Derrick Thomas

^{Position -
Linebacker / Defensive End

Height -
6'3

Weight - 247

Born
- 1967

Number -
58

College -

Alabama}

^{Derrick Thomas was drafted by the
Kansas
City Chiefs in the 1st round of the 1989 NFL Draft as the fourth
overall pick. Thomas played only for the Chiefs for his entire
career. Derrick Thomas had an incredible rookie
year and was invited to the Pro Bowl. Thomas went on to win
several awards and set many Chiefs records including:}

41 career forced fumbles, 8 forced fumbles in one season, 19 recovered fumbles, 126.5 career sacks, 20 sacks in one season, 3 career safeties

Derrick Thomas Death
On January 23, 2000, Derrick Thomas slipped off the road on 435 in Kansas City while on his way to the airport. There was a bad snowstorm that night and reports said that Thomas was speeding and weaving in and out of traffic. Derrick Thomas and one other passenger were not wearing their seatbelts and were thrown from the vehicle, and a third passenger who was wearing a seatbelt walked away from the accident without injury. The second passenger was pronounced dead at the scene, and Thomas suffered injuries that paralyzed him from the waist down. Derrick Thomas was transferred to a hospital in Miami where he was appearing to make a speedy and miraculous recovery, even walking on his own down the hallway and telling his head coach that he would be coming back to play. But one morning Thomas developed a pulmoary embolism in his paralyzed legs that travelled into his lungs. This blood clot that travelled to his lungs caused Derrick Thomas to go into cardio-respiratory arrest and he passed away instantly.

Derrick Thomas Hall of Fame
Derrick Thomas was posthumously inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame on August 9th, 2009 - 9 years after his untimely death.

Chiefs Players and Staff
Abner Haynes, Andre Rison, Andy Studebaker, Ryan Lilja, Anthony Toribio, Atiyyah Ellison, Barry Richardson, Branden Albert, Brandon Carr, Brandon Flowers, Brian Waters, Brody Croyle, Carl Peterson, Casey Wiegmann, Chris Chambers, Corey Mays, Cotton Davidson, D allas Texans, Demorrio Williams, The Denver Broncos, Derrick Johnson, Derrick Thomas