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It's Not the Sacks that were Special
Feb. 12, 2000
I don't remember many of the sacks.
But that's OK. They will live forever in the files of NFL Films.
They'll be dragged out of the archives every so often to remind us that Derrick Thomas was one of the premier pass rushers in the history of professional football.
The things that aren't captured on videotape and will never be shown on the NFL highlight film are the things that stand out most.
It was sharing a thought in the locker room after a Thursday practice.
It was watching a true professional prepare for the opening game of the 1993 season by wearing a black, rubberized sweat top in the stifling heat of late August so he would be prepared for the sweltering humidity of Tampa, Fla.
One example stands out most, however. It came during training camp in River Falls, Wis. Following the afternoon practice, two figures remained on the far side of the practice figure. They worked tirelessly rushing a blocking dummy.
One was an entirely forgettable guy, one of those little-known players who parade through the NFL each August chasing a dream. He was having problems getting to the quarterback.
The other? He already had a 20-sack season behind him. The KC Strip already was a regular word in Chiefs jargon. But there was Thomas, working alongside this journeyman because he had asked for help. Thomas would slowly demonstrate how he used his hands and then dropped his shoulder to get around the corner.
He made move after move on the tackling dummy as his student watched and tried to emulate. Later, when asked why he stayed for extra work after five hours of two-a-days, Thomas gave a simple answer. This linebacker, who would never wear a Chiefs uniform during a regular-season game, had asked for help.
Sports writers sometimes forget that our profession allows us to brush against the best athletes in the world, to know George Brett or Joe Montana or Derrick Thomas on a first-name basis. Generally, we aren't friends -- just acquaintances.
We see first-hand their greatest triumphs and best traits as well as their worst losses and lowest moments. But perhaps best of all, we get to see them work daily at their craft. Thomas worked very hard at his craft. It was beautiful to watch him work.
Afterward, he played very hard.
Many will tell you Thomas was bigger than the life, that his trademark smile could light up a room, that his charitable contributions to the community will be the legacy of his career in Kansas City.
They'll be right.
Derrick Thomas crammed as much life into his 33 years as anyone could. A friend once described him as the kind of person who wouldn't be happy unless he was going 100 miles an hour with his hair on fire.
He meant it as a compliment.
And it's true. Even when Thomas wasn't in a hurry, he was in a hurry.
He pushed life right to the edge. When he could be somewhere early, he wasn't. If the team meeting started at 9 a.m., Thomas would come wheeling into the parking lot at 8:59 and rush into the meeting just before the fine was levied.
Interviews after practice were sometimes conducted on the run because Thomas had crammed something else into his already overcrowded schedule.
That could well have been a factor in the tragic accident that ultimately led to the circumstances that took his life. Witnesses say he was driving at a high rate of speed, changing lanes when he lost control of his car.
But Thomas wouldn't have been the player he was and he wouldn't have had the impact he did on our lives had he been any different.
from kc star
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