DeezNutz
01-31-2009, 10:49 PM
http://www.kansascity.com/sports/columnists/jason_whitlock/story/1011414.html
At last, Derrick Thomas is going to the Hall of Fame
TAMPA, Fla. | When Derrick Thomas’ name was announced for inclusion in the 2009 Pro Football Hall of Fame class, his mother screeched and the five-year wait for this moment turned inconsequential.
Derrick Thomas is a football immortal. His name is forever linked to Lawrence Taylor’s and Dick Butkus’ and Reggie White’s and all the other all-time defensive greats. And now we know we watched, chronicled and celebrated a Hall of Famer.
D.T. to Canton is our Super Bowl run, the payoff for 20 years of dedication to Chiefs football.
Thomas’ induction into the Hall of Fame is the most important, tangible accomplishment of the Carl Peterson era. The sellout crowds, the sparkling regular-season records in the 1990s, the additions of Joe Montana and Marcus Allen — none of those feats compares to the club’s homegrown franchise player having his career immortalized in Canton, Ohio.
For us, D.T. defined the just-completed era of Kansas City football. Now the definition has been broadened. What Thomas achieved in a Chiefs uniform helped define an entire league.
When the writers vote a player into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, they’re saying the NFL’s story can’t be properly told without the player’s inclusion.
The chapter on Derrick Thomas will be as compelling as any told in Canton.
When Bruce Smith, a fellow 2009 inductee, was asked to comment on Thomas, Smith’s initial remarks revolved around Thomas’ work in the community. In the years since Thomas’ tragic death, his legend as a man has grown more than his legend on the field.
I know that makes some of you uncomfortable. The fact that Thomas irresponsibly fathered at least seven children out of wedlock means that many of you feel it is inappropriate to celebrate his humanity.
I respectfully disagree. It is both possible and necessary to rebuke the negative and rejoice in the positive of any man’s life. Thomas was birthed into a flawed world, raised in a flawed environment (a father who died in the Vietnam War and a mother who left for a time) and did the best he could to find his place in this world. That is not a rationalization of his behavior. It’s acknowledgment that abandonment leaves real scars that often take a lifetime to heal.
Thomas’ journey was cut short by a car accident. I liked the path that he was on.
He had a commitment to children raised in situations similar to his own. His Third and Long literacy foundation was a trailblazer in professional sports. President George H.W. Bush recognized Thomas’ charitable endeavors, naming him one of a thousand points of light. The NFL bestowed its man of the year award on Thomas.
Derrick Thomas literally wanted to save the world from poverty and pain. He gave away way too much money. His inner circle of extended “family” included people from every walk of life and every age, sex, race and occupation imaginable.
D.T. collected everything in bunches — cars, friends, clothes, lovers and sacks.
Yeah, let’s not forget about football. Thomas rushed the quarterback when the league was in its transitional phase to the short, West Coast passing game. The style of attack was set up to eliminate the impact of speed rushers.
Thomas was a must-be-accounted-for force. He perfected the art of the tomahawk-strip sack. Every defensive player in the league chops at the football now when making a tackle. They’re mimicking Derrick Thomas.
You know the numbers, the 126 1/2 sacks, the seven-sack game, the forced fumble once every four games and the nine Pro Bowl appearances.
The numbers don’t define Derrick Thomas. That’s why he had to wait to be enshrined. To appreciate Thomas, to fully understand his influence, you had to experience him on a regular basis. His personality gave the Chiefs a swagger they’ve never been able to replace. In that way, Thomas was like Baltimore middle linebacker Ray Lewis minus the pregame dance.
Thomas gave the Chiefs a chance to win every game. You never knew when he’d cause a turnover that would swing the contest.
The timing of his induction into the Hall of Fame seems ideal now. It’s a wonderful close to the Peterson era. Hiring Marty Schottenheimer and drafting Derrick Thomas with the fourth pick of the 1989 draft were Peterson’s two best and biggest decisions.
