thomas_death_ap/ }}</ref> Thomas and one of the passengers were not wearing seat belts and both were thrown from the car; the passenger, Michael Tellis, was killed instantly. The second passenger, who was wearing his safety belt, walked away from the scene uninjured. Thomas was left paralyzed from the chest down. By early February, Thomas was being treated at Miami's [[Jackson Memorial Hospital]]. The morning of February 8, 2000, while being transferred from his hospital bed to a wheelchair on his way to therapy, Thomas told his mother he was not feeling well. Frank Eismont, an orthopedic surgeon at Jackson Memorial Hospital said Thomas went into cardiorespiratory arrest and died as a result of a [[pulmonary embolism]], a massive blood clot that developed in his legs and traveled to his [[lungs]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/news/2000/02/09/obit_thomas_ap/ |title=Blood Clot Killed Thomas, Doctors Say |date=February 10, 2000 |work=CNNSI.com |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=August 26, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 21, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921060532/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/news/2000/02/09/obit_thomas_ap/ }}</ref> Months later, Thomas's family sued [[General Motors]] for $73 million in damages stemming from the accident. In 2004, a jury ruled that the family was not entitled to any money.<ref>{{Cite news |date=August 17, 2004 |title=Thomas family sought $73M in suit |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=1861276 |access-date=August 26, 2013 |work=ESPN.com|agency=Associated Press}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Diaz | first=George | title=THOMAS ESTATE SALE SUMS IT UP | website=Orlando Sentinel | date=2001-04-01 | url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2001/04/01/thomas-estate-sale-sums-it-up/ | access-date=2025-07-20}}</ref>

==Charity work==
In 1990, Thomas founded the Derrick Thomas Third and Long Foundation. The foundation's mission is to "sack illiteracy" and change the lives of 9- to 13-year-old urban children facing challenging and life-threatening situations in the Kansas City area.{{citation needed|date=September 2016}}

The [[Derrick Thomas Academy]], a [[charter school]] in [[Kansas City, Missouri]], opened in September 2001. It served nearly 1,000 children from kindergarten through eighth grade until it closed in 2013.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2013/07/24/closure-of-derrick-thomas-academy.html|title=Closing of Derrick Thomas Academy leaves legal mess|last=Koepp|first=Paul|date=July 24, 2013|website=Kansas City Business Journal|access-date=February 12, 2017}}</ref>

==Sources==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Profootballhof|id=249|name=Derrick Thomas}}
* {{cfbhof|id=2369|name=Derrick Thomas}}{{Footballstats |nfl=Derrick-Thomas
|espn=98 |cbs= |yahoo= |si= |pfr=T/ThomDe01 |rotoworld=}}
* [https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8540/derrick-vincent-thomas Derrick Thomas on] [[Find A Grave]]

{{Navboxes|title=Derrick Thomas—awards and honors|list1=
{{Dick Butkus Award (collegiate)}}
{{SEC Male Athlete of the Year}}
{{1988 NCAA Division I-A College Football Consensus All-Americans}}
{{1989 NFL Draft}}
{{Kansas City Chiefs first round draft picks}}
{{Chiefs1989DraftPicks}}
{{AP Defensive Rookies of the Year}}
{{Walter Payton Man of the Year Award}}
{{“Whizzer” White NFL Man of the Year}}
{{NFL sack leaders}}
{{100 sacks club}}
{{NFL1990s}}
{{Kansas City Chiefs}}
{{Chiefs Retired Numbers}}
{{Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame}}
{{2009 Football HOF}}
{{Pro Football Hall of Fame members}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Derrick}}
[[Category:1967 births]]
[[Category:2000 deaths]]
[[Category:Alabama Crimson Tide football players]]
[[Category:All-American college football players]]
[[Category:American Conference Pro Bowl players]]
[[Category:American football defensive ends]]
[[Category:American football outside linebackers]]
[[Category:College Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Deaths from pulmonary embolism]]
[[Category:Kansas City Chiefs players]]
[[Category:NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year winners]]
[[Category:NFL players with retired numbers]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Miami]]
[[Category:Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:South Miami Senior High School alumni]]
[[Category:Southeastern Conference Athlete of the Year winners]]