2001: Derrick Thomas | Chiefs Hall of Honor | Kansas City Chiefs - Chiefs.com
2001 | Derrick Thomas | Linebacker
Thomas was a pass rusher extraordinaire and spent 11 glorious seasons in a Kansas City uniform … Served as the heart and soul of the Chiefs franchise during that span … Known simply as "D.T." ... Was not only a bona fide star in terms of his contributions on the field, but also illuminated countless lives through his charitable efforts … Received the '93 NFL Man of the Year Award, the '95 Byron "Whizzer" White Award and was named former President George Bush's "832nd Point of Light" ... On the field, was one of the most dominant defensive players of his day thanks to his patented sack-and-strip maneuver … Established Chiefs career records for sacks (126.5), safeties (3), fumble recoveries (18) and forced fumbles (45) ... His 126.5 sacks were the fourth-highest total ever by a linebacker at the time of his death … Produced a club-record 20.0 sacks in '90, included an NFL-record seven sacks in a single game … The only player in Chiefs history to see action in three different decades with his final contest coming on January 2, 2000 … Saw duty in 169 games (158) starts and owns a share of another franchise mark with 10 career playoff appearances … Won the Mack Lee Hill Award as a rookie in '89 … Produced nine consecutive Pro Bowl berths from '89-97, the most of any player in Chiefs history … Was the initial two-time winner ('91, 94) of the club's MVP trophy which now bears his name … Born January 1, 1967 in Miami, Florida and died on February 8, 2000 in Miami, Florida following a serious auto accident on January 23, 2000 in Kansas City.
