On Saturday, Chiefs fans heard the news they have been waiting five years for. Former Chiefs linebacker Derrick Thomas had been finally elected to the National Football League Hall of Fame. Most people around Kansas City expected Thomas to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but had to wait until 2009.
During the 1990s, no linebacker was more dominant than Thomas. He even led the NFL in sacks during the 90s (116 1/2). He was selected as the rookie of the year in 1990 and went on to play in nine strait Pro Bowls. Unfortunately he career was cut short, not by injury, but by a car accident. In February of 2000 he crashed his car on a snowy Kansas City Highway and was thrown from the vehicle and later pronounced dead. His death was something that resonated with the people of Kansas City. He was the good guy who played hard on every down. He had spent thousands hours volunteering and starting the success Third and Long foundation to help inner-city children. He was what you wanted a professional athlete to be. Thomas was not wearing his seat belt when the accident happened. The outcry of support and the new awareness for seat belts became staggering. I can remember seeing cars driving on the highway with “remember DT, buckle up” written on the back of car windows. My parents had a bumper sticker with a similar meaning. He helped improve the lives of people even in death.
No one has a definitive reason as to why it took five years for Thomas to be elected. He was a disruptive force like the NFL had never seen and an even better person off the field. Now his mold will grace the Hall of Fame in Caton
