CLASS OF 2005 PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME...

A CAREER OF ACCOMPLISHMENT• Produced nine Pro Bowl berths in his first nine NFL seasons.• Established Chiefs career records for sacks (126.5), safeties (3), fumble

recoveries (19) and forced fumbles (45) during his stellar career.• His 126.5 sacks are the most in Chiefs annals, are the fourth-highest

total ever produced by a linebacker and rank 10th overall in NFL history.• Racked up his career sack total in just 11 seasons, the shortest span of

any player that ranks in the NFL’s all-time top 10 in that department.• Still owns the NFL single-game sack record with 7.0 sacks of QB Dave

Krieg vs. Seattle (11/11/90).• Owns two of the top three sack games in NFL history, including a 6.0-

sack performance vs. Oakland (9/8/96) that came six seasons after hisrecord-setting 7.0-sack game in ’90.

• Led the NFL with a franchise-record 20.0 sacks in ’90, making him justone of six players in league history to own a 20.0-sack season.

• During his 11-year tenure with the Chiefs, the franchise suffered only onelosing season, finishing first or second in the AFC West 10 times.

• With Thomas on the field from ‘89-99, Kansas City made seven playoffappearances, won three AFC West titles and reached the only AFCChampionship Game in team history.

• Voted the Chiefs Most Valuable Player by his teammates in ’91 and ’94,an honor which is now known as The Derrick Thomas Award.

• Was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week a club-record eight times.• Played in 10 postseason games in his 11 seasons, tying for the most

playoff appearances in Kansas City history.• Was named the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year and the Chiefs Mack

Lee Hill Award winner in ’89 after recording 10.0 sacks.

A DECADE OF DOMINANCE• A member of the Pro Football HOF’s NFL All-Decade Team of the ’90s,

no NFL player registered more sacks from ‘90-99 than Thomas (116.5).• Thanks in large part to Thomas and the Chiefs defense, only San

Francisco (113-47, .706) and Buffalo (103-57, .644) produced betterregular season records than the Chiefs (102-58, .638) from ’90-99.

• Only five teams in NFL history have produced more regular season winsin a single decade than Kansas City (102) in the ’90s.

• Was a key reason why Kansas City boasted the league’s best turnoverdifferential (+128) and the most takeaways (365) during the ’90s. TheChiefs led the NFL in turnover differential an unprecedented four timesfrom ’90-99, doing it in ’90, ’92, ’95 and ’99.

• Served as the leader of a Kansas City defense that led the NFL inscoring defense in both ’95 and ’97, helping guide the Chiefs to 13-3records and AFC West titles in each of those seasons.

• Part of a ’95 Chiefs defense that ranked in the NFL’s top five in each ofthe four major statistical categories for the first time in team history:scoring defense (1st - 15.1 ppg), total defense (2nd - 284.3 ypg), rushingdefense (3rd - 82.9 ypg) and pass defense (5th - 201.4 ypg).

• Thanks to 116.5 sacks from Thomas, Kansas City totaled 435.0 sacksduring the ’90s, a figure topped by only New Orleans (472.0) andPhiladelphia (443.0).

• From ‘95-98 no team allowed fewer offensive points than KC (1,050).• Is the only Chiefs player to make a regular season game appearance in

three different decades (’80s, ’90s and ’00s) for the franchise, seeingaction in his 169th and final NFL game vs. Oakland (1/2/00).

CLASS OF 2005 PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME FINALIST

TACKLES SACKS INTS PASSES QBYear Team G-S Solos Asst. Tot. FR/FF No./Yds. No./Yds. Def. Pressures1989 Chiefs 16-16 56 19 75 1/3 10.0/95.5 0/0 4 551990 Chiefs 15-15 47 16 63 2/6 20.0/150.0 0/0 5 351991 Chiefs 16-15 60 19 79 4/4 13.5/112.0 0/0 2 421992 Chiefs 16-16 54 13 67 3/8 14.5/113.0 0/0 2 271993 Chiefs 16-15 32 11 43 1/4 8.0/50.0 0/0 0 471994 Chiefs 16-15 67 19 86 3/6 11.0/71.0 0/0 5 451995 Chiefs 15-15 59 12 71 1/2 8.0/57.5 0/0 4 541996 Chiefs 16-15 49 9 58 1/3 13.0/99.0 0/0 4 471997 Chiefs 12-10 34 21 55 0/3 9.5/56.5 0/0 2 341998 Chiefs 15-10 40 12 54 2/3 12.0/79.0 0/0 1 261999 Chiefs 16-16 56 21 77 1/3 7.0/65.0 1/20 5 32

Totals 169-158 558 170 728 19/45 126.5/948.5 1/20 34 444

Additional Stats: Has four career touchdowns - a 23-yard fumble return at L.A. Rams(11/10/91), a fumble recovery in the end zone vs. Denver (12/27/92), an 86-yard fumble returnat Seattle (12/5/93) and a 44-yard fumble return at Oakland (12/26/98). Has three safeties - vs.San Francisco (9/11/94), at San Diego (12/14/97) and vs. Oakland (9/6/98). Blocked a field goalvs. Pittsburgh (10/7/96).

REGULAR SEASONSINGLE GAME CAREER HIGHS

Tackles: 13 (six solo) at Cleveland (11/19/89)Sacks: 7.0 vs. Seattle (11/11/90)*

6.0 vs. Oakland (9/6/98)Safeties: 1 vs. San Francisco (9/11/94)

at San Diego (12/14/97)Fumble Recoveries: 2 at Atlanta (9/18/94)

Passes Defensed: 2 at Detroit (11/28/96)Interceptions: 1 vs. San Diego (10/31/99)QB Pressures: 13 vs. Oakland (9/8/96)Forced Fumbles: 2, six times, Last

at St. Louis (10/26/97)*NFL Record.

POSTSEASONTACKLES SACKS INTS PASSES QB

Year Team G-S Solos Asst. Tot. FR/FF No./Yds. No./Yds. Def. Pressures1990 Chiefs 1-1 3 0 3 0/0 0.0/0.0 0/0 0 --1991 Chiefs 2-2 7 0 7 0/1 2.0/13.0 0/0 0 --1992 Chiefs 1-1 3 0 3 0/0 1.5/15.0 0/0 0 --1993 Chiefs 3-3 10 0 10 0/2 3.0/19.0 0/0 1 --1994 Chiefs 1-1 5 1 6 0/0 1.0/8.0 0/0 0 --1995 Chiefs 1-1 7 0 7 0/0 0.0/0.0 0/0 1 41997 Chiefs 1-1 1 0 1 0/0 0.0/0.0 0/0 0 --

Totals 10-10 36 1 37 0/3 7.5/55.0 0/0 2 4

POSTSEASONSINGLE GAME CAREER HIGHS

STREAKS AND MILESTONES: Owns Chiefs career records for sacks (126.5), safeties(three), fumble recoveries (19) and forced fumbles (45). Shares a club record with 10 careerplayoff appearances and ranks fifth in team history with 728 career tackles.

Tackles: 7 (all solo) vs. Indianapolis (1/7/96)Sacks: 2.0 at Houston (1/16/94)Forced Fumbles: 2 at Houston (1/16/94)

Passes Defensed: 1 vs. Houston (1/16/94)vs. Indianapolis (1/7/96)

QB Pressures: 4 vs. Indianapolis (1/7/96)

THOMAS’ NFL STATISTICS

Born: January 1, 1967 Miami, Florida

Died: February 8, 2000Miami, Florida

AlabamaDraft (No. 1 - 1989)NFL: 11 (11 with Chiefs) GP/GS: (169/158) Playoffs: (10/10)

A BIG PLAY PERFORMER

DERRICK THOMAS VS. LAWRENCE TAYLORCAREER COMPARISON

DERRICK THOMAS LAWRENCE TAYLORKansas City N.Y. Giants11 (’89-99) . . . . . . . . . . . .SEASONS . . . . . . . . . . . .13 (’81-93)

169 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GAMES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1849 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PRO BOWLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

126.5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .SACKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132.50.75 . . . . . . . . . . .SACKS PER GAME . . . . . . . . . . .0.7245 . . . . . . . . . . .FORCED FUMBLES . . . . . . . . . . .3319 . . . . . . . . . .FUMBLE RECOVERIES . . . . . . . . . .124 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .TOUCHDOWNS . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .SAFETIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0

• Registered 27 multi-sack games in his career, including four gameswith 4.0 or more sacks and 10 contests with 3.0 or more sacks.

• The Chiefs were 22-5 (.815) when Thomas recorded more thanone QB takedown and were an astounding 16-1 (.941) in Thomas’multi-sack outings from ’92-99.

• Is the only player in NFL history to produce two separate gameswith 6.0 or more sacks.

• The Chiefs posted a stellar 10-1 (.909) record in games whenThomas registered a safety or forced a turnover that resulted in adefensive TD or a safety.

• Remarkably, Thomas forced a pair defensive scores in the samegame twice during his career, including a 42-20 win vs. Denver(12/27/92) that catapulted the Chiefs into the playoffs. Thomasscored on a fumble return and forced an INT that was returned fora TD in that contest.

• Collected a team-record three safeties during his career, includingthe legendary “called shot” safety in a 28-8 win vs. Oakland(9/6/98), a game in which he also tallied 6.0 sacks and forced afumble that was returned for a TD.

• In total, Thomas registered seven defensive scores during his career,producing four TDs on fumble returns and three safeties.

• A total of 43 different NFL QBs were sacked by Thomas during hisillustrious career.

• Thomas sacked Hall of Fame QB John Elway 17.0 times, morethan any other player. Appropriately, Thomas got his 100th careersack off Elway in a thrilling 24-22 win vs. Denver at Arrowhead(11/16/97).

• During Thomas’ 20.0-sack campaign in ’90, on all the drives whenThomas recorded a sack, Kansas City’s opponents scored a grandtotal of zero points. Those drives all concluded with either a turnover,a punt, the end of the half or the end of the game.

A FRANCHISE’S CORNERSTONE• In the 17 seasons prior to Thomas’ arrival, the Chiefs made just one

playoff appearance and produced just four winning seasons.• In 11 seasons with Thomas on the field from ’89-99, Kansas City

made seven playoff appearances, won three AFC West titles,reached the only AFC Championship Game in team history andrecorded 10 winning seasons.

• In the 29 seasons of Chiefs history prior to Thomas’ arrival, thefranchise registered just six campaigns with 10 or more wins. In the11 seasons of Thomas’ tenure, Kansas City matched that total of six10-win seasons.

• When he made his initial Pro Bowl following the ’89 season, Thomasbecame the first Chiefs outside linebacker to appear in that contestsince Hall of Fame LB Bobby Bell did it following the ’72 season.

