I first met Derrick Thomas in May 1988 at a preseason All-America weekend in Miami. On the first day, after arriving in town for a photo shoot that took place after sundown at what was then Joe Robbie Stadium, a group of us decided to go out for a late dinner.
The group included Thomas, Troy Aikman, Deion Sanders, Barry Sanders, and coach Jackie Sherrill. It was about 10:30 at night, and I recommended the Palm Restaurant, not far from our hotel. The kitchen was closed by the time we got there, but because of my friendship with the proprietor, Wally Ganzi, they re-opened the kitchen for us and we were there for several hours.
Sensational six
The Pro Football Hall of Fame's class of 2009 is as good as it gets. Among the six enshrinees, you will find: Two of the most feared pass rushers of all-time (Bruce Smith and Derrick Thomas) ... an Olympic gold-medal sprinter (Bob Hayes) ... a defensive back with a knack for the end zone (Rod Woodson) ... a man who has been to more Pro Bowls than anyone else (Randall McDaniel) ... and an original AFL owner (Ralph Wilson).NFL.com's Gil Brandt has some observations and recollections of each:
» Bob Hayes » Randall McDaniel
» Bruce Smith » Derrick Thomas
» Ralph Wilson » Rod Woodson
They seated us in a corner in the back right of the restaurant, and we had a fabulous time. Deion and Thomas never stopped talking. Barry didn't say a word. Aikman told stories about growing up in a small town in Oklahoma. Thomas talked about his father, an Air Force pilot who died in Vietnam.
After the dinner, Thomas -- who grew up in Miami -- wanted Sherrill and myself to join the group at a disco he was planning to visit with his fellow All-Americans. We passed.
Throughout the night, one thing I remember clearer than anything else: I have never seen a person smile as much as Thomas.
While Thomas was always smiling, any quarterback who lined up opposite Thomas would have had an entirely different countenance: a look of fear.
Thomas was a great player at the University of Alabama. His name is in the school's record book for most forced fumbles in a season (7), quarterback hurries in a game (9), quarterback hurries in a season (44), most sacks in a game (5), most sacks in a season (27), and most sacks in a career (52). Those marks for sacks in a season and a career are twice as many as the second-place numbers.
Thomas was described in pre-draft reports written by Bob Griffin, one of our scouts with the Cowboys, as someone who had all the tools to be an all-pro player. He had excellent speed (Thomas ran a 4.54 at the combine), with tremendous quickness. He was used mostly as a pass rusher, playing a high percentage of the time with his hand on the ground. He was a good tackler with outstanding lateral movement. He was okay on the backpedal, even though he did not do it very often.
The Chiefs took Thomas fourth overall in the 1989 draft -- just behind Barry Sanders and just ahead of Deion Sanders. And Thomas was just as menacing to NFL quarterbacks as he was to college quarterbacks.
On Nov. 11, 1990, Thomas set an NFL single-game record that still stands when he recorded seven sacks against the Seattle Seahawks. (On the last play of that game, Thomas actually had a clear shot at his eighth sack of the game, but Seattle quarterback Dave Krieg ducked away from him and threw a touchdown pass to give the Seahawks a 17-16 win.)
Thomas, in his 11-year career, was selected to nine Pro Bowls. He had 126.5 sacks. And just as he does at Alabama, he holds the Chiefs' record with 45 career forced fumbles.
After the 1999 season, Thomas and two friends were driving to St. Louis to see a Rams playoff game when their car hit an icy patch of road. The car spun out of control and Thomas, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was critically injured. He was transported to a rehab center in Miami, where he died on Feb. 8, 2000, sitting in a wheelchair with his mother and a member of the Kansas City Chiefs staff present. Thomas was 33 years old.
I can guarantee you one thing: Thomas will be smiling on Aug. 8, when his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame takes place.
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