Thomas Redeems Himself After '98 Fiasco
Sept. 20, 1999
The last time Derrick Thomas faced the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium, he admittedly embarrassed himself, the Chiefs franchise and all of Kansas City.
Thomas, a nine-time Pro-Bowl selection, was ejected from last year's infamous Monday night loss to Denver after several flagrant personal fouls and an evening of subpar play.
In Sunday's 26-10 victory over the Super Bowl champion Broncos, however, Thomas redeemed himself.
Thomas helped dismantle the Broncos' offense by leading the team with eight unassisted tackles and deflecting a pass. He also was also able to achieve what many defensive players call a hat trick: sacking the quarterback, forcing a fumble and recovering it on the same play.
"I was just busy today trying to make plays," Thomas said.
Thomas said his performance Sunday was just a matter of playing to his potential and working hard every play.
"It works out if you just keep at it," he said. "Keep playing hard."
Thomas' play drew rave reviews from teammates, coaches and opponents alike.
"He was out there flying around and making plays today," said fellow Chiefs linebacker Marvcus Patton. "I've been playing 10 years, and I'm still learning things by watching him play like he did today."
Thomas' biggest play came in the third quarter when he ripped past Broncos left tackle Tony Jones, sacked quarterback Brian Griese, stripped him of the football and recovered the fumble, giving Kansas City possession deep in Denver territory. The Chiefs got a 44-yard field goal from Pete Stoyanovich and a 16-3 lead out of the possession.
"Derrick was his usual self. He's a player," Jones said. "He beat me today ... he's just the man. You know?"