• In addition to Thomas, only two other linebackers in Chiefs historyhave ever made the Pro Bowl and both are in the Hall of Fame –Bobby Bell (Class of ’83) and Willie Lanier (Class of ’86).

• Joined the Chiefs as Kansas City’s first-round selection (fourthoverall) in the ’89 NFL Draft, making him the first draft choice of theCarl Peterson era. He was the first linebacker ever selected by theChiefs in the first round.

• Was the fourth overall selection in first round of ’89 draft, selectedafter QB Troy Aikman (Dallas), T Tony Mandarich (Green Bay) andRB Barry Sanders (Detroit).

A LASTING LEGACY • Chiefs Founder Lamar Hunt presented Thomas with the ’93 NFL

Man of the Year Award, the league’s most prestigious honor.• Among Thomas’ many other notable philanthropic honors, in June of

’95 he was the winner of the Byron “Whizzer” White HumanitarianAward for his service to his team, his community and his country.

• Was honored as former President George H.W. Bush’s 832nd Point ofLight in ’92 and delivered the keynote speech at the Vietnam VeteransMemorial during ’93 Memorial Day ceremonies in Washington, D.C.

• In August of ’99, Thomas received the prestigious Veterans ofForeign Wars Hall of Fame Award at the 100th VFW NationalConvention in Kansas City.

• Thomas’ “Third and Long Foundation” is still active in the Kansas Citycommunity, continuing the reading and scholarship programs he began.

• In June of 2001, the Derrick Thomas Academy, a tuition-free publiccharter school was launched in Kansas City. The academy is the first-ever public elementary charter school named in honor of an NFL hero.

• The memory of Thomas’ late father, Air Force Captain RobertThomas, always burned brightly for D.T. The elder Thomas was shotdown in Vietnam on December 17, 1972 on a mission ironicallydubbed “Operation: Linebacker Two.”

• Dedicated a B-52 monument at Air Combat Command at Langley AirForce Base in April of ’94, honoring all Air Force personnel who havedied in B-52 bombers, including his father.

“Derrick’s immense talent on the football fieldwas matched by his caring and generousspirit in the Kansas City community. As both afootball player and an individual, DerrickThomas leaves a tremendously positivelegacy that will permanently enrich everyonewhose life he touched.”

– NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue

“He wanted to be three things in life. Hewanted to be the greatest linebacker that everplayed and I think he came pretty darn closeto that. He wanted to be the greatestbusinessman that could possibly be out thereand I know how hard he worked at that. Buthe also wanted to be the greatestphilanthropist. Maybe that was his greatestaccomplishment. I think all of Kansas City, theNational Football League and all of Americashould be extremely proud of this young man.Life is not fair. Thirty-three years is not longenough.”

– Chiefs President Carl Peterson

“Derrick the football playerwas a powerful competitorwith remarkable talent andaptitude. He epitomized theheart, courage and spirit ittakes to be an outstandingplayer. More importantly,Derrick Thomas the man wasa philanthropist who gave somuch to his family and hiscommunity.”

– Denver Broncos Hall ofFame QB John Elway

“A lot of people get credit for alot of things in the Kansas Cityorganization and rightfully so.But I don’t think, whateveryou’ll say about DerrickThomas, he gets enoughcredit for filling Arrowheadweek after week. I think I canspeak for both sides, as ahead coach, as an assistantcoach and as an opponent,how frightened we were tocome to Arrowhead and haveto block him.”

– Current Kansas Citydefensive coordinator andformer Chiefs head coach

Gunther Cunningham

“Derrick touched the lives of not only countlessfans, but also those of his teammates, coachesand their families. He was confident in hisabilities and envied no one. He had pride in his

achievements. As a friendhe was always thoughtful,sensitive and interested –but never intrusive. He livedlife to the fullest.Yet those ofus who were close to himand experienced his smileand laughter knew him to bea truly happy man. Throughhis good humor and attitude,Derrick brightened our daysand affected us all morethan we knew and only nowthat he is gone will we beginto realize the importance ofhis impact on our lives.”– Current Chargers headcoach and former Chiefs

head coach MartySchottenheimer

“When you think of theChiefs, you think of Derrick.He’s one of the first guysyou think of. He was a greatplayer and a great humanbeing.”

– St. Louis Rams headcoach Mike Martz

“You know of all the players that I have beenfortunate to be around, he’s probably the oneguy I have gotten closest to. My wife and Ihave said that he is probably the son wenever had. He is a guy who has lived his lifewith a passion in everything he did. He didn’thave a bad bone in his body – he reallydidn’t.”– Current Steelers head coach and formerChiefs defensive coordinator Bill Cowher

“Derrick epitomizes the youthful enthusiasmthat we admire so much. He has always stoodas a shining example to our young people tobe committed and love whatever it is you do.My heart goes out to his family because thisyoung man was loved and respected by allwho came in contact with him.”

– Arizona Cardinals head coachDennis Green

“Derrick was in a class by himself as probablythe best pure pass rusher I’ve ever seen.”

– Former Chiefs LB Marvcus Patton, theinaugural winner of the Derrick ThomasAward winner as the Chiefs MVP in ’99.

“As a former teammate at Alabama, I enjoyedbeing around him in the unique atmospherethat football provides. He was a team leaderin everything he did and he will be missed byeveryone he touched.”

– Alabama head coach Mike Shula

DERRICK THOMAS REMEMBRANCES

“For me, my goals are a lot higher

than just being a successful

linebacker or being All-Pro. When

my career is over, I want people to

look back and view me as the best,

or one of the two best to ever play

the position.”

-- Derrick Thomas, 1994

“I was on a mission today. I read in the paper thatDerrick Thomas was in a sack slump.”

– Thomas on his NFL-record 7.0 sacksvs. Seattle (11/11/90)

“To document it in the record books that the100th came on Elway makes it more specialbecause John is one of the best to ever play thegame.”

– Thomas on his 100th NFL sack vs. Denver(11/16/97)

DERRICK THOMAS“FOREVER A CHIEF”

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Chiefs Founder Lamar Hunts presented Thomas with the ’93 NFL Man of the Year Award,the league’s most prestigious honor.

Thomas was voted the Chiefs Most Valuable Player by his teammates in ’91 and ’94, anhonor which is now known as The Derrick Thomas Award.

A Pro Bowler his first nine NFL seasons, Thomas owns more Pro Bowl berths than anyother player in team history.

The NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in ’89 after recording 10.0 sacks, Thomas was alsonamed the Chiefs Mack Lee Hill Award winner that year.

Forty-three different NFL quarterbacks became victims of a D.T. sack during their careers,including San Francisco’s Steve Young. Thanks to 3.0 sacks from Thomas, the Chiefsprevailed 24-17 in QB Joe Montana’s only head-to-head match-up against the 49ers in ’94.

A master of the sack and strip, Thomas holds Chiefs records for fumble recoveries (19) andforced fumbles (45).

Thomas was honored as former President George H.W. Bush’s 832nd Point of Light in ’92and delivered the keynote speech at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial during ’93 MemorialDay ceremonies in Washington, D.C.

The memory of Thomas’ late father, Air Force Captain Robert Thomas, always burnedbrightly for D.T. Ironically, the elder Thomas was shot down in Vietnam on December 17,1972 on a mission dubbed “Operation: Linebacker Two.”

Chiefs President, General Manager and CEO Carl Peterson tabbed Thomas with the fourthoverall selection in the first round of the ’89 NFL Draft out of the University of Alabama.

Thomas’ middle school English teacher, Mariam Williams, was named the NFL’s inaugural“Teacher of the Year” in ’92.

Thomas collected a team-record three safeties during his career, including this “called shot”in a 28-8 win vs. the Oakland Raiders in the ’98 season-opener, a game in which he alsotallied 6.0 sacks.

D.T. sacked Denver QB John Elway more times (26.0) than any other QB during his 11-yearcareer. Appropriately, Thomas got his 100th career sack off Elway in a thrilling 24-22 win vs.Denver at Arrowhead in ’97.

Thomas’ 126.5 sacks are a Chiefs all-time record and rank 10th in NFL history. D.T. set theNFL single-game sack record with 7.0 QB takedowns vs. Seattle on Veterans Day in ’90.

Thomas led the NFL with a franchise-record 20.0 sacks in ’90, the fifth-highest single-season tally in league history. From ’90-99, no other NFL player could top D.T.’s 116.5 sacks.

Thomas took a victory lap around Arrowhead after the Chiefs clinched homefield advantagefor the ’95 playoffs after posting a 13-3 record and winning the AFC West title.

D.T. registered the final sack of his career against Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomczak in a 35-18 winvs. the Steelers on December 18, 1999. It would also mark his 110th and final regularseason victory in a Chiefs uniform.

Thomas is the only player to make a regular season game appearance in three differentdecades (’80s, ’90s and ’00s) for the Chiefs, seeing action in his 169th and final NFL gamevs. the Oakland Raiders on January 2, 2000, just one day after his 33rd birthday.

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DERRICK THOMAS“FOREVER A CHIEF”

Pro Career: Pass rusher extraordinaire spent11 glorious seasons in a Kansas City uniform . . .Without a doubt was the heart and soul of KansasCity’s NFL franchise during his 11-year tenure in theRed and Gold . . . Despite departing this world onFebruary 8, 2000, in the words of Kansas City ChiefsPresident, General Manager and Chief ExecutiveOfficer, Carl Peterson: “Derrick Thomas will alwaysbe a Chief.” . . . Thomas suffered serious injuries in aone-vehicle accident on icy roads on Interstate 435near Kansas City International Airport on January 23,2000, as he was en route to the NFC ChampionshipGame in St. Louis . . . One man lost his life in theThomas vehicle, while 10 other individuals werekilled in a separate, 24-vehicle accident that sameday just north of KCI on I-29 . . . After an overnightstay at Liberty Memorial Hospital, Thomas wasmoved to Jackson Memorial Hospital in hishometown of Miami the following day . . . Althoughconfined to a wheelchair, Thomas had madesubstantial progress and was in good spirits whenvisited by Peterson on February 7th . . . “I steppedout in the hall and coming down the hall was DerrickThomas, in a wheel chair, but upbeat,” recalledPeterson of his final encounter with Thomas. “I said,‘Son, you’re mobile.’ And he said, ‘Father, I am. I’vegot wheels.’” . . . The next day, Thomas’ conditiontook a shocking turn and at 10:10 AM (EST) onFebruary 8th, he was pronounced dead aftersuffering cardiac arrest. February 11th was declared“Derrick Thomas Red Friday” in Kansas City . . . OnFebruary 14th, a tearful entourage of 22,750mourners young and old filed past Thomas’ casketas it laid in state in the east end zone of ArrowheadStadium. At exactly 12:01 PM, a B-2 Stealth Bomberprovided by the 509th Bomb Wing out of WhitemanAir Force Base flew overhead . . . On February 15that Kemper Arena, over 6,000 individuals attended apublic memorial service for Thomas, including NFLCommissioner Paul Tagliabue . . . On February 19th,Derrick Vincent Thomas was buried in his hometownof Miami following a memorial service at that city’sMt. Calvary Church . . . Unquestionably, Thomas’effervescent personality, his unforgettable smile, hisunbridled spirit and his unquenchable thirst for lifewill live on in Kansas City, across the National