Peterson hit a double with Schottenheimer and a home run with Thomas. Kansas City will be forever grateful.
At last, Derrick Thomas is going to the Hall of Fame
TAMPA, Fla. | When Derrick Thomas’ name was announced for inclusion in the 2009 Pro Football Hall of Fame class, his mother screeched and the five-year wait for this moment turned inconsequential.
Derrick Thomas is a football immortal. His name is forever linked to Lawrence Taylor’s and Dick Butkus’ and Reggie White’s and all the other all-time defensive greats. And now we know we watched, chronicled and celebrated a Hall of Famer.
D.T. to Canton is our Super Bowl run, the payoff for 20 years of dedication to Chiefs football.
Thomas’ induction into the Hall of Fame is the most important, tangible accomplishment of the Carl Peterson era. The sellout crowds, the sparkling regular-season records in the 1990s, the additions of Joe Montana and Marcus Allen — none of those feats compares to the club’s homegrown franchise player having his career immortalized in Canton, Ohio.
For us, D.T. defined the just-completed era of Kansas City football. Now the definition has been broadened. What Thomas achieved in a Chiefs uniform helped define an entire league.
When the writers vote a player into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, they’re saying the NFL’s story can’t be properly told without the player’s inclusion.
The chapter on Derrick Thomas will be as compelling as any told in Canton.
When Bruce Smith, a fellow 2009 inductee, was asked to comment on Thomas, Smith’s initial remarks revolved around Thomas’ work in the community. In the years since Thomas’ tragic death, his legend as a man has grown more than his legend on the field.
I know that makes some of you uncomfortable. The fact that Thomas irresponsibly fathered at least seven children out of wedlock means that many of you feel it is inappropriate to celebrate his humanity.
I respectfully disagree. It is both possible and necessary to rebuke the negative and rejoice in the positive of any man’s life. Thomas was birthed into a flawed world, raised in a flawed environment (a father who died in the Vietnam War and a mother who left for a time) and did the best he could to find his place in this world. That is not a rationalization of his behavior. It’s acknowledgment that abandonment leaves real scars that often take a lifetime to heal.
Thomas’ journey was cut short by a car accident. I liked the path that he was on.
He had a commitment to children raised in situations similar to his own. His Third and Long literacy foundation was a trailblazer in professional sports. President George H.W. Bush recognized Thomas’ charitable endeavors, naming him one of a thousand points of light. The NFL bestowed its man of the year award on Thomas.
Derrick Thomas literally wanted to save the world from poverty and pain. He gave away way too much money. His inner circle of extended “family” included people from every walk of life and every age, sex, race and occupation imaginable.
D.T. collected everything in bunches — cars, friends, clothes, lovers and sacks.
Yeah, let’s not forget about football. Thomas rushed the quarterback when the league was in its transitional phase to the short, West Coast passing game. The style of attack was set up to eliminate the impact of speed rushers.
Thomas was a must-be-accounted-for force. He perfected the art of the tomahawk-strip sack. Every defensive player in the league chops at the football now when making a tackle. They’re mimicking Derrick Thomas.
You know the numbers, the 126 1/2 sacks, the seven-sack game, the forced fumble once every four games and the nine Pro Bowl appearances.
The numbers don’t define Derrick Thomas. That’s why he had to wait to be enshrined. To appreciate Thomas, to fully understand his influence, you had to experience him on a regular basis. His personality gave the Chiefs a swagger they’ve never been able to replace. In that way, Thomas was like Baltimore middle linebacker Ray Lewis minus the pregame dance.
Thomas gave the Chiefs a chance to win every game. You never knew when he’d cause a turnover that would swing the contest.
The timing of his induction into the Hall of Fame seems ideal now. It’s a wonderful close to the Peterson era. Hiring Marty Schottenheimer and drafting Derrick Thomas with the fourth pick of the 1989 draft were Peterson’s two best and biggest decisions.
Peterson hit a double with Schottenheimer and a home run with Thomas. Kansas City will be forever grateful.