Missing Derrick Thomas
Yesterday morning, I happened to come across a wonderful piece done by Bob Gretz on Derrion Thomas, who as most of you know is the late Derrick Thomas’ son. Derrion is now a senior at Blue Springs South (my old stomping grounds!) and just like his Dad, Derrion is an opposing QB’s nightmare, lining up as a speed rush defensive end. He was absolutely dominant this past week in South’s upset victory in the Missouri Class 6 quarterfinals, over a vaunted Rockhurst High School squad that many felt was the best in the state, logging four sacks despite injuring his right arm in the 1st half.
For Derrion, the victory was extra-special, as he played the entire game while wearing his late father’s old shoulder pads, worn last in the Chiefs final game of the 1999-2000 season against their arch-rivals from Oakland. He literally was able to feel his Dad’s blood, sweat, and tears coursing through his body as he raced around would-be blockers on his way to raining destruction on the opposing offense, and I can only imagine the emotion that he must have felt on that glorious night.
Obviously Derrion still has to prove himself capable in the college game, but his story got me reminescing a bit about the awesome games in the late 1990s when the Chiefs had the most feared pass rush in the entire league. KC featured Neil Smith on one side and DT on the other, and they made opposing quarterbacks pay dearly for daring to drop back into a deep passing set. But as in all things in life, everything good comes to an end eventually, and the Chiefs dominant pass rush back then was no exception.
Smith took his homerun swing celebration and killer pass rush skills to the Chiefs division rival in Denver after KC decided to move on without him. That move was not without question by many fans of the Chiefs, but with DT still lighting QBs up like the giant Christmas tree in Rockefellar Center every week, most of us were content to trust in Carl Peterson’s wisdom.
But then that fateful winter day in January of 2000 north of the city on I-435 came to pass, and our beloved #58 suffered what would prove to be fatal injuries in a major accident on I-435 north of the city. I remember that day very clearly – I had slept in late that day after spending the previous night skiing with friends at Snow Creek in Weston and I woke up to my Mom calling to tell me that there had been a terrible accident and Derrick Thomas was involved. No one knew if he was going to make it or not, although we were optimistic that he would pull through and we would see the old DT out on the field in no time.
You see Derrick was one of those larger than life characters that only come along once in a blue moon for a team like the Chiefs. He was the epitome of everything the people of Kansas City stand for – hard work, dedication, and passionate about making a difference in as many lives as possible. In short, he was my hero, and although I had entered adulthood by that point, DT was still the player I adored the most.
I don’t know if it was his incredible talent on the football field or his mild-mannered persona off it, but as a child growing up a few short miles from Arrowhead Stadium, I couldn’t help but place Thomas on the highest pedestal of my idols. He was the physical representation of the Chiefs as far as I was concerned, and he could do no wrong in my book. I ravenously followed his exploits on Sunday and I credit much of my current fever-pitched passion for the Chiefs to his terrorizing of opposing QBs each week.
Derrick was and still is the single greatest pass rusher the world has ever seen in my mind. Obviously I’m a bit biased, for all of the reasons I outlined above but to be honest, I really don’t mind. DT dominated the game in a way I’ve never seen in any other player, and when you look at the current state of the Chiefs pass rush, my point becomes that much more clear.
Since his passing the Chiefs have struggled mightily to rebuild what was once their greatest strength. Don’t get me wrong, they’ve had decent players pass through in the past eight years, but not one of them could even begin to carry DT’s cleats onto the field, let alone take his place as the premier pass rusher in Chiefs history. Jared Allen was the closest player to that end, but even he could not do what Thomas did – take over a football game and single-handedly deliver victory to his team.
All of this has led me to a overriding conviction that there will never be another Derrick Thomas as long as the NFL is in existence. Never. Sure there will be incredible sack artists out there over the years and I have no doubt they’ll eclipse Thomas in the record books as the days go on, but his place in the annals of football legend is absolutely secure. The only accomplishment missing from his incredible life is the honor of being called to Canton, but make no mistake, it will come very soon, regardless of the idiots that have somehow wormed their way into holding a vote.
In a span of seasons that have been among the most trying and difficult to bear in the history of our beloved franchise, we can be grateful for moments like these when we are reminded that Derrick’s unbridled spirit, his incredible talent, and his amazing ability to bring joy to the hearts of thousands that followed him, lives on through his death in the form of his only son Derrion. It is our greatest motivator and without it, Kansas City and the Chiefs would not be the same.
Chris Kolb is the owner and lead writer of KCChiefsFanatic.com
you know it really blows my mind that the greatest chief of all time and one of the greatest DE to play the game isnt in the hall of fame yet!!
R.I.P DT#58
GO CHIEFS!!
November 18th, 2008 at 7:50 pmI remember I saw Derrick at a the drag races he was driving a golf cart. When he got out he was all smiles you could tell he enjoyed being who he was, what a wonderful gift that would be. Also the biggest human being Ive ever stood next too (seemed that way anyway). I also remember where I was when I heard about the crash. Mack Lee Hill and Stone Johnson deserve to have their numbers retired, but so do Joe Delaney and especially DT. Anyway great article, there will be a #58 jersey in the upper section over the tunnel this Sunday Chris and thanks for the thoughts.
November 18th, 2008 at 8:34 pmTwo things you guys should know about me
I played football for Rockhurst. Class of 91. We take football “blood vendetta” serious. Go Hawklets! Go Coach Sev!
1989-2008 the only thing I have worn to a chiefs game is an authentic Derrick Thomas Jersey.
And I gota say, the only playoffs, I dont mind losing, are playoffs where Derrick’s son is at the helm. Hats off.
November 19th, 2008 at 12:34 amAll this piece needs is Puffy in the background….good work though.