Football League and around the globe through thememories of his countless friends and fans . . . Wasnot only a bona fide NFL star in terms of hiscontributions on the field, but more importantly, healso illuminated the lives of the countless individualshe touched through his “Third and Long Foundation”and other charitable endeavors . . . Designated byformer President George H.W. Bush as his “832ndPoint of Light” for his efforts in the Kansas Citycommunity, Thomas received the National FootballLeague’s most prestigious honor when he wasnamed the ’93 Edge NFL Man of the Year for hiscommunity activities . . . Among Thomas’ many othernotable philanthropic honors, in June of ’95 he wasthe winner of the Byron “Whizzer” WhiteHumanitarian Award for his service to his team, hiscommunity and his country and in August of ’99,received the prestigious Veterans of Foreign WarsHall of Fame Award at the 100th VFW NationalConvention in Kansas City . . . Finished his careerwith 126.5 career sacks, the most in Chiefs historyand the 10th-highest total in league annals . . .Racked up his career sack total in just 11 seasons,the shortest span of any player that ranks in theNFL’s top 10 in that department . . . Thomas’ sacktotal ranks fourth all-time among NFL linebackersbehind Kevin Greene (160.0), current Hall of FamerLawrence Taylor (132.5) and longtime New OrleansSaints standout Rickey Jackson (128.0) . . . Firmlyetched himself among Kansas City’s elite lineage oflinebackers, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers WillieLanier and Bobby Bell at the linebacker post on theChiefs 40th Anniversary Team, pairing with G WillShields as the only other active player on thatesteemed list selected by Lamar Hunt and LamarHunt, Jr. in ’99 . . . “For me, my goals are a lot higherthan just being a successful linebacker or being All-Pro,” Thomas said after the ’94 campaign. “When mycareer is over, I want people to look back and viewme as the best, or one of the two best to ever playthe position.” . . . The individual Thomas viewed asthe best to ever play the position was N.Y. Giants Hallof Famer, Lawrence Taylor. D.T. frequentlyhypothesized about how his career would stack upagainst that of the “other” linebacker who was knownon an initials-only basis, L.T. And actually, Thomas’

2005 PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME FINALIST

Born: January 1, 1967 Miami, FloridaDied: February 8, 2000Miami, Florida

AlabamaDraft (No. 1 - 1989)NFL: 11 (11 with Chiefs) GP/GS: (169/158) Playoffs: (10/10)

numbers compare quite favorably to Taylor’s. In 13seasons with the Giants from ’81-93, L.T. played in184 games, producing 132.5 sacks and 10 Pro Bowlberths. In 11 seasons with the Chiefs, Thomasplayed in 169 games, recording 126.5 sacks andnine Pro Bowl appearances. However, it was in theturnover department where D.T. truly overshadowedhis counterpart. Thomas established Chiefs recordswith 45 forced fumbles, 19 fumble recoveries, fourTDs and three safeties during his career, comparedto 33 forced fumbles, 12 fumble recoveries, two TDsand no safeties for Taylor . . . After wearing #55 incollege, he donned #58 for Kansas City, a numberwhich would soon become synonymous withdefensive excellence . . . Joined the Chiefs family asKansas City’s first-round selection (fourth overall) inthe ’89 NFL Draft, ushering in a new era in teamhistory under Carl Peterson and MartySchottenheimer . . . “This is a beginning for Marty,myself and the Chiefs,” Peterson said upon selectingThomas . . . It was not only the beginning of Thomas’NFL career, but it was also a rebirth for a Chiefsfranchise which had made just one playoffappearance since ’71, the last year the club won anAFC West division title . . . After Kansas Cityproduced an 8-7-1 mark to come just a half gameshy of the playoffs in his rookie season of ’89,Thomas helped the Chiefs flex their collectivemuscles the next 10 years . . . During his 11-yeartenure with the Chiefs, the franchise suffered onlyone losing season, finishing first or second in theAFC West 10 times. Over that span, Kansas Citymade seven playoff appearances, won three AFCWest titles and reached the only AFC ChampionshipGame in team history . . . From ’90-99, only SanFrancisco (113-47, .706) and Buffalo (103-57, .644)produced better regular season records than theChiefs (102-58, .638) . . . Thomas joined C TimGrunhard and G Dave Szott as three of only 26players in NFL history to be on a club’s roster for all10 years of a 100-win decade . . . Was named to thePro Football Hall of Fame’s NFL All-Decade Team ofthe ’90s in July of 2000 . . . During the ’90s, no NFLplayer accumulated more sacks than Thomas, whoracked up 116.5 QB takedowns from ’90-99 . . . Wasalso a key reason Kansas City won the NFL’stakeaway/giveaway triple crown during the ’90s asthe Chiefs had the league’s best turnover differential(+128), the most takeaways (365) and the fewestgiveaways (237) from ’90-99 . . . The Chiefs led theNFL with a +21 turnover ratio in ’99 as the clubrecorded a positive takeaway/giveaway ratio everyyear in the ’90s, joining Philadelphia (’86-95) as theonly other NFL club since the AFL-NFL merger to go10 straight years with more takes than gives . . . TheChiefs were also the only team to lead the NFL inturnover ratio more than once in the ’90s, doing itfour times, going +21 in ’99, +12 in ’95, +18 in ’92and a team-record +26 in ’90 . . . Was one of theNFL’s most dominant defensive players and couldsingle-handedly influence the outcome of a game,forcing opponents to constantly account for him . . .“I think I can speak for both sides, as a head coach,as an assistant coach and as an opponent, how

frightened we were to come to Arrowhead and haveto block him,” added Gunther Cunningham, whoserved as Thomas’ defensive coordinator from ’95-98 and his head coach in ’99 . . . Produced nine ProBowl appearances following the ’89-97 seasons, atotal that has only been topped in Chiefs annals by10-time Pro Bowl G Will Shields . . . Faced constantdouble and triple-teams throughout his career, butstill managed to get to opposing quarterbacks withferocious frequency . . . Established franchise careerrecords for sacks (126.5), safeties (3), fumblerecoveries (19) and forced fumbles (45) during hisstellar career in the Red and Gold . . . His 20.0 sacksin ’90 set a Chiefs single-season mark and were themost in the league, while his 7.0-sack game in ’90 setan NFL single-game record . . . Came one sack shyof tying that mark with a 6.0-sack effort in the ’98season-opener . . . Also owns a share of anotherteam record with 10 playoff appearances along withJohn Alt, Grunhard and Szott . . . Ranks fifth all-timein Chiefs history with 728 career tackles, as well . . .Pounced on opposing quarterbacks a club-record126.5 times, racking up a remarkable 948.5 yards inlosses . . . Led the Chiefs in sacks seven of his 11seasons with the club, getting 7.0 QB takedowns in’99 and 12.0 in ’98 to pace the squad his final twoyears in Kansas City . . . Was the longest-tenuredplayer on the Chiefs roster at the time of his death . . .Became the only player in team history to play inthree different decades for the Chiefs when he sawaction in his final NFL game vs. Oakland (1/2/00) . . .Served as the pillar around which Peterson rebuiltthe Chiefs franchise, as Kansas City produced aremarkable 10 winning seasons in Thomas’ 11 yearswith the club . . . Was named the Chiefs MostValuable Player following the ’91 and ’94 seasons . . .In March of 2000, Peterson announced that at thesuggestion of Clark Hunt, the Chiefs Most ValuablePlayer Award would subsequently be known as theDerrick Thomas Award. Marvcus Patton became thefirst player to receive that honor under its newdesignation, the only linebacker other than Thomasever to be named the club’s MVP . . . Has receivedthe league’s two most prestigious humanitarianawards (’93 NFL Man of the Year and ’95 Byron“Whizzer” White Humanitarian Award) . . . Becamethe 15th member of the NFL’s illustrious 100.0-sackclub in ’97. Thomas, former Chiefs DE Leslie O’Nealand current Tampa Bay DE Simeon Rice are the onlythree members of that fearsome 22-memberfraternity to attain that plateau in less than 10seasons, each doing it in their ninth NFL campaign. . . Appropriately, his 100th sack came against QBJohn Elway in a 2.0-sack performance vs. Denver(11/16/97). Thomas took down that Hall of Famer17.0 times, more than any other quarterback duringhis 11 NFL campaigns . . . Got his 50th career sackvs. Dallas (10/18/92), reaching that milestone in his54th game, quicker than any linebacker ever did itand faster than all but two players in league history(DE Reggie White - 40 games & DE Mark Gastineau- 43) . . . Returned four of his club-record 19 fumblerecoveries for touchdowns . . . His signature sackand strip move would become a Thomas trademark

which others attempted to duplicate but could nevermaster quite like Thomas . . . Was trulyaccomplishing in separating the ball fromopponents, as evidenced by his 45 career forcedfumbles (4.1 per season) . . . Although forcedfumbles were only compiled by the Chiefs since ’82,Thomas’ 45 are by far the most in team history,topping former teammate DE Neil Smith who issecond with 29 . . . Of Thomas’ 45 forced fumbles,34 came on quarterbacks, with 20 being recoveredby Kansas City, including four that resulted intouchdowns . . . Had at least 7.0 sacks in all 11 of hispro seasons and had 10.0 or more sacks seventimes . . . Registered 27 multi-sack games in hiscareer, including four games with 4.0 or more and 10with 3.0 or more. The Chiefs were 22-5 (.815) whenThomas recorded more than one QB takedown andwere an astounding 16-1 (.941) in Thomas’ multi-sack outings from ’92-99 . . . Established the NFLsingle-game sack record, getting 7.0 vs. Seattle(11/11/90) to break San Francisco DE Fred Dean’sprevious mark of 6.0 (11/13/83) . . . His 20.0 sacks in’90 led the NFL and are the fifth-most ever in aseason . . . Exactly 83.5 of his 126.5 sacks (66.0%)came at Arrowhead Stadium . . . Was named AFCDefensive Player of the Week a club-record eighttimes, topping QB Joe Montana who earned AFCOffensive Player of the Week honors six times andWR Dante Hall who has received AFC Player of theWeek accolades seven times on special teams . . .Durable performer missed just six of a possible 169career games due to injury, sitting out just two gamesduring his first eight pro campaigns . . . Played in all16 games in seven of his 11 pro seasons . . . Started158 of the 169 regular season contests he saw actionin for the Chiefs, meaning there were only 11 games

he played in that he did not start . . . Finished hiscareer with 728 tackles (558 solo), 126.5 sacks(-948.5 yards), 45 forced fumbles, 19 fumblerecoveries, a blocked field goal, a blocked PAT, fourtouchdowns and three safeties . . . Also produced444 quarterback pressures and 34 passes defensed. . . Got his lone pro interception in his 11th and finalNFL campaign, getting a 20-yard return off SanDiego QB Jim Harbaugh in ’99 . . . Registered 10career playoff appearances (all starts), logging 37tackles (36 solo), a Chiefs playoff record 7.5 sacks(-55.0 yards), to go along with four forced fumblesand four quarterback pressures.

