photo by The Centaur, FJH

I, like most of you, have spent an inordinate amount of time in my life thinking about the KC Chiefs. I’ve been alive for three decades, and I think it would be accurate to say I’ve been closely following them for a full two. I may not have seen many playoff victories in that time, but the Chiefs have still provided me a rich history to draw from. So many memories. Endless memories, really.

Remember Benny Thompson acting like he was a dog peeing on a fire hydrant? Remember Marcus Allen as “Mufasa” and Greg Hill as “Simba”? Remember Chester McGlockton dumping a live ball behind his head as he trotted out of bounds? Remember Sean LaChappelle?

I could go on forever. We all could. So many players, so many laughs, so many tears. This is the first in a series of posts I’ll be doing this offseason, in which we revisit interesting moments and times from the Chiefs’ recent history.  I’ll be attempting to find current relevance in these glimpses of the past, although that will probably be a bit of a reach sometimes. This is mainly about remembering.

So come along, friends, and hop aboard (Ghost voice) Big Maaaaaaatt’s Tiiiiiiiiime machiiiiiiiine……….

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Derrion Thomas and Carl Peterson unveil bust of Derrick Thomas at the 2009 Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement. Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

12 years ago today, one of the greatest Chiefs of all time, Hall of Famer Derrick Thomas, passed away.
Gone way too soon at the age of 33, Thomas passed away just a couple of weeks after a serious auto accident. While being transferred from his hospital bed to a wheelchair for a therapy session, Thomas suffered a pulmonary embolism, a blood clot that traveled from his legs to his lungs.

Rest in peace DT. We miss you.

It is New Years Day and that means it is also Chiefs great Derrick Thomas’ birthday.

DT passed tragically in 2000 at the age of 33. If he were alive today, he would be 46 years old and probably still sacking Denver QBs.

Where ever you are, DT, happy birthday. Here’s hoping Houston and Hali terrorize some Denver QBs for you today.

Thanks to reader Mike for the reminder about DT.

Last week, the Kansas City Chiefs named Kevin Ross to the team’s Hall of Fame. It was an unassailable choice, and gave us all another opportunity to look back at greatness, which right now is much less agonizing than looking ahead and wondering what—if anything—is to come.

Ross was one of the first Chiefs players I remember knowing by name. That’s probably because his was among the generic-brand, locally produced trading cards that I was given by Officer MacDonald (I never knew Officer MacDonald’s first name, though I probably thought it was “Officer”), the off-duty cop who moonlighted (well, technically, daylighted) as the crossing guard in front of Brookridge Elementary School. As I recall, the free Chiefs cards were part of some initiative to teach kids not to be too shy to approach policemen if they ever needed anything. Did it work? I can’t say I have any fond feelings for the police, but I’m sure this helped feed my developing Chiefs fixation.

I remember, as I first started to understand the basics of football,* that Ross was one of my favorite players because his job was to catch balls that were not thrown to him. That struck me as so much more impressive and difficult, if less painful, than, say, trying to run through a line of 300-pound men without getting crushed. He earned a starting job before his first NFL game and pulled in six picks in his rookie season. Ross, of course, went on to become one of the most consistent, dominating defensive backs in the NFL, and an anchor of one of the greatest defenses of the 1990s. Derrick Thomas and Neil Smith were so free to do their thing, in part, because Ross and Albert Lewis had their backs (and/or receivers). In short, Kevin Ross was a lock.

*In my earliest, earliest memories of watching football—perhaps from my crib—I remember thinking that the whole point of the game was to make as big a pile of bodies as possible in the middle of the field. I don’t think I realized, at first, that there was even a ball involved.

But here’s something I didn’t know, probably because I was in third grade when it happened: Ross was drafted in the seventh round. Number 173 overall. The Chiefs took eight players ahead of him: Bill Maas, John Alt, Herman Heard, and five other guys I’m pretty sure you haven’t heard of, at least not as Chiefs. And Ross wasn’t even the first DB the Chiefs picked that year, so it’s not quite like they just weren’t trying to fill that position—they used their fourth-round pick (#90 overall) on Mark Robinson, a consensus All-American at Penn State, who would be traded to Tampa Bay a few years later and finish with a perfectly respectable 15 career interceptions (23 fewer than Ross).