Everybody now…
November 19th, 2008 at 1:29 amEven though you’re gone, we still a team
Through your family, Ill fulfill your dream (thats right)
In the future, cant wait to see
If you open up the gates for me
Reminisce some time, the night they took my friend
(uh-huh)
Try to black it out, but it plays again
When its real, feelings hard to conceal
Cant imagine all the pain I feel
Give anything to hear half your breath
I know you still living your life, after death
Chiefs must draft his son when the time comes!
November 19th, 2008 at 11:48 amthat would be AWESOME
November 19th, 2008 at 12:12 pmMasterBlaster – Go Hawklets! Class of ‘76
November 19th, 2008 at 1:08 pmJust imagine the electricity in the crowd at Arrowhead, when Derrion runs out of the tunnel!
November 19th, 2008 at 1:26 pmWell written Chris. I became a die hard lifelong Chiefs fan when I was ten years old. I can’t remember who the Chiefs were playing, but I remember DT singlehandedly dominating the game and destroying the opponent every snap. I grew up in Baltimore and didn’t have a home team, so I decided to always be a Chiefs fan because of Derrick Thomas. We might have the #4 pick again this year, but we certainly won’t draft a player of his caliber. I just realized that Neon Deion was drafted right after him and that Barry Sanders was drafted right before him. Pretty sick 3,4,5…
November 19th, 2008 at 4:19 pmI will likely be at the MO State Finals and I will try to pass on our respect for him and his father…
November 19th, 2008 at 4:43 pmThere’s A New D.T. On the Football Radar Screen
November 17, 2008 – Bob Gretz |
If you didn’t know his name and his lineage, you would only notice him because he’s a tall, good looking young man.
But knowing who he is, and who his father was, when you first see him, it takes your breath away.
Derrion Thomas is the son of the late Derrick Thomas. He’s a senior at Blue Springs South High School. Every day he grows more into the image of his father. His face is not quite as oval as his Dad’s, but he has the same sparkle in his eye. And his body … well he’s grown into a young man that’s as tall and only a few pounds lighter than the original D.T.
He’s starting to look like his father on the football field as well.
This past Friday evening in the Missouri state high school playoffs, this younger version of D.T. had four sacks in Blue Springs South upset over top-ranked Rockhurst. The Jaguars advanced to the state semi-finals this coming Friday night against Jefferson City.
Whether Derrion plays in this Friday’s game is unknown because of an arm injury he suffered against Rockhurst. The injury occurred in the first half; he played the entire second half with pretty much one arm.
The game, the sacks, the injury capped what was quite a Friday for the young man.
That type of performance in the setting of the playoffs would be memorable enough. But it was an unforgettable night for Derrion because he was wearing his father’s shoulder pads, the same pads that Derrick Thomas wore playing in his last game on January 2, 2000 at Arrowhead Stadium against the Oakland Raiders.
Derrion and his 10-year old brother Robert spent their lunch time on Friday at the Chiefs practice facility. The Chiefs Wives Organization (CWO) led by Lia Edwards held an event to honor some of the kids from the Derrick Thomas Academy. The DTA is a charter school in Kansas City, Missouri that primarily serves at risk, inner-city African-American students who face challenges at home, struggle in the typical public school environment, and/or are in dire need of a strong quality education.
Youngsters from DTA had an essay contest with the subject being Derrick Thomas and the best examples were selected and honored with a day with the Chiefs. Led by Edwards, Lori Peterson and other wives of Chiefs administrators, coaches and players, the kids from DTA got the chance to watch practice and get player autographs. Carl Peterson spoke to the group about D.T. and the importance of education, as did the team’s executive director of player development Lamonte Winston. Derrion got the chance to say hello to Gunther Cunningham (above) one of his father’s football mentors.
And Derrion spoke to the kids from DTA as well. Wearing his Blue Springs South jersey, he stood in front of a room full of adults and children and talked about his father. It’s one of the first times he’s done this outside his family and friends.
While all this was going on, Mike Davidson and Allen Wright, the Chiefs top equipment guys were pulling a trunk out of storage. It contained all of Derrick Thomas’ football equipment. After his untimely death in February of 2000, they put the helmet, pads, shoes and uniform in the trunk for safekeeping and posterity.
At one point during his several hours at the team’s facility, Davidson and Wright took Derrion to the team’s equipment room and put his father’s shoulder pads on him. Back when Derrick Thomas was playing, one of the last things Mike and Allen would do before leaving the locker room for kickoff was pull the linebacker’s jersey over his head and shoulder pads. The jersey was skin tight, because any extra fabric would be yanked by opposing linemen trying to block D.T. on the pass rush. It was so tight that Thomas couldn’t pull it on or take it off by himself.
The shoulder pads had spots that lined up with D.T.’s torso, so they could be strapped down as tightly as possible. When Derrion pulled on the shoulder pads, the position of those spots lined up on his body just as they did for his father.
He wore those pads under his No. 33 jersey against Rockhurst and ended up with the four sacks and a half-dozen other tackles in the Jaguars 14-9 victory.
“I don’t know if they made a difference or not,” Derrion told the Blue Springs Examiner after the game. “But I felt like my Dad was with me all night. I felt like he was with me the minute I put them on. If just felt different going into this game. I can’t explain it. It was just different.”
This is the first year that Derrion has concentrated on football; he’s been a competitive swimmer for years and won a state championship for Blue Springs South last year. His future in the game appears to be limitless and he plans to make a trip to his father’s alma mater the University of Alabama to see about playing football in college.
Depending on the seriousness of the injury to his arm, Derrion plans to wear those pads again this Friday night against Jeff City.
Fueled by his father’s spirit and shoulder pads, there’s a new D.T. on the scene.
November 19th, 2008 at 6:51 pm