1999: Started all 16 games at left outsidelinebacker, recording 77 tackles (56 solo), a team-leading 7.0 sacks (-65.0 yards), his lone pro INT,three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, 32 QBpressures and five passes defensed . . . Led theclub in sacks for the seventh time in his 11 seasons. . . Was one of seven defensive starters to open all16 contests . . . Registered three tackles and twoQB pressures at Chicago (9/12) . . . Tallied 10tackles, two QB pressures, one pass defensed vs.Denver (9/19). Also registered his trademark triple-play, getting a sack (-8.0 yards), strip and fumblerecovery off Brian Griese . . . Collected five tackles,a QB pressure and a pass defensed vs. Detroit(9/26) . . . Posted four solo tackles at San Diego(10/3) . . . Recorded three tackles vs. New England(10/10), plus a sack (-8.0 yards) and strip of DrewBledsoe (-8.0 yards) . . . Tallied three solo tackles,three QB pressures and one pass defensed atBaltimore (10/21) . . . Produced his first career INToff Jim Harbaugh vs. San Diego (10/31), registeringa 20-yard runback to the Chargers seven-yard line.Also posted five solo tackles, a sack of Harbaugh (-

MOST SACKS, CAREERYears Sacks

1. Bruce Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 200.02. Reggie White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 198.03. Kevin Greene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 160.04. Chris Doleman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 150.55. Richard Dent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 137.5

John Randle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 137.57. Leslie O’Neal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 132.5

Lawrence Taylor . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 132.59. Rickey Jackson . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 128.0

10. Derrick Thomas . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 126.511. Clyde Simmons . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 121.012. Michael Strahan . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 118.013. Sean Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 113.014. Greg Townsend . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 109.515. Pat Swilling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 107.5

Note: Sacks became recognized as an official NFL statistic in ’82.

MOST SACKS, GAME7.0 Derrick Thomas

Kansas City vs. Seattle . . . . . . . . 11/11/906.0 Fred Dean

San Francisco vs. New Orleans . . . 11/13/836.0 Derrick Thomas

Kansas City vs. Oakland . . . . . . . . . 9/6/985.5 William Gay

Detroit vs. Tampa Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . 9/4/83MOST SACKS, SEASON

1. Michael Strahan, N.Y. Giants, 2001 . . . . . 22.52. Mark Gastineau, N.Y. Jets, 1984 . . . . . . . 22.03. Reggie White, Philadelphia, 1987 . . . . . . 21.0

Chris Doleman, Minnesota, 1989 . . . . . . . 21.05. Lawrence Taylor, N.Y. Giants, 1986 . . . . . 20.56. Derrick Thomas, Kansas City, 1990. . . . 20.0

MOST SACKS, 1990-991. Derrick Thomas, Chiefs . . . . . . . . . . . . 116.52. Kevin Greene, Panthers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113.5

Bruce Smith, Redskins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113.54. Reggie White, Packers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111.55. Chris Doleman, Vikings . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107.56. Leslie O’Neal, Chiefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104.0

NFL LEADERSSACKS

8.0 yards), one QB pressure and a pass defensed ina 34-0 shutout of the Chargers . . . Registered asack of Peyton Manning (-6.0 yards), four tackles(three solo) and a team-high four QB pressures atIndianapolis (11/7) . . . Tallied four tackles and a QBpressure at Tampa Bay (11/14) . . . Produced twosolo tackles and one QB pressure vs. Seattle (11/21). . . Captained the defense and posted four solotackles at Oakland (11/28) . . . Tallied seven tacklesand two QB pressures at Denver (12/5) . . .Captained the defense and recorded four solotackles and five QB pressures vs. Minnesota(12/12). Also collected a sack and strip of JeffGeorge (-18.0 yards) and another sack of George (-9.0 yards) for his 27th career multi-sack game . . .Captained the defense and produced the final sackof his pro career, taking down Mike Tomczak (-8.0yards) vs. Pittsburgh (12/18). Also registered eighttackles and two QB pressures . . . Captained thedefense posting four tackles, four QB pressures andone pass defensed at Seattle (12/26) . . . Captainedthe defense along with CB James Hasty in the 169thand final game of his NFL career vs. Oakland(1/2/00). Produced seven tackles and two QBpressures in the 41-38 overtime loss, becoming theonly player in Chiefs history to play a regular seasongame in three different decades, and one of just 18NFL players to play a regular season game in the’80s, ’90s and ’00s.

1998: Competed at the club’s “Falcon” post in15 games with 10 starts . . . Registered a team-high12.0 sacks (-79.0 yds.) and added 54 tackles (44solo) to go along with two fumble recoveries, threeforced fumbles, a pass defensed and 26 QBpressures . . . Took home AFC Defensive Player ofthe Week honors after a monster game in theseason-opener vs. Oakland (9/6), recording 6.0sacks (-36.0 yards) of Jeff George. That sack tallytied him for the second-highest single-game total inleague history, coming only one sack short of hisown NFL record of 7.0 set vs. Seattle (11/11/90).One of those sacks of George came in the end zonefor his club-record third career safety. ForcedGeorge to cough the ball up on one of those sacks,as well . . . Recorded an 11-yard sack of Ryan Leaf,forced one fumble and recovered another vs. SanDiego (9/20) . . . Tallied eight tackles (six solo) atNew England (10/11) . . . Played, but did not start atthe “Falcon” position vs. the N.Y. Jets (11/1) andnotched a sack of Vinny Testaverde (-7.0 yds.) . . .Tallied a season-high 10 tackles in a reserve role atSeattle (11/8), registering one sack of Warren Moon(-7.0 yds.) and four QB pressures . . . Served a one-game suspension at San Diego (11/22) . . .Returned to the starting line-up at Denver (12/6) . . .Recorded one sack of Troy Aikman (-3.0 yds.) in areserve role vs. Dallas (12/13) . . . Started atOakland (12/26), picking up two sacks (-15.0 yds.),taking down Wade Wilson and George one timeapiece. Also scooped up a Donald Hollas fumbleforced by DE Leslie O’Neal and rambled 44 yardsfor a score, his first TD since ’93. The fumblerecovery was the 18th of his career, giving him theChiefs all-time record.

1997: Suffered an injury to his left tricepstendon during training camp and missed the mostextensive action of his NFL career, sitting out fourgames, yet still managed to produce 9.5 sacks toearn his ninth straight Pro Bowl bid . . . Saw minimalaction in the season’s first two games and sat out thenext four contests with that malady, but rebounded toproduce another Pro Bowl campaign and a berth onthe All-Madden Team . . . Played in 12 games(10 starts), recording 55 tackles (34 solo), 9.5 sacks(-56.5 yards) . . . Did not record a fumble recoveryfor the first time in his career, but did have threeforced fumbles, two passes defensed and 34 QBpressures . . . Suffered a strained left triceps tendonon July 25th when he was locked up against NewOrleans Saints All-Pro T Willie Roaf in a workout in LaCrosse, Wisconsin and could only work on hisaerobic conditioning for the remainder of trainingcamp and the preseason . . . Along with a bulky armbrace, made his debut at the “Falcon” position inpassing situations at Denver (8/31), recording onetackle . . . Played a similar limited role the next weekat Oakland (9/8), getting three stops . . . With hisinjury not improving, the Chiefs opted to give it moretime to heal, relegating Thomas to the inactive list forthe next four contests vs. Buffalo (9/14), at Carolina(9/21), vs. Seattle (9/28) and at Miami (10/5) . . .Returned to the line-up for his first start of the seasonvs. San Diego (10/16), nabbing four QB hurries andtwo tackles . . . Rediscovered his Pro Bowl form withhis first sack of the year (-7.0 yards) on Tony Banks,along with two forced fumbles and six stops at St.Louis (10/26) . . . Enjoyed a milestone game vs.Denver (11/23), becoming only the 15th player inNFL history to post 100 sacks, registering 2.0 sacks(-18.0 yards) of John Elway to go along with aseason-high 10 tackles . . . Had a monster day atSan Diego (12/14), producing eight tackles, four QBpressures and a season-high 3.0 sacks (-9.0 yards),his 24th career multi-sack game and his ninthcontest with three or more QB takedowns. Took downTodd Philcox in the end zone to record the secondsafety of his career to tie DTs Bill Maas, Joe Phillipsand Dan Saleuamua for the team record . . . NamedAFC Defensive Player of the Month in December . . .Started the club’s AFC Divisional Playoff Game vs.Denver (1/4/98).

1996: Garnered his eighth straight Pro Bowlnod . . . Was a first-team All-NFL pick by USA Todayand a second-team All-NFL choice by AP . . .Selected first-team All-AFC by UPI and FootballNews . . . Recorded a team-high 13.0 sacks, hismost since ’92 (14.5), tying for second in the AFCand fourth in NFL . . . Also contributed 58 tackles,three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, a blockedfield goal, four passes defensed and 47 quarterbackpressures in 16 games (15 starts) . . . Had five 2.0-sack outings: at Houston (9/1), vs. Oakland (9/8), vs.Green Bay (11/10), vs. Chicago (11/17) and atBuffalo (12/22); the Chiefs won all but the Bills game. . . In a 19-3 win vs. Oakland (9/8), one sack forceda fumble which James Hasty returned 80 yards for atouchdown and another sack caused a fumble whichresulted in a safety . . . In that game he also had

seven tackles and a season-high 13 QB pressuresen route to AFC Defensive Player of the Weekaccolades . . . Had at least four tackles in ninegames and five or more in six contests.