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Just when you thought most of the football awards and accolades were all handed out, the Kansas City Chiefs have got just a few more to award.

The team gave out it’s annual awards today. These awards are voted on by the players so I always find it interesting to see who they choose for each honor.

The first honor is the Derrick Thomas MVP award and that went to RB Jamaal Charles for the second straight season. Can’t say I’d argue with that one.

The second honor is the teams Mack Lee Hill Rookie of the Year award and that went to S Eric Berry. Berry had an excellent rookie season and as Josh Looney of KCChiefs pointed out, was the first KC rookie since Derrick Thomas to be selected to the Pro Bowl.

The Chiefs have plenty of holes that still need filling but whenever I think of young starts like Charles and Berry I realize just how bright the future might be for out Kansas City Chiefs.

Eleven years ago today, Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Derrick Thomas passed on.

As you all know, Derrick was in a care accident while on his way to the airport to travel to watch the NFC championship game. The road conditions were poor and Derrick was driving recklessly. He lost control of the car and the resulting accident left one of his passengers dead and Derrick paralyzed. Neither Derrick, nor the passenger who was killed were wearing their seat belts.

Two weeks after the accident, Derrick went into cardiac arrest and died.

It was a sad day throughout Chiefs Nation and every year on this day, we always try to pause and remember Derrick and all of the great memories he gave us.

As I sit here in New York City, there is howling wind blowing snow by my window. Every time the wind picks up, I think of DT.

In honor of Derrick, share your best DT memory in the comments. Stay safe out there Addicts. And buckle up.

For those Kansas City Chiefs fans who are able to watch the NFL Network, last week offered you an opportunity to watch the first important milestone leading up to the NFL Draft.  The event I’m referring to is the Senior Bowl.  Representatives from every NFL team and press from all over come to watch senior college players practice for the game.  Earlier, Arrowhead Addict’s Draft Guru Merlin gave some information on some players for the North team.  I’m here to discuss some of the players from the South team that stood out to me.

Von Miller     Texas A & M     Outside Linebacker     6’2”     237 lbs.

Miller was a sack machine when he played for the Aggies.  He was recovering from an ankle injury early in his 2010 season and so was held to only 10.5 sacks (which was down from 2009’s 17 sacks).  His play has been compared to a player some of you may have heard of before, former Kansas City Chief Derrick Thomas.  While Miller is a tremendous pass rusher, he is very raw in pass coverage.  Also, there are questions about his ability to play against the run.  His Senior Bowl performance was a showcase for his pass rushing ability and athleticism, which is how he earned Defensive MVP.

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Source: Yardbarker.com

The Kansas City Chiefs hope to excel on the field this Sunday and meanwhile, one of their biggest fans is excelling here at Arrowhead Addict.

Longtime reader and commenter Americanwolfx wrote an excellent piece in the Addict Posts Forum today. The Addict Posts are a place for AA readers to do their own blogging about the Chiefs. If someone writes a particularly good Addict Post it will sometimes get posted to the main page. It has been a while but Americanwolfx did a great job with his “Top Five” post today and it is time he gets some recognition. He has the second most posts of any of our forum members.

So props to Americanwolfx! And be sure to check our the Addict Forums! Enjoy his post.

1. Derrick Thomas – Linebacker / Defensive End

Derrick Thomas was drafted during the first round of the 1989 NFL Draft
by the Kansas City Chiefs. In his first year with the Chiefs, he was
awarded the Defensive Rookie of the Year award.  Thomas was a
nine-time Pro Bowler, a three-time First-Team All-Pro selection, a
three-time Second-Team All-Pro selection, a seven-time First-Team
All-AFC selection and a one-time Second-Team All-AFC selection.

169 Games Played

157 Games Started

126.5 Sacks

41 Forced Fumbles

19 Fumble Recoveries

4 Fumbles Resulting in Touchdowns

More after the jump.

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Afternoon Addicts. Now that the Super Bowl is over we will be getting in to fill on offseason mode around here. We’ll be bringing you all the Chiefs news and views we can in the coming weeks as we approach the combine and the draft.

