Kansas City Chiefs Mount Rushmore: The Fab Four
By Mike Norris
Dec 8, 2013; Landover, MD, USA; General view of Kansas City Chiefs helmet before the game against the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Derrick Thomas, LB
Not only does Derrick Thomas hold the NFL single-game sack record with seven, he’s also tied for second with six in one game.
Everything the 6-foot-3, 240-pound linebacker did on or off the field was bold and exceptional. Whether it was the sacks, the hard hits, or his huge smile he always flashed, Thomas made an impact on his former teammates from 1990-99 on the field, and off the field ever since.
The nine-time Pro Bowler and two-time, first-team All-Pro was named to the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 2001, and the Pro Football HOF eight years later. Pro Football Reference ranks his 126.5 sacks 15th all-time, and number one in Chiefs’ history.
While he was named the 1989 Defensive Rookie of the Year, his off-the-field greatness was proven when he won the 1993 Walter Payton Man of the Year award.
Thomas led the Chiefs to seven playoff games, three of them wins, during his first four seasons. His numbers and the ferocity and passion with which he played put him among one of the most popular Chiefs ever.
Unfortunately, Thomas died Feb. 8, 2000 after complications from an earlier car accident at the age of 33.
Next: Tony Is No Phony