1995: Earned his seventh straight Pro Bowlappearance, his first as a non-starter . . . Was asecond-team All-AFC choice by UPI . . . Played“stack” linebacker position in ’95 after playing the“base” spot over the tight end in ’94 . . . Registered71 tackles (sixth on team), eight sacks (second), twoforced fumbles, a fumble recovery, four passesdefensed and 54 quarterback pressures (fourth) . . .Started 15 games, missing just the second game ofhis career (at Miami, 12/11) with a groin injury . . .Broke a string of 81 straight games played datingback to ’90 . . . Had two sacks vs. N.Y. Giants (9/10)and 2.5 at Arizona (10/1), upping his total of multi-sack outings to 17 . . . Had three games with six ormore stops, including a season-high nine vs. Seattle(9/3) and at Cleveland (9/24) . . . Had seven stops,four pressures and a pass defensed in playoffs vs.Indianapolis (1/7/96).

1994: Enjoyed the finest season of hisdistinguished NFL career, earning a sixth straight tripto the Pro Bowl, his sixth as a starter and his secondChiefs MVP Award . . . Was a second-team All-NFLpick by AP . . . Corralled a career-high 86 tackles,11.0 sacks, a team-high six forced fumbles, threefumble recoveries, 45 quarterback pressures, fivepasses defensed and a safety . . . The 86 tackleswere good enough for fourth place on the club . . .Dispelled the myth that he does not perform well onnatural surfaces by getting 9.0 of his 11.0 sacks ongrass fields, including 7.0 at Arrowhead whichabandoned its AstroTurf surface following the ’93campaign . . . Best performance was an eight-tackle,3.0-sack, one-safety outing in a 24-17 win vs. SanFrancisco (9/11); had a fourth sack taken away by anintentional-grounding call. Was named AFCDefensive Player of the Week for his efforts againstthe eventual Super Bowl champions . . . In a 30-10win at Atlanta (9/18) the next week, he was creditedwith five stops, two forced fumbles, two fumblerecoveries and a sack . . . Became the Chiefs all-time sack leader vs. L.A. Raiders (11/16), bypassingDE Art Still (72.5) . . . Had six tackles and a sack inplayoff loss at Miami (12/31).

1993: Assumed new “rushbacker” position, alinebacker/defensive end hybrid and played it wellenough to land his fifth straight Pro Bowl nod . . .Earned one of pro sports most prestigious awards bybeing named the Edge NFL Man of the Year for bothhis community service and on-field exploits . . . Wasa second-team All-NFL pick by AP and College & ProFootball Newsweekly . . . Named to the All-AFCsquad by UPI . . . Improved his play against the runas the team allowed just 101.3 rushing yards pergame, the club’s lowest yield since ’71 (95.5) . . .Had a 8.0 sacks as teammate DE Neil Smith toppedthe league with 15.0 . . . Also added 43 tackles, fourforced fumbles, one fumble recovery, a team-high 47quarterback pressures and a blocked PAT . . . Hadthree tackles, 2.0 sacks and two forced fumbles vs.the L.A. Raiders (10/3) . . . Returned a fumble

recovery 86 yards for a touchdown at Seattle (12/5). . . Was outstanding in the playoffs, recording 10tackles, 3.0 sacks and three forced fumbles . . .Racked up three tackles, 2.0 sacks, two forcedfumbles and deflected a pass in an upset win atHouston (1/16/94) in an AFC Divisional PlayoffGame, snapping an 11-game Oilers winning streak.

1992: Selected to start for the AFC in the ProBowl for the fourth year in a row . . . Was a first-teamAll-NFL pick by NEA and The Sporting News, andwas named All-AFC by UPI, Pro Football Weekly andFootball News . . . Made the All-Madden Team for thefirst time, as well . . . His 14.5 sacks were thesecond-highest total of his career, a mark that led theteam for the fourth straight year (DE Neil Smith alsohad 14.5). That total also tied for the second-mostever by a Chief, and third-most in AFC, sixth-most inNFL in ’92 . . . Contributed 67 tackles, the sixth-moston the club, a team-leading eight forced fumbles,three fumble recoveries, including one for atouchdown, 27 QB pressures, and two deflectedpasses . . . Had one 4.0-sack effort (Chargers - 11/8)and two 3.0-sack games (Eagles - 10/11 andBroncos - 12/27) . . . Against San Diego (11/8), hehad 4.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumblerecovery in the first half alone of a 16-14 victory enroute to AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. . . Put on another brilliant exhibition in the seasonfinale vs. Denver (12/27), when he had five tackles,3.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recoveryfor a touchdown; also hit QB John Elway as he wasthrowing, forcing an errant pass that was interceptedand returned for another touchdown . . . Had astrong playoff showing at San Diego (1/5/93) withthree tackles and 1.5 sacks.

1991: Continued his impressive run throughNFL offenses, earning his third straight Pro Bowlstart . . . Named All-NFL by AP, The Sporting News,College and Pro Football Weekly, and Pro FootballWeekly . . . Took home unanimous All-AFC honors. . . His 13.5 sacks led the club for the third straightyear and tied for second in the AFC (with DE SimonFletcher and behind DE William Fuller) and fourth inthe NFL (behind LB Pat Swilling, Fuller and DEReggie White) . . . His 4.0-sack, two-forced fumbleeffort on Buffalo’s Jim Kelly (10/7) earned him AFCDefensive Player of the Week honors . . . Has aknack for being around the ball as evidenced by hisfour forced fumbles and four recoveries, includingone returned 23 yards for the winning touchdown ina 27-20 victory at the L.A. Rams (11/10). It was hisfirst NFL score . . . Was sixth on the club with 79tackles and second on the team with 43quarterback pressures. Also knocked down twopasses . . . Tackled a punter before a kick vs.Denver (11/17) . . . Registered 3.0 sacks in a tough24-20 loss vs. Denver (11/17) . . . Collected a pair ofsacks in 19-6 win at Seattle (12/1) . . . Had twosacks and a forced fumble in the playoffs . . .Missed more than half of the Chiefs home playoffvictory over the L.A. Raiders (12/28) afterexperiencing an increased heart rate. He washospitalized for treatment and observation for theincreased heart rate which was diagnosed as atrial

fibrillation. He was released from St. Luke’s Hospitalless than 24 hours after being admitted . . .Returned to action the following week in the club’splayoff loss at Buffalo (1/5/92) and added a sack.

1990: Had a simply miraculous sophomore NFLseason, earning his second Pro Bowl appearanceand All-NFL recognition . . . Named first-team All-NFL by Pro Football Writers Association, AP, ProFootball Weekly, The Sporting News, NEA, College &Pro Football Newsweekly and Football Digest . . .Was a first-team All-AFC selection by UPI . . . Led theNFL with a team-record 20.0 sacks, the sixth-highesttotal in league history. The only players to compilemore sacks in a season are DE Michael Strahan(22.5 in 2001), DE Mark Gastineau (22.0 in ’84), DEReggie White (21.0 in ’87), DE Chris Doleman (21.0in ’89) and LB Lawrence Taylor (20.5 in ’86) . . .Remarkably on those drives when Thomas recordeda sack, opponents scored a grand total of zeropoints. Those drives all concluded with either aturnover, a punt, the end of the half or the end of thegame . . . Established an NFL record with 7.0 sacksin a game on Dave Krieg vs. Seattle (11/11),breaking DE Fred Dean’s old mark of 6.0 . . . Had theeighth sack in his grasp on final play of game, butKrieg got free and launched a 25-yard TD pass toWR Paul Skansi to register the game-winning scorein a 17-16 decision. Was named AFC DefensivePlayer of the Week despite loss . . . Forced a team-leading six fumbles during the season, recoveringtwo . . . Made 63 tackles, including 47 solos . . . Also

had five pass deflections and 35 quarterbackpressures . . . Had three sacks at Indianapolis (10/7)and two each vs. Cleveland (9/30) and vs. Denver(12/9) . . . Made three solo stops in a playoff contestat Miami (1/5/91).

1989: Became a dominant force on the Chiefsdefense in first NFL season . . . ConsensusDefensive Rookie of the Year, winning that honor fromAssociated Press, Pro Football Weekly, College andPro Football Newsweekly and NFL Players’Association . . . Became first Chiefs outsidelinebacker to go to the Pro Bowl since Bobby Bell in’73 . . . Started his first Pro Bowl . . . Won the MackLee Hill Award, which annually goes to the Chiefs toprookie or first-year performer . . . Named the AFC’stop linebacker by the NFLPA . . . Was an All-NFLselection by Sports Illustrated and was a second-team All-Pro pick by College and Pro FootballNewsweekly . . . Was a first-team All-AFC choice byUPI . . . Finished tied for seventh in the AFC with 10.0sacks, the most by a Chiefs linebacker since ’73when the team started keeping the statistic and themost ever by a Kansas City rookie . . . Tied with SKevin Ross for fifth on the team with 75 tackles . . .Also contributed three forced fumbles, a fumblerecovery and four pass deflections . . . In addition to10 sacks, he also had a team-high 55 quarterbackpressures . . . Earned AFC Defensive Player of theWeek honors in just his second NFL game, a 24-19win vs. the L.A. Raiders (9/17) when he got seventackles, 2.5 sacks and one forced fumble . . . Started

Regular SeasonBy Team

THOMAS’ SACK VICTIMS

Oakland . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22.0Seattle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19.5Denver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17.0San Diego. . . . . . . . . . . . 12.5Buffalo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.0Green Bay. . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.0Tennessee . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.0Chicago. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.0Cleveland . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.0

Indianapolis. . . . . . . . . . . . 3.0Philadelphia . . . . . . . . . . . 3.0San Francisco . . . . . . . . . . 4.0Arizona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.0Dallas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.0N.Y. Giants . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.0St. Louis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.0New Orleans . . . . . . . . . . 1.5Atlanta. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.0

Cincinnati . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.0New England . . . . . . . . . . 1.0N.Y. Jets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.0Pittsburgh . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.0Washington . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.0Jacksonville . . . . . . . . . . . 0.5Minnesota . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.5

Regular SeasonBy Quarterback

John Elway. . . . . . . . . . . 17.0Dave Krieg . . . . . . . . . . . 15.0Jeff George . . . . . . . . . . . 9.0Jim Kelley. . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.0Jay Schroeder . . . . . . . . . 5.5Stan Humphries . . . . . . . . 4.5Rick Mirer. . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.5Steve Young . . . . . . . . . . . 4.0Brett Favre . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.5Randall Cunningham . . . . 3.0Vince Evans . . . . . . . . . . . 3.0Warren Moon . . . . . . . . . . 3.0Todd Philcox. . . . . . . . . . . 3.0Jack Trudeau . . . . . . . . . . 3.0John Friesz . . . . . . . . . . . 2.5