Today, however, is the 10 year anniversery of the death of Chiefs great Derrick Thomas. It would be great if we could all take the time to remember Derrick and his family today. I’ve put a post together in honor of Derrick. Feel free to use the comments to remember him and his incredible play in your own way. Go Chiefs!

One Thomas, Derrick of Alabama, edged another Thomas, Broderick of Nebraska, to win the Butkus Award as the nation’s outstanding college linebacker yesterday.

Derrick Thomas, a 6-foot-4-inch outside linebacker who has 22 sacks this season, received 2 more points in the voting by a 12-member selection panel of the Downtown Athletic Club in Orlando, Fla., than Broderick Thomas, who is not related.

The New York Times

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Then I thought about talking to Michael Irvin briefly on my flight back to Texas. Irvin is a charismatic guy and was a helluva player. But even though he got into the Hall quicker than D.T. did, he’s no D.T. Not as a man. Not as a player.

Irvin was the third wheel, fourth if you count Larry Allen, of a spectacular offense on a juggernaut Cowboys’ team. Instead of winning Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Awards, the Playmaker was busy getting busted for possession of nose candy at his 30th birthday bash. Both Irvin and Thoms made the 1990s All-Decade Team, but D.T. made four more Pro Bowl trips than Irvin. Thomas also was selected to three more All Pro teams. Additionally, his stats are more impressive. Yet Irvin beat him into the Hall by a couple of years.

It’s obvious why this happened. Being part of three Super Bowl Champion teams gave Irvin a much higher profile. He also played for the Cowboys and has been in the spotlight after his retirement as a member of the media. But all of that doesn’t make him better than Thomas. In fact, I’ll argue that Thomas was as important to his team and city as any player to put on a helmet and shoulder pads and step onto an NFL field during the 90s.

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Good to see Dwayne Bowe featured so prominently. He’s a great kid who could be a special player for us if he grows up a little bit and holds onto the ball. This might hint that the new regime is high on him. My favorite part? Derrick Thomas. Seeing No. 58 always brings me to my feet. Loved seeing Deron Cherry, too, who some of you know is one of my all-time faves. And then there’s…

And it’s always, ALWAYS about the fans.

That’s basically the motto of this site, so I definitely agree.

Torture Rack – The rack is commonly considered the most painful form of medieval torture.

This method was mostly used to extract confessions, as not confessing meant that the torturer could stretch more. Sometimes, torturers forced their victim to watch other people be tortured with this device to implant psychological fear.

Sometimes this method was limited to dislocating a few bones, but the torturer often went too far and rendered the legs or arms (sometimes both) useless. – Medievality.com

Now that the Chiefs have imported both Matt Cassel and Todd Haley, they’re married to their passing game. The Chiefs’ success now hinges on the success of their aerial attack. The good news is the NFL is increasingly becoming more and more of a passing league. Which is precisely why I think the Chiefs could go “all in” and select wide receiver Michael Crabtree, who’s the best prospect in this draft class if you ask me.

Crabtree is my option 1A when it comes to the Chiefs’ No. 3 pick in April’s draft.

My option 1B? DE/OLB Brian Orakpo.

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Carl Peterson and Herm Edwards are gone. Scott Pioli and Todd Haley have replaced them. Derrick Thomas will soon be a HoFer. Tony Gonzalez has re-written all the records he basically can, even Pro Bowl ones. Larry Johnson thinks he’s Tony Montana, which is funny given all the fountains in Kansas City. So…

Addicts, where do we go now? Let us know!

Double D:

#58

The NFC was considered dominant throughout most of the 1990s. That dominance however did not extend to NFC match-ups with the Chiefs. The Chiefs were the only AFC team that truly owned the NFC during that era. The Chiefs were the one team that every NFC team dreaded facing during the regular season and beyond. One Chiefs player stood above the rest in embodying that dominance and animated the sense of panic felt throughout the NFC and in the heart of every NFL quarterback and offensive coordinator. That player’s name was Derrick Thomas.

