Derrick Thomas facts for kids
Thomas with the Chiefs
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| No. 58 | |||||||||||||||
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| Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||||||||
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| Born: | January 1, 1967 Miami, Florida, U.S. |
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| Died: | February 8, 2000 (aged 33) Miami, Florida, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 255 lb (116 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school: | South Miami (Miami, Florida) |
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| College: | Alabama (1985–1988) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1989 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4 | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||||
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Pro Football Hall of Fame
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College Football Hall of Fame
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Derrick Vincent Thomas (born January 1, 1967 – died February 8, 2000) was an amazing American football player. He was a linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs in the National Football League (NFL). People knew him as "D. T." and thought he was one of the best players at getting to the quarterback.
He played for the Chiefs for 11 seasons. Before joining the NFL, Thomas played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide. There, he won the Butkus Award, which is given to the best linebacker in college football. The Chiefs picked him fourth overall in the 1989 NFL draft. During his career, he was chosen for the Pro Bowl nine times and was named a first-team All-Pro twice. He also set an NFL record for the most sacks in a single game.
After the Chiefs' 1999 season, Derrick Thomas was in a serious car accident that left him unable to move his legs. Sadly, he passed away two weeks later due to complications from his injuries. He was added to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014, both after his death.
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Early Life and Family
Derrick Thomas was born in Miami, Florida. His mother, Edith Morgan, raised him. His father, Robert James Thomas, was an Air Force pilot who died during a mission in the Vietnam War. Derrick Thomas played high school football at South Miami Senior High School.
College Football Career
At the University of Alabama, Derrick Thomas was a key part of one of the best defenses in college football. He played alongside other great players like Cornelius Bennett and Keith McCants. Thomas broke many defensive records for the Crimson Tide, including the most sacks in a single season.
In 1988, he won the Butkus Award, which recognizes the best college linebacker. He was also chosen as an All-American that year. His college career ended with a close 29-28 win against Army in the 1988 Sun Bowl. Years later, in 2000, Thomas was honored as a Sun Bowl Legend. He also received the Sington Soaring Spirit Award. In 2014, he was added to the College Football Hall of Fame after his death.
Professional Football Career
The Kansas City Chiefs picked Derrick Thomas as the fourth overall player in the first round of the 1989 NFL draft. He was the very first player chosen by the Chiefs' new head coach, Marty Schottenheimer.
Rookie Season and Early Success
Thomas quickly made an impact. He got his first professional sack in his second game with the Chiefs. In his rookie year, he finished with 10 sacks. Because of his great performance, he was named the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. He was also chosen to play in the Pro Bowl.
Record-Breaking Moments
In his second year, 1990, Thomas continued to shine. He set an NFL record by getting 7 sacks in one game against the Seattle Seahawks. He finished that season with 20 sacks, which was a career high for him. This also set a new record for the Chiefs, which stood until 2014. He was named a first-team All-Pro that year.
The next season, in 1991, he scored his first career touchdown. He picked up a fumbled ball and ran 23 yards for a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams.
Derrick Thomas was known for consistently getting many sacks. He had 10 or more sacks in seven of his 11 seasons in the NFL.
Final Season and Legacy
In his last season, 1999, Thomas recorded 7 sacks. He also made his first career interception in a game against the San Diego Chargers. His final sack happened in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The very last game of his career was against the Oakland Raiders. The Chiefs lost that game in overtime.
Derrick Thomas was a two-time first-team All-Pro and was selected to the Pro Bowl nine times. He is still the Chiefs' all-time leader in sacks, safeties, forced fumbles, and fumble recoveries. He had 126.5 sacks in his career, which was the 9th most all-time when he passed away in 2000. He once said his favorite quarterback to sack was Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway, whom he sacked 26 times. This was the most sacks he had against any single quarterback.
After his death in 2000, Thomas was added to the Chiefs Hall of Fame. The Chiefs usually wait four years, but they made an exception for him. In 2009, he was also added to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Later that same year, the Chiefs retired his jersey number, 58, meaning no other player would wear it again. The Chiefs also named their player of the year award the "Derrick Thomas Award" in his honor. He is the only NFL player who passed away during his career to later be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
NFL Career Statistics
| Legend | |
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| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular season
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Fumbles | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | Sfty | FF | FR | Yds | TD | Blk | ||
| 1989 | KC | 16 | 16 | 75 | 56 | 19 | 10.0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1990 | KC | 15 | 15 | 63 | 47 | 16 | 20.0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 1991 | KC | 16 | 15 | 79 | 60 | 19 | 13.5 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 23 | 1 | 0 |
| 1992 | KC | 16 | 16 | 67 | 54 | 13 | 14.5 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1993 | KC | 16 | 15 | 43 | 32 | 11 | 8.0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 86 | 1 | 0 |
| 1994 | KC | 16 | 15 | 71 | 67 | 4 | 11.0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995 | KC | 15 | 15 | 53 | 48 | 5 | 8.0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 | KC | 16 | 14 | 55 | 49 | 6 | 13.0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1997 | KC | 12 | 10 | 34 | 30 | 4 | 9.5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 | KC | 15 | 10 | 42 | 35 | 7 | 12.0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 27 | 1 | 0 |
| 1999 | KC | 16 | 16 | 60 | 54 | 6 | 7.0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 169 | 157 | 642 | 532 | 110 | 126.5 | 3 | 41 | 19 | 161 | 4 | 1 | |
Charity Work
In 1990, Derrick Thomas started the Derrick Thomas Third and Long Foundation. This foundation worked to help kids aged 9 to 13 in the Kansas City area. Its goal was to "sack illiteracy" and improve the lives of young people facing tough situations.
The Derrick Thomas Academy, a special school in Kansas City, Missouri, opened in September 2001. It helped almost 1,000 children from kindergarten through eighth grade until it closed in 2013.
Images for kids
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Thomas with the Chiefs