Bobby Hebert. . . . . . . . . . 2.5Troy Aikman . . . . . . . . . . . 2.0Dave Brown . . . . . . . . . . . 2.0Chris Chandler. . . . . . . . . 2.0Billy Joe Hobert . . . . . . . . 2.0Jeff Hostetler . . . . . . . . . . 2.0Bernie Kosar . . . . . . . . . . 1.5Wade Wilson . . . . . . . . . . 1.5Tony Banks . . . . . . . . . . . 1.0Drew Bledsoe. . . . . . . . . . 1.0Bubby Brister . . . . . . . . . . 1.0Boomer Esiason . . . . . . . 1.0Jim Everett . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.0Gus Frerotte. . . . . . . . . . . 1.0Bob Gagliano . . . . . . . . . . 1.0

Jeff Kemp. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.0Ryan Leaf. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.0Don Majkowski. . . . . . . . . 1.0Frank Reich . . . . . . . . . . . 1.0Mark Rypien. . . . . . . . . . . 1.0Kelly Stouffer . . . . . . . . . . 1.0Vinny Testaverde . . . . . . . 1.0Billy Joe Tolliver . . . . . . . . 1.0Mike Tomczak . . . . . . . . . 1.0Mark Brunell. . . . . . . . . . . 0.5Bobby Hebert. . . . . . . . . . 0.5Todd Marinovich. . . . . . . . 0.5Mike Pagel . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.5

all 16 games at right outside linebacker, but alsolined up at middle linebacker and defensive end . . .Made all 10.0 sacks in first 10 games, but in final sixoutings DEs Neil Smith and Leonard Griffinregistered a combined 8.5 sacks . . . In a 20-10 winvs. Seattle (11/5), he showed his typical dominantstyle with a sack, forced fumble and fumble recoveryon Dave Krieg that helped set up a field goal . . . Had2.0 sacks on John Elway in 16-13 loss vs. Denver(11/12) . . . Made a season-high 13 tackles,including two for losses and a season-high eight QBpressures vs. Cleveland (11/19) . . . His sack total of10.0 was just 2.5 QB takedowns shy of the then-NFLrookie sack record owned by DE Leslie O’Neal . . .Thomas’ rookie sack total did surpass the 9.5accumulated by LB Lawrence Taylor . . . Was thefourth overall selection in first round of ’89 draft,selected after QB Troy Aikman (Dallas), T TonyMandarich (Green Bay) and RB Barry Sanders(Detroit) . . . Remains the only linebacker the Chiefshave ever drafted in the first round.

College: Was one of the most dominantdefensive players in the country as a college seniorat Alabama . . . Regarded as the nation’s finestpass rusher during junior and senior seasons . . .Set a school career record with 52.0 sacks and atotal of 74.0 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. . . Other collegiate career totals included: 204tackles, 12 forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries,nine deflections, five blocked kicks, one safety andone touchdown . . . A unanimous first-team All-America pick . . . Won the ’88 Butkus Award as thebest collegiate linebacker . . . Finished 10th in theHeisman voting . . . Had a career-high 5.0 sacks asa senior vs. Texas A&M . . . Had 67 tackles and aschool-record 18.0 sacks as a junior . . . Made 30tackles and 4.0 sacks as a sophomore and 19stops and 3.0 sacks as a freshman . . . Wore jersey#55 for the Crimson Tide . . . Posthumouslyreceived his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justiceand Social Welfare from the University of Alabamaon May 13, 2000.

Personal: Earned all-league honors at SouthMiami High School in Miami, Florida . . . Played tightend and running back in high school before settlingat linebacker . . . Established an inner-city readingprogram with his “Third and Long Foundation” in ’90. . . As part of the literacy program, he read tochildren at local libraries each home Saturday duringthe season . . . The "Third and Long Foundation" isstill active in the Kansas City community, continuingthe reading and scholarship programs he began . . .Served as the Chiefs United Way spokesperson fornumerous years . . . His English teacher at Miami’sPalmetto Middle School, Miriam Williams, was thewinner of the ’91 NFL Teacher of the Year Award . . .Appeared in Hank Williams, Jr.’s ’92 video, “Come onOver to Country” . . . Designated by former PresidentGeorge H.W. Bush as the “832nd point of light” forhis reading program and met Bush in Kansas City onSeptember 11, 1992 . . . In recognition of all hiscommunity efforts, he was named the ’93 Edge NFLMan of the Year, perhaps the league’s most

prestigious honor . . . In June of ’95, he was selectedthe winner of the Byron White Humanitarian Awardfor service to team, community and country; it is themost prestigious award given by the NFL PlayersAssociation . . . Won the ’94 Genuine Heroes Award,given by Trinity College in Chicago . . . Delivered thekeynote address at the Vietnam Veterans Memorialduring the Memorial Day ceremony in ’93; pastspeakers at the Wall have included General ColinPowell, Bob Hope, former Vice President Al Goreand former Pittsburgh Steelers RB Rocky Bleier . . .The son of Edith Morgan and Air Force Captain,Robert Thomas . . . Was five years old when hisfather’s plane was shot down while it was returningfrom a mission in Vietnam on December 17, 1972 on“Operation: Linebacker Two” . . . His father wasdeclared legally dead in ’80 . . . In August of ’99,Thomas received the prestigious Veterans of ForeignWars Hall of Fame Award at the 100th VFW NationalConvention in Kansas City. Thomas received thathonor in large part due to his support of OperationUplink, a program which provided prepaidphonecards to active duty U.S. troops and veteransacross the globe . . . Thomas had frequently flownand trained with Air Force pilots and was scheduledto participate in another training session with the AirForce in 2000 . . . Dedicated a B-52 monument at AirCombat Command at Langley Air Force Base in Aprilof ’94, honoring all Air Force personnel who died inB-52 bombers, including his father . . . Was intriguedby the events surrounding the assassination ofPresident John F. Kennedy and was well-versed inthe numerous theories surrounding JFK’s death . . .Mayor Emmanuel Cleaver designated December 11,1991 as “Derrick Thomas Day” in Kansas City . . . In’92, received the University of Missouri - KansasCity’s Distinguished Service to Education Award . . .Took classes at the University of Missouri - KansasCity as he worked toward his college degree, whichhe posthumously received from the University ofAlabama in May of 2000 . . . Was a board memberfor the National Council on Crime and Delinquency,Ronald McDonald Children’s Charities of the Heart ofAmerica and the Heartland Chapter of MothersAgainst Drunk Driving (MADD) . . . Was honored forhis efforts on behalf of the Juvenile Court CentennialInitiative on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on June6, 2000 . . . In June of 2001, the Derrick ThomasAcademy, a tuition-free public charter school waslaunched in Kansas City. The academy is the first-ever public elementary charter school named inhonor of an NFL hero. In 2004, a football field wascompleted at DTA thanks to a $400,000 grant fromthe NFL . . . Coordinated annual drives amongChiefs players to buy food baskets and distributethem at Thanksgiving and Christmas to inner-cityfamilies . . . Participated in countless other charitableendeavors, many of which will remain known only toDerrick . . . Full name: Derrick Vincent Thomas . . .Resided in Independence, Missouri during histenure with the Chiefs and returned to his hometownof Miami, Florida where he was buried on February19, 2000.

THOMAS’ NFL STATISTICS

TACKLES FUMBLES SACKS INTS PASSES QBYear Team G-S Solos Asst. Tot. Rec. For. No./Yds. No./Yds. Defensed Pressures1989 Kansas City 16-16 56 19 75 1 3 10.0/95.5 0/0 4 551990 Kansas City 15-15 47 16 63 2 6 20.0/150.0 0/0 5 351991 Kansas City 16-15 60 19 79 4 4 13.5/112.0 0/0 2 421992 Kansas City 16-16 54 13 67 3 8 14.5/113.0 0/0 2 271993 Kansas City 16-15 32 11 43 1 4 8.0/50.0 0/0 0 471994 Kansas City 16-15 67 19 86 3 6 11.0/71.0 0/0 5 451995 Kansas City 15-15 59 12 71 1 2 8.0/57.5 0/0 4 541996 Kansas City 16-15 49 9 58 1 3 13.0/99.0 0/0 4 471997 Kansas City 12-10 34 21 55 0 3 9.5/56.5 0/0 2 341998 Kansas City 15-10 40 12 54 2 3 12.0/79.0 0/0 1 261999 Kansas City 16-16 56 21 77 1 3 7.0/65.0 1/20 5 32

Totals 169-158 558 170 728 19 45 126.5/948.5 1/20 34 444

Additional Stats: Has four career touchdowns - a 23-yard fumble return at L.A. Rams (11/10/91), a fumblerecovery in the end zone vs. Denver (12/27/92), an 86-yard fumble return at Seattle (12/5/93) and a 44-yardfumble return at Oakland (12/26/98). Has three safeties - vs. San Francisco (9/11/94), at San Diego (12/14/97)and vs. Oakland (9/6/98). Blocked a field goal vs. Pittsburgh (10/7/96).

REGULAR SEASONSINGLE GAME CAREER HIGHS

POSTSEASONTACKLES FUMBLES SACKS INTS PASSES QB

Year Team G-S Solos Asst. Tot. Rec. For. No./Yds. No./Yds. Defensed Pressures1990 Kansas City 1-1 3 0 3 0 0 0.0/0.0 0/0 0 --1991 Kansas City 2-2 7 0 7 0 1 2.0/13.0 0/0 0 --1992 Kansas City 1-1 3 0 3 0 0 1.5/15.0 0/0 0 --1993 Kansas City 3-3 10 0 10 0 2 3.0/19.0 0/0 1 --1994 Kansas City 1-1 5 1 6 0 0 1.0/8.0 0/0 0 --1995 Kansas City 1-1 7 0 7 0 0 0.0/0.0 0/0 1 41997 Kansas City 1-1 1 0 1 0 0 0.0/0.0 0/0 0 --

Totals 10-10 36 1 37 0 3 7.5/55.0 0/0 2 4

POSTSEASONSINGLE GAME CAREER HIGHS

STREAKS AND MILESTONES: Owns Chiefs career records for sacks (126.5), safeties (three), fumblerecoveries (19) and forced fumbles (45). Shares a club record with 10 career playoff appearances and ranksfifth in team history with 728 career tackles.