For me, Derrick’s epic moment came on September 6, 1998, the season opener at Arrowhead against Jeff George and Gruden’s Raiders. The Raiders were pinned in their own endzone. George had already been sacked five times by DT that night. Derrick raised his hands above his head, held them together and “called the shot” for the Arrowhead faithful. George never had a chance. That game, that singular effort, remains as warrior poetry echoing through the ages.

Merlin:

Ah, Derrick Thomas. You made Chief defense fun again. To watch you on third and long, screaming around the tackle with this ungodly ability, was a thing of beauty. No one was better with the outside speed rush. It wasn’t just the sack, it was the tomahawk chop that often caused a fumble. That strip move is a staple today. You made it your trademark. Along with Neil Smith you took a good Chief defense and made it great. How many times did you kill an opponent’s long drive with a turnover? How many times did you set our offense up with a short field with a strip? How many times did the quarterback throw the ball early, causing a interception or an incomplete pass?  Many, many times. Your career was too short, the wait for the Hall of Fame too long. Now we can celebrate you taking your rightful place along with other great Chief linebackers Bobby Bell and Willie Lanier.

Eric Crane:

My favorite memory of Derrick Thomas is the same as many Chiefs fans, but also for the backdrop of one of DT’s greatest accomplishments — the seven sacks in one game versus Seattle in 1990. It was (surprisingly) written and nicely captured by former US Senator (MO) and Attorney General, John Ashcroft in 2000. He delivered the following statement to the President and the Senate:

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(On behalf of all the AA staff and addicts, I want to thank Steven for what seems like about a year of quality, passionate Chiefs content each and every Monday. You will be missed, Steven! Thanks for everything you’ve brought to AA. – Adam)

Getting ready to set back and relax to watch the Super Bowl, it gives me a second to reflect on this past Chiefs season now that all the emotion has left me.  This will be my final post for a while, I’m getting out of the “bloggin’ business“.  I want to thank you guys for taking the time out of your busy lives to read my stuff and leave comments.  Good or bad it doesn’t matter, they were heart felt and that’s what matters the most.  Passionate fans-Chiefs Fans.

I wonder if Scott Pioli is shaking his head yet wondering why Carl Peterson decided to get rid of one of the best, if not the best, pass rushers in the game in Jared Allen?  I wonder how secure he feels that the players drafted with the picks the Chiefs got for Allen will live up to the hype, or at least Allen’s production?

Who will be the next coach of the Kansas City Chiefs?  Many have already given the title to Arizona Cardinals (why won’t they change their name? Are there even any cardinals in Arizona?  How about the “Arizona Phoenix” or “Arizona Heat”, something, anything but “Cardinals“) offensive coordinator Todd Haley.  As Lee Corso would say “not so fast my friend“.  Don’t be so sure that Pioli isn’t just focusing on Haley, but also on offensive line coach Russ Grimm.  Grimm has been interviewed for head coaching positions before including the vacant Pittsburgh Steelers job before it was awarded to Mike Tomlin.

Grimm is a no-nonsense kind of coach that will not take any guff from the divas the Chiefs may or may not have on the team.  Also, speaking of Tomlin, don’t rule out linebackers coach for the Green Bay Packers-Winston Moss.  What if Moss is the next Mike Tomlin?  Do you think Pioli wants to kick himself in the pants if Moss goes somewhere else next year and turns out to be the real deal?  I don’t think so. I expect Pioli will do what he has done up until now-make well educated decisions, not guesses.  The best man will get the job, of that I have no doubt.

Derrick Thomas getting into the Hall Of Fame.  Wow.  I saw the crawler at the bottom of the screen Saturday, I think it was on NFL Network.  I saw the names of the former players who got in, and then I saw “Derrick Thomas, LB-Kansas City” roll across the bottom.  I ain’t going to lie to you, I almost cried.  I jumped out of my chair and pumped my fist in the air and I said “yeah, Derrick made it“.  Derrick Thomas was, like many of you, my favorite player when he played, I often think how much more he could have accomplished not only on the field, but off of it as well if he had not had the unfortunate accident on I-70.  Now fans and people from around the world who might not of known who Derrick Thomas was can travel to Canton and read all about him.  A wonderful time for Chiefs fans-to me, it makes up for a horrid season, and it gives me reason to hope.

