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Thomas Deserves to be Remembered as a Hero
Feb. 14, 2000
There's nothing wrong with celebrating Derrick Thomas as a hero.
Along with the deep outpouring of sorrowful emotion among Chiefs fans concerning Thomas' one-car accident and subsequent death, there has been a silly, steady undercurrent of cynicism, jealousy and judgmental disapproval of the way Thomas conducted his life.
The argument goes that we in the media are holding up Thomas as a saint and perfect role model for kids when in reality he was far from it. The argument further states that we in the media have been reluctant to point out that Thomas' recklessness and poor decision-making caused his death and the death of his good friend Mike Tellis.
The argument has been expressed to me in e-mails and voice-mail messages. My sports editor, Mike Fannin, has fielded several complaints from Star readers. I've heard it on my radio show.
All of you are wrong.
Thomas' failings don't diminish him as a hero. They only reveal him as just as human and just as flawed as the rest of us.
I've never bought into the theory of athletes as role models. It's stupid. It sends a ridiculous message that somehow some wealthy jock your son or daughter has never met has more influence over your kids than you (the parents) do.
That's just not true.
Derrick Thomas had a responsibility as a role model to his seven children, his brothers and sisters, and the kids he came in regular contact with through his Third and Long Foundation.
For everyone else, Thomas was nothing more than an example.
Thomas was an example that adults could point to and say, "Hey, regardless of the situation, regardless of the fact that your father has died or isn't here, you can still become someone special in this world."
He was an example adults could point to and say, "If you're ever blessed with great wealth, don't forget to turn back around and offer someone less fortunate a helping hand."
Those are the two things we know most about Derrick Thomas. He overcame incredible odds to become someone special in America. And when he became special, he remembered to share his blessings with others.
That's why there's nothing wrong with celebrating Derrick Thomas as a hero. He was a hero to me.
His devotion to his charitable foundation was real. It wasn't a public-relations ploy. He lent much more than his name to the foundation. The time I spent with Thomas and Neil Smith visiting sick children at local hospitals was one of the most moving experiences of my life. You have no idea how mentally and physically grueling it is to visit sick child after sick child, hospital after hospital, until you've done it for 31/2 hours. It takes a toll.
I can offer you no opinion about what kind of a father Derrick was to his children. That's none of my business. That's between Derrick, his children, the mothers of those children and God.
A big NFL contract and fame don't entitle us to know everything about a celebrity. Plus, Thomas' personal relationships were irrelevant to us. He was never an elected official. His personal dealings never caused him to run afoul of the law.
Thomas was a football player and a philanthropist. He never portrayed himself as a social angel. He never hid where he liked to socialize. He was a flawed human being, just like you, who was in the process of evolving beyond some of his flaws.
As for Thomas' role in his demise and the demise of Mike Tellis?
I don't think anyone felt worse about that than Thomas. Of course, he should have been wearing a seat belt. Of course, he should have allotted more time to get to the airport.
These truths are self-evident.
And so is this one: Derrick Thomas deserves to be remembered and celebrated as a hero.
He influenced our lives positively. He made living here a richer experience. He had a good heart. He cared about people. He faced up to his mistakes like a man and accepted the consequences of his mistakes, even when he thought those consequences were too harsh.
from kc star
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