Tackles: 7 (all solo) vs. Indianapolis (1/7/96)Sacks: 2.0 at Houston (1/16/94)Forced Fumbles: 2 at Houston (1/16/94)

Passes Defensed: 1 vs. Houston (1/16/94)vs. Indianapolis (1/7/96)

QB Pressures: 4 vs. Indianapolis (1/7/96)

Tackles: 13 (six solo) at Cleveland (11/19/89)Sacks: 7.0 vs. Seattle (11/11/90)*

6.0 vs. Oakland (9/6/98)Safeties: 1 vs. San Francisco (9/11/94)

at San Diego (12/14/97)Fumble Recoveries: 2 at Atlanta (9/18/94)Passes Defensed: 2 at Detroit (11/28/96)Interceptions: 1 vs. San Diego (10/31/99)

QB Pressures: 13 vs. Oakland (9/8/96)Forced Fumbles: 2 vs. Buffalo (10/7/91)

vs. San Diego (11/2/92)vs. Denver (12/27/92)at Atlanta (9/18/94)vs. Oakland (9/8/96)at St. Louis (10/26/97)

*NFL Record.

LEGENDARY LINEBACKERSJIM LYNCH, WILLIE LANIER, BOBBY BELL

Derrick Thomas unquestionably entrenched himself as the mostrecent in a long lineage of legendary linebackers to take the field for the Chiefs.A finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005, Thomas could join fellowChiefs LBs Bobby Bell (Chiefs Hall of Fame - ’79, Pro Football Hall of Fame -’83) and Willie Lanier (Chiefs Hall of Fame - ’84, Pro Football Hall of Fame -’86) in Canton. Along with Jim Lynch (Chiefs Hall of Fame - ’89), Bell and Lanier defined Kansas City’s dominatingdefenses of the late ’60s and early ’70s. Lynch and Lanier were roommates for 11 seasons with the Chiefs.The duo joinedthe club as second-round draft picks in ’67 and retired together in ’77. Bell came to the club as a seventh-round pick in’63 before retiring in ’74. Thomas was posthumously enshrined in the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 2001.

THOMAS’ GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS1989 – Kansas City Chiefs

Tackles FumblesDate @ Opponent Solo Asst. Tot. Sacks Rec. For.

9/10 @ Denver 1 0 1 0.0 0 09/17 @ L.A. Raiders 6 1 7 2.5 0 19/24 @ San Diego 5 1 6 0.0 0 0

10/1 @ Cincinnati 7 2 9 1.0 0 010/8 @ Seattle 5 0 5 1.0 0 010/15 @ L.A. Raiders 1 3 4 1.0 0 110/22 @ Dallas 3 1 4 0.0 0 010/29 @ Pittsburgh 3 1 4 1.0 0 011/5 @ Seattle 1 0 1 1.0 1 111/12 @ Denver 3 1 4 2.0 0 011/19 @ Cleveland 6 7 13 0.5 0 011/26 @ Houston 3 0 3 0.0 0 012/3 @ Miami 4 0 4 0.0 0 012/10 @ Green Bay 2 2 4 0.0 0 012/17 @ San Diego 1 0 1 0.0 0 012/24 @ Miami 4 0 4 0.0 0 0

1990 – Kansas City ChiefsTackles Fumbles

Date @ Opponent Solo Asst. Tot. Sacks Rec. For.9/9 @ Minnesota 3 0 3 0.5 0 09/16 @ Denver 4 1 5 1.0 0 09/23 @ Green Bay 1 1 2 1.0 0 09/30 @ Cleveland 2 1 3 1.5 0 1

10/7 @ Indianapolis 4 0 4 3.0 0 110/14 @ Detroit 4 0 4 0.0 0 010/21 @ Seattle 1 1 2 0.0 0 011/4 @ L.A. Raiders 2 1 3 1.0 0 111/11 @ Seattle 9 3 12 7.0 0 211/18 @ San Diego 1 1 2 0.0 0 011/25 @ L.A. Raiders 4 1 5 0.0 1 112/2 @ New England Did Not Play/Knee12/9 @ Denver 2 3 5 2.0 0 012/16 @ Houston 3 1 4 1.0 1 012/23 @ San Diego 3 2 5 1.0 0 012/29 @ Chicago 4 0 4 1.0 0 0Playoffs

1/5 @ Miami 3 0 3 0.0 0 0


Date @ Opponent Solo Asst. Tot. Sacks Rec. For.9/1 @ Atlanta 3 0 3 0.0 0 09/8 @ New Orleans 5 4 9 0.5 1 09/16 @ Houston 4 3 7 0.0 0 19/22 @ Seattle 1 0 1 1.0 0 09/29 @ San Diego 3 0 3 0.0 0 0

10/7 @ Buffalo 4 1 5 4.0 0 210/13 @ Miami 4 0 4 0.0 0 010/20 @ Denver 2 1 3 1.0 0 010/28 @ L.A. Raiders 4 2 6 1.0 0 011/10 @ L.A. Rams 2 1 3 1.0 2 111/17 @ Denver 5 2 7 3.0 0 011/24 @ Cleveland 2 1 3 0.0 0 012/1 @ Seattle 5 1 6 2.0 0 012/8 @ San Diego 5 0 5 0.0 1 0

12/14 @ San Francisco 5 0 5 0.0 0 012/22 @ L.A. Raiders 2 2 4 0.0 0 0Playoffs12/28 @ L.A. Raiders 3 0 3 1.0 0 1

1/5 @ Buffalo 4 0 4 1.0 0 0


Date @ Opponent Solo Asst. Tot. Sacks Rec. For.9/6 @ San Diego 1 1 2 1.0 0 09/13 @ Seattle 1 0 1 0.0 0 09/20 @ Houston 3 0 3 1.0 0 19/28 @ L.A. Raiders 4 1 5 0.5 0 0

10/4 @ Denver 2 1 3 0.0 0 010/11 @ Philadelphia 6 2 8 3.0 0 210/18 @ Dallas 4 1 5 1.0 0 010/25 @ Pittsburgh 4 1 5 0.0 0 011/8 @ San Diego 8 1 9 4.0 1 211/15 @ Washington 2 2 4 0.0 0 011/22 @ Seattle 3 0 3 1.0 0 111/29 @ N.Y. Jets 0 0 0 0.0 0 012/6 @ L.A. Raiders 4 1 5 0.0 0 012/13 @ New England 2 1 3 0.0 1 012/19 @ N.Y. Giants 4 0 4 0.0 0 012/27 @ Denver 6 1 7 3.0 1 2Playoffs

1/2 @ San Diego 3 0 3 1.5 0 0


Date @ Opponent Solo Asst. Tot. Sacks Rec. For.9/5 @ Tampa Bay 0 1 1 0.0 0 09/12 @ Houston 2 1 3 0.0 0 09/20 @ Denver 4 1 5 0.0 0 0

10/3 @ L.A. Raiders 2 0 2 2.0 0 110/10 @ Cincinnati 2 2 4 0.0 0 010/17 @ San Diego 3 1 4 1.0 0 010/31 @ Miami 2 1 3 0.0 0 011/8 @ Green Bay 3 1 4 2.0 0 211/14 @ L.A. Raiders 1 1 2 0.0 0 011/21 @ Chicago 5 0 5 0.0 0 011/28 @ Buffalo 1 0 1 1.0 0 012/5 @ Seattle 3 0 3 1.0 1 112/12 @ Denver 1 1 2 0.0 0 012/19 @ San Diego 2 0 2 1.0 0 012/26 @ Minnesota 2 1 3 0.0 0 0

1/2 @ Seattle 0 0 0 0.0 0 0Playoffs

1/8 @ Pittsburgh 4 0 4 0.0 0 01/16 @ Houston 3 0 3 2.0 2 11/23 @ Buffalo 3 0 3 0.0 0 0


Date @ Opponent Solo Asst. Tot. Sacks Rec. For.9/4 @ New Orleans 2 1 3 0.0 1 09/11 @ San Francisco 8 1 9 3.0 0 09/18 @ Atlanta 5 0 5 1.0 2 29/25 @ L.A. Rams 8 2 10 0.0 0 0

10/9 @ San Diego 7 1 8 0.0 0 0

10/17 @ Denver 3 0 3 1.0 0 010/23 @ Seattle 2 2 4 1.0 0 010/30 @ Buffalo 3 1 4 0.0 0 111/6 @ L.A. Raiders 3 1 4 1.0 0 111/13 @ San Diego 1 4 5 0.0 0 011/20 @ Cleveland 7 2 9 1.0 0 111/27 @ Seattle 2 0 2 1.0 0 012/4 @ Denver 5 1 6 1.0 0 012/12 @ Miami 1 1 2 0.0 0 012/18 @ Houston 4 1 5 0.0 0 112/24 @ L.A. Raiders 3 1 4 1.0 0 0Playoffs12/31 @ Miami 5 1 6 1.0 0 0


Date @ Opponent Solo Asst. Tot. Sacks Rec. For.9/3 @ Seattle 9 0 9 0.5 0 09/10 @ N.Y. Giants 6 0 6 2.0 0 19/17 @ Oakland 4 0 4 0.0 0 09/24 @ Cleveland 7 2 9 0.0 1 0

10/1 @ Arizona 4 0 4 2.0 0 010/9 @ San Diego 0 2 2 0.0 0 010/15 @ New England 2 1 3 1.0 0 010/22 @ Denver 1 0 1 0.0 0 011/5 @ Washington 5 2 7 1.0 0 011/12 @ San Diego 5 1 6 0.5 0 011/19 @ Houston 5 1 6 0.0 0 011/23 @ Dallas 2 1 3 0.0 0 012/3 @ Oakland 3 0 3 1.0 0 112/11 @ Miami Inactive/Groin12/17 @ Denver 4 0 4 0.0 0 012/24 @ Seattle 3 1 4 0.0 0 0Playoffs

1/7 @ Indianapolis 7 0 7 0.0 0 0


Date @ Opponent Solo Asst. Tot. Sacks Rec. For.9/1 @ Houston 3 2 5 2.0 0 09/8 @ Oakland 7 0 7 2.0 0 29/15 @ Seattle 2 0 2 1.0 0 09/22 @ Denver 5 0 5 1.0 0 09/29 @ San Diego 4 0 4 0.0 0 0

10/7 @ Pittsburgh 5 0 5 0.0 0 010/17 @ Seattle 2 0 2 1.0 0 010/27 @ Denver 2 1 3 0.0 0 011/3 @ Minnesota 2 1 3 0.0 0 011/10 @ Green Bay 4 0 4 2.0 1 011/17 @ Chicago 3 1 4 2.0 0 011/24 @ San Diego 1 1 2 0.0 0 011/28 @ Detroit 0 1 1 0.0 0 012/9 @ Oakland 5 0 5 0.0 0 012/15 @ Indianapolis 0 1 1 0.0 0 012/22 @ Buffalo 4 1 5 2.0 0 1