Have a great off season Chiefs fans, I’ll still be active leaving comments and such.  Watching the Super Bowl gave us all something to hope for come next season.  GO CHIEFS!

A hot summer day, the farthest thing from my buddies minds at that time was KC football. This was big time for drag racing, as big as drag racing gets, and we were all excited to see the top fuel dragsters roar down the ¼ mile strip at unimaginable speeds.

The heat was oppressive as we worked our way toward our bleacher seats at the end of the strip, someone signaled a possible shortcut. We ducked through two vendors booths and emerged in a sort of asphalt courtyard. As we made our way across, we heard the playful beep beep of a golf cart horn. I turned around and saw a small procession making its way toward us.

Three people in two carts.

One was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen to that date.  In the rear cart  was a figure dressed in black. A chiseled, stone-faced six-and-a-half footer that I guessed was a bodyguard. A figure that  made you instantly wonder if he had killed before, and develop the opinion that he most certainly would kill without hesitation should his employer face any kind of danger.

And the third was the unmistakable, smiling 6-fooot-3 250-pound  sack machine himself, Derrick Thomas.

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I remember a lot of things about DT.

I remember the rain game against the Seahawks.  I remember him sitting on the field as rain poured down.

I remember him crushing QBs left and right.  I remember him getting the sack record.

I remember the KC media trying to tear him down off the pedestal they built for him on after the Denver game incident and being pissed that they could so easily throw someone under the bus like that.

I remember the weekly radio show my dad would do with DT when I was a kid and the big smile DT always had on his face.  I remember seeing him in his casket without that big smile and it making me sick to my stomach.

I remember his kind and encouraging spirit towards me and many other kids.

I remember where I was and what show I was watching when they broke in with breaking news about his wreck.  I remember my heart breaking hearing of his death while in between classes at high school and teachers turning the news on in class to find out more information.

I remember watching tough coaches (not named Vermeil) shed tears on TV over it.

I remember the disrespect of Hall of Fame voters keeping him out of the HOF for years.

Last but not least, I remember a wrong being righted…I remember DT being elected into the Hall of Fame and my heart filling with joy!

Anyone who would like to submit a post sharing their Derrick Thomas memories, please send it to arrowheadaddict@gmail.com and I will feature it on the site.

It’s not everyday that you get to write about your boyhood idol being elected into the Hall of Fame. But that’s exactly what I get to do today. I’ve been running around my pad, doing the tomahawk chant and chop all day long. It should have never, ever taken this long, but now the best pure speed pass-rusher to every lace ‘em up is getting his bust in Canton.

I’m not going to write about the stats. Anybody can do that and everybody will. Derrick Thomas was my hero — I owe him more than that. Besides, his stats only tell half the story. Roughly a year ago, all of us Addicts voted him the COAT (Chief of All Time). There’s a reason for that.

You know that essential team identity thing I always write and talk about? D.T. gave the Chiefs team of the 90s that. He was what Larry Fitzgerald is to the Cardinals. What Ray Lewis is to the Ravens. He filled opponents’ hearts with fear and the hearts of Chiefs fans’ with fire. Like Lawrence Taylor, D.T. caused opposing offenses to dramatically alter their gameplans. The way he fired up the crowd altered offensive gameplans as well.

Arrowhead is the loudest stadium in the NFL, but it was at its loudest when Derrick was rocking the place. I’ve never seen a football player capable of hyping up the crowd the way he did. Sure, he had the uncanny ability to take over games late with his pass-rushing ability. It wasn’t just the way he took over games, though. D.T. communicated to the Arrowhead crowd with his body. He was in sync with us, and we were in sync with him. Derrick talked to us, and when he did it was sweeter than the sweetest lullaby our mothers ever sung to us.

For those of you who never saw Derrick play, he worked us into a fan frenzy. Like a Dante Hall kick return TD on Red Bull. Like Jared Allen roping the calf on steroids. With him on one side doing his thing, and Neil Smith swinging on the other — damn, that was beautiful.

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Update (5 PM CT): Anyone who would like to submit a post sharing their Derrick Thomas memories, please send it to arrowheadaddict@gmail.com and I will feature it on the site.

Choked up and misty eyed as I write this, it’s my pleasure to break the news to you that the late, great Derrick Thomas — Kansas City Chiefs great, winner of our COAT tourney and the greatest pass-rusher to ever live — has just made the Pro Football Hall of Fame. All three of us Best boys are going to Canton — are you? D.T. was one of my boyhood heroes, so this might be my favorite Chiefs memory of all time.

YES! THE VOTERS FINALLY WOKE UP! Much more to come on D.T.’s big day. For now, all I know is that if there was ever a reason for Chiefs fans to party on Super Bowl weekend during my lifetime, this is that moment!

Links:

• Derrick Thomas Front Page Splash – KCChiefs.com
• Derrick Thomas elected to Hall of Fame – The Kansas City Star
• Derrick Thomas is in the Hall of Fame – Arrowhead Pride
• Derrick Thomas Profile – Pro Football Hall of Fame
• Derrick Thomas’ legacy is sealed – ESPN
• It’s About Time – Bob Gretz
  

• Head on over to NFL.com and vote for Derrick Thomas! He’s listed as their No. 2 player on a top ten list of best players not in the Hall of Fame. – NFL.com

• Speaking of the Hall, the Boys from Bristol profile soon-to-be HOFer Emmitt Thomas. – ESPN

• Peter Schrager thinks our beloved Red and Gold could end up 0-16. Ouch. 0-and-freakin’-16? C’mon, now. – Fox Sports

• Are you scared to death of Darren McFadden yet? You should be. I definitely am. – AFC West Blog

• As always, be sure to make our good friends over at A.P. part of your daily routine. Those guys are doing a great job of following training camp. – Arrowhead Pride

• A lengthy article on Brodie Croyle and the Chiefs from his old ‘Bama stomping grounds. – Tuscaloosa.com

• More on Jared Allen‘s River Falls scrimmage absence. Was he too busy working on that lumberjack beard? Rubbing Bryant McKinnie‘s back (Dan over there has this ongoing homoerotic Jared-McKinnie joke that’s pretty funny)? – The Viking Age

• A good look at Pat Thomas (what is this, Thomas day?) and the linebacker situation. – Home of the Chiefs

• And shameless self-promotion. If you enjoy bagging on bad movies and the Brett Favre drama, go check it out. – Fan-Sided Blogs

We’ll likely be back later in the day with more Chiefs ramblings and updates…

Make sure you check out our sister site the G-Men H.Q. for all the latest Super Bowl news. He also has his Super Bowl Prediction. (I hope someday I can mention the Chiefs and the Super Bowl in the same sentence.)

There’s another campaign we’re buzzing about other than the presidential one that’s going on — the Derrick Thomas for the NFL Hall of Fame campaign.

This is D.T.’s fourth shot, and probably his best chance to get in. Regardless of what anybody thinks of him as an all-around player, he was unquestionably one of the top-five pass rushers and maybe even defensive game changers of all time. He deserves to be in the Hall. No doubt about it. He also recently won the 2007 COAT (Chief of All Time) award. Should someone who was voted a team’s all-time best player not be in the HOF? That’s just a joke.

Hopefully, we’ll all hear the good news around 2 PM on Saturday. I don’t want to see my boy get Art Monked.

Derrick Thomas’ Career Accomplishments (from Warpaint illustrated):

- 126.5 career sacks.

- Seven sacks in one game.

- 444 career quarterback pressures.

- Single-season best 20 sacks (fifth-best single-season total in NFL History).

- 558 solo tackles, 170 assist, 728 total tackles.

- 45 forced fumbles (Chiefs record).

- 19 fumbles recovered (Chiefs record).

- Forced two fumbles in six different games against six different teams.

- Four fumbles returned for touchdowns (Only two players in NFL history have more).

- Three career safeties (Only two players in NFL history have more).

- Started 158 of 169 NFL games he was active for.

- Won 102 regular-season games from 1990-1999.

- Went to the playoffs six consecutive seasons.

- Went to the playoffs seven times in 11 seasons.

- Played in 10 playoff games, amassing 7.5 sacks, four quarterback pressures and 36 solo tackles.