Date @ Opponent Solo Asst. Tot. Sacks Rec. For.8/31 @ Denver 0 1 1 0.0 0 09/8 @ Oakland 3 0 3 0.0 0 0

9/14 @ Buffalo Inactive/Triceps 9/21 @ Carolina Inactive/Triceps 9/28 @ Seattle Inactive/Triceps

10/5 @ Miami Inactive/Triceps 10/16 @ San Diego 1 1 2 0.0 0 010/26 @ St. Louis 4 2 6 1.0 0 211/3 @ Pittsburgh 1 1 2 0.0 0 011/9 @ Jacksonville 1 3 4 0.5 0 011/16 @ Denver 6 4 10 2.0 0 011/23 @ Seattle 3 2 5 0.0 0 011/30 @ San Francisco 2 3 5 1.0 0 012/7 @ Oakland 2 1 3 1.0 0 012/15 @ San Diego 7 1 8 3.0 0 112/21 @ New Orleans 4 2 6 1.0 0 0Playoffs

1/4 @ Denver 1 0 1 0.0 0 0

1998 - Kansas City ChiefsTackles Fumbles

Date @ Opponent Solo Asst. Tot. Sacks Rec. For.9/6 @ Oakland 8 0 8 6.0 0 19/13 @ Jacksonville 2 1 3 0.0 0 09/20 @ San Diego 3 0 3 1.0 1 19/27 @ Philadelphia 0 1 1 0.0 0 0

10/4 @ Seattle 1 3 4 0.0 0 010/11 @ New England 6 2 8 0.0 0 010/26 @ Pittsburgh 3 1 4 0.0 0 011/1 @ N.Y. Jets 1 1 2 1.0 0 111/8 @ Seattle 9 1 10 1.0 0 011/16 @ Denver 3 1 4 0.0 0 011/22 @ San Diego Suspended11/29 @ Arizona 1 0 1 0.0 0 012/6 @ Denver 0 0 0 0.0 0 012/13 @ Dallas 0 0 0 1.0 0 012/20 @ N.Y. Giants 2 0 2 0.0 0 012/26 @ Oakland 2 1 3 2.0 1 0


Date @ Opponent Solo Asst. Tot. Sacks Rec. For.9/3 @ Chicago 2 1 3 0.0 0 09/19 @ Denver 8 2 10 1.0 1 19/26 @ Detroit 3 2 5 0.0 0 0

10/3 @ San Diego 4 0 4 0.0 0 010/10 @ New England 0 3 3 1.0 0 110/21 @ Baltimore 3 0 3 0.0 0 010/31 @ San Diego 5 0 5 1.0 0 011/7 @ Indianapolis 3 1 4 1.0 0 011/14 @ Tampa Bay 1 3 4 0.0 0 011/21 @ Seattle 2 0 2 0.0 0 011/28 @ Oakland 4 0 4 0.0 0 012/5 @ Denver 5 2 7 0.0 0 012/12 @ Minnesota 4 0 4 2.0 0 112/18 @ Pittsburgh 5 3 8 1.0 0 012/26 @ Seattle 3 1 4 0.0 0 01/2 @ Oakland 4 3 7 0.0 0 0

January 1, 1967 Born Derrick Vincent Thomas in Miami, Florida.December 17, 1972 Derrick’s father, Air Force Captain Robert Thomas, is shot down while it

was returning from a mission in Vietnam on “Operation: Linebacker II.”November 1988 Received the Butkus Award, given to the nation’s top collegiate

linebacker and was tabbed as a unanimous first team All-Americaselection at the University of Alabama.

April 1989 Selected by Kansas City with their first round selection (fourth overall) inthe ’89 NFL Draft. Only Troy Aikman (Dallas), Tony Mandarich (GreenBay) and Barry Sanders (Detroit) were picked ahead of him.

December 1990 Became the first Kansas City rookie to lead the club in sacks since ChiefsHall of Famer Art Still in ’78. His 10.0 sacks were just two shy of LeslieO’Neal’s then-NFL rookie record of 12.5.

January 1990 Earned consensus Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and first Pro Bowl berth, becoming the first Kansas City rookie to make the Pro Bowl since RB Joe Delaney following the ’81 season. Became thefirst Chiefs outside linebacker to earn a spot in that game since ProFootball Hall of Famer Bobby Bell in ’73. Also named the Chiefs MackLee Hill Award Winner.

November 11, 1990 Set an NFL single-game record with 7.0 sacks vs. Seattle, breaking the previous record of 6.0 set by San Francisco DE Fred Dean vs. NewOrleans (11/13/83).

December 29, 1990 Established Chiefs single-season record with 20.0 sacks, getting his 20thsack at Chicago, a win which clinched Kansas City’s first playoff berthsince ’86. At the time, his 20.0 sacks were just 2.0 shy of the NFL single-season record of 22.0 which was held by DE Mark Gastineau (’84).

January 5, 1991 Played in the first of 10 career postseason games with the Chiefs, a17-16 loss at Miami. Those 10 playoff appearances gave Thomas a shareof the franchise record along with John Alt, Tim Grunhard and Dave Szott.

February 1991 Played in his second Pro Bowl game.Established the “Third and Long Foundation,” an inner-city readingprogram in Kansas City. As part of the literacy program, Derrick read to children at local libraries each Saturday during the season beforehome games.

December 1991 Led the Chiefs in sacks for the third straight season with 13.5. January 1992 Addressed the Missouri General Assembly and obtained public

understanding and support for alternative programs for children at risk.Named the Chiefs Most Valuable Player for the first time, becoming thefirst linebacker to ever win that honor.

February 1992 Started his third straight Pro Bowl. Was awarded the first Distinguished Service to Education Award from theUniversity of Missouri-Kansas City School of Education.Mariam Williams, Thomas’ middle school English teacher was selectedas the NFL Teacher of the Year.

July 16, 1992 Was saluted by President George H.W. Bush as his 832nd Point of Lightfor exemplifying his beliefs that, “From now on in America, any definitionof a successful life must include serving others.” Derrick was the first(and only) NFL athlete to receive this award from former President Bush. Appeared in Hank Williams, Jr.’s, “Come on Over to Country” music video.

September 11, 1992 Met with President George H.W. Bush in Kansas City.October 18, 1992 Recorded 50th sack of his career on Troy Aikman vs. Dallas.December 1992 Tied with Neil Smith for the team lead with 14.5 sacks. February 1993 Started in the Pro Bowl for the fourth consecutive year.January 1993 Received the NFL’s most prestigious honor, receiving the ’93 Edge NFL

Man of the Year Award, which recognizes both community service andon-field performance.

May 1993 Delivered the keynote address at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial duringMemorial Day ceremonies in Washington, D.C. Other speakers at thatevent have included former Vice President Al Gore, General Colin Powelland former Pittsburgh Steelers RB Rocky Bleier.

DERRICK THOMAS TIMELINE

January 1994 Helped guide the Chiefs to their first AFC West title since ’71 and leadKansas City to its first-ever appearance in the AFC Championship Game.

February 1994 Played in the Pro Bowl for the fifth consecutive year. Awarded the ’94Genuine Heroes Award, presented by Trinity College in Chicago.

December 1994 Named the Chiefs MVP for the second time and was selected to his sixthconsecutive Pro Bowl.

June 1995 Selected the winner of the Byron “Whizzer” White Humanitarian Award forservice to team, community and country.

December 1995 Helped lead Kansas City to a franchise-best 13-3 regular season recordand the club’s second AFC West title in three years. Earned his seventhstraight Pro Bowl appearance in the process.

December 1996 Garnered his eighth straight Pro Bowl nod, while leading the team for thefifth time in his career, this time with 13.0 sacks.

November 16, 1997 Recorded the 100th sack of his NFL career, getting it against John Elwayin a 24-22 win vs. Denver at Arrowhead.

December 1997 Guided Kansas City to a franchise-best 13-3 record for the second timein three years as the Chiefs captured their third AFC West title in fiveseasons. Selected to his ninth consecutive Pro Bowl, the most of anyplayer in Chiefs history. Recorded 9.5 sacks despite missing four gamesto a triceps tendon injury.

September 6, 1998 Registered 6.0 sacks vs. Oakland in the season opener, just one shy oftying his own NFL record. Also pulled off a “called shot” in that contest,signaling a sack and then getting it on the next play in the end zone vs.Raiders QB Jeff George. That safety was the third of his career, a Chiefsrecord.

December 1998 Led the team with 12.0 sacks, the fifth time in his career he led the teamin that category.

December 26, 1998 Registered the fourth and final touchdown of his NFL tenure, a 44-yardfumble return in a 31-24 win at Oakland, the final game of MartySchottenheimer’s 10-year tenure as Chiefs head coach.

August 1999 Was selected to the Kansas City Chiefs 40th Anniversary Team as namedby Lamar Hunt and Lamar Hunt, Jr., joining G Will Shields as the onlyother active Chiefs player on that team.

September 19, 1999 Presented Gunther Cunningham with the game ball after the Chiefsrecorded their first regular season victory under their new head coach, a26-10 win vs. Denver at Arrowhead.

October 31, 1999 Recorded the first interception of his 11-year NFL career in a 34-0 shutoutof the San Diego Chargers at Arrowhead.

December 5, 1999 Became one of just 26 players in NFL history to be on a club’s roster forall 10 years of a 100-win decade when the Chiefs recorded a 16-10 winat Denver.

December 12, 1999 Registered the final sack of his NFL career on Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomczak,giving him a Chiefs-record 126.5 for his career, the 10th-highest total inNFL history. During the decade of the ‘90s, Thomas recorded 116.5sacks, the most of any player in the league during the decade.

January 1, 2000 Celebrated his 33rd birthday. January 2, 2000 Became first player in Chiefs history to play a regular season game in

three different decades (‘80s, ‘90s and ‘00s) when Kansas City suffered a41-38 overtime loss to the Oakland Raiders. It would be his 169th andfinal game as a Chief, his 158th regular season career start.

January 23, 2000 Seriously injured in a one-vehicle accident on icy roads on Interstate 435near Kansas City International Airport.

February 8, 2000 Passed away at 10:10 AM (EST) at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida.

March 4, 2000 Chiefs President Carl Peterson announced that at the suggestion of ClarkHunt, the team's annual Most Valuable Player Award would be henceforthbe known as the Derrick Thomas Award as Marvcus Patton became theonly Chiefs linebacker other than Thomas to receive that MVP honor.

May 13, 2000 Posthumously awarded bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and SocialWelfare from the University of Alabama.

CLASS OF 2005 PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME...

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