Tag: derrick thomas

Former Chiefs LB Donnie Edwards reflects on beloved friend, teammate Derrick Thomas 

Ed Easton Jr. spoke to Donnie Edwards about his beloved friend and teammate, Kansas City #Chiefs legend Derrick Thomas. | @EdEastonJr

The legacy of Kansas City Chiefs defensive star Derrick Thomas is among the most legendary in NFL history. The effect that Thomas made on the game with his leadership is equally as impressive as the athletic ability that made him one of the league’s most dominant pass rushers of all time.

Former Chiefs linebacker Donnie Edwards built strong bonds with his teammates throughout his thirteen seasons in the NFL, especially during two stints in Kansas City. Chiefs Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. spoke to Edwards about his friendship with Thomas and their relationship in the 1990s.

“He was special. He called me ‘surfer boy’. They call me surfer boy, everybody knows Derrick (Thomas) always had a nickname,” Edwards explained. “If you were friends with Derrick, he had a nickname for you, I’m telling you. He took me under his wing when I was a rookie. You know, California, call me California boy; it’s because I’m from California, UCLA, born and raised on the beach, and just different. Still, he and I connected for the years that we were together.

“The way that he was able to perform, and to see how he would switch his mentality on game day, like, go from a happy-go-lucky guy to a serious professional, like, it’s on now. I just like, wow, this is cool. So, from a young player, you’re watching all this, you’re watching Dan Saleaumua, you’re watching Neil Smith, you’re watching James Hasty, Like, I was watching all of these guys and learning from them, just [to] see how they operate, see what they do. It was really helpful, seeing how serious Derrick was about games and how he just turned it on.”

Thomas’ influence on a young Edwards didn’t end with their work on the field for the Chiefs. In the late 1990s, the linebackers built a friendship as teammates.

“The way that he worked and, we were friends off the field as well. He’d always come out to California. He always called me at the last minute, like, ‘Surfer boy, I’m coming to you right now, I’m at the airport’. I’m like, ‘It’s nine o’clock in the morning, I’m picking you up. Let’s go.’ So I [have got to] get dressed, and off we go. I miss him, and I miss his laugh. I miss his spunk and everything. He’s truly missed.”

To learn more about Donnie Edwards’ work with military veterans, visit the Best Defense Foundation’s website.

Derrick Thomas’ family to receive ‘Ring of Excellence’ before Chiefs’ matchup vs. Broncos

Derrick Thomas’ family will receive a ‘Ring of Excellence’ before the #Chiefs’ Week 5 matchup against the #Broncos.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame will honor the family of late Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Derrick Thomas with a “Ring of Excellence” ahead of the team’s matchup against the Denver Broncos on Thursday.

News of the forthcoming gesture broke on Twitter last night when the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced that Kay Jewelers would sponsor the pregame ceremony.

 

Thomas is one of the NFL’s all-time best pass rushers and was a key member of Kansas City’s elite defenses in a decade-long stretch from 1989 until 1999. He accumulated more than 126 sacks over the course of his storied career before his untimely death in 2000.

No single player has had more of an impact on the Chiefs franchise, and his legacy lives on in the memories of fans who witnessed his exceptional rise to stardom. Expect Kansas City’s defense to play with an extra edge against Denver as they look to honor Thomas with an exceptional performance.

Chargers’ Khalil Mack delivers career performance vs. Raiders: ‘He is still that guy’

Khalil Mack put together a rare performance against his former team.

Joey Bosa and Tuli Tuipulotu had been getting all the praise in weeks prior, as they had three and two sacks, respectively. All the while, Khalil Mack, who hadn’t recorded a sack entering Sunday, was gearing up for a monstrous performance of his own.

Mack posted six sacks in the Chargers’ 24-17 victory over the Raiders, two of which resulted in fumbles. His six sacks are a career-high for a single game and a franchise record. It’s also tied for the second-most sacks in a single game in NFL history.

Mack was one sack shy of tying the single-game sack record, which is held by Pro Football Hall of Famer Derrick Thomas, dating back to 1990.

Last season, Mack had a three-sack performance the first time the Bolts played the Raiders, the team that drafted him back in 2014 and where he spent the first four seasons of his professional career.

“You can say it’s something extra, but it is what it is,” Mack said about delivering big performances against his former team, per the team’s official website.

“I mean obviously you want to play good against your old team,” Mack later added. “But just knowing where you come from and knowing that organization and what it meant to me to get drafted to that organization. It’s a lot of respect, but it’s a lot of wanting to get back too… At the end of the day, it’s just another game.”

The offensive line was a strength of the Raiders coming into the game, as they allowed just four sacks through the first three games. But this was with Jimmy Garoppolo under center. Instead, rookie Aidan O’Connell started in place of the inactive Garoppolo.

With that came growing pains for O’Connell, who frequently held onto the ball for too long, resulting in an easier path for Mack to get to him. Plus, Mack wasn’t double teamed as much as other opposing teams would. He was double teamed on just two pass rushes.

Despite being 32, Mack showed on the field that he can still play at a high level.

“He had been [pass] rushing at a high level for three games,” Brandon Staley said postgame. “We do this thing — he taught me back in Chicago, — close, he had been close the whole year, to having three monster games. He was close.

“Today, he put it all together,” Staley added. “This guy is one of the best edge players of a generation and he is still that guy, he is still that guy — he just showed everybody, ‘I’m still that guy.’ He’s one of our leaders.”

Mack will look to keep the pressure on two Sundays from now when the Chargers take on the Cowboys in Week 6.

Throwback Thursday: Chiefs select Alabama EDGE Derrick Thomas in 1989 NFL draft

#TBT to when the #Chiefs selected Alabama EDGE Derrick Thomas with pick No. 4 in the 1989 NFL draft.

On April 23rd, 1989, Carl Peterson would make his first draft pick as general manager of the Kansas City Chiefs.

It just so happens that the player Peterson selected would go on to be a Pro Football Hall of Famer and one of the all-time greats in franchise history. The Chiefs selected Alabama edge rusher Derrick Thomas with the No. 4 pick in the 1989 NFL draft. It was the second year in a row that the Chiefs had found themselves picking in the top 10, and this time they grabbed a big-time difference maker.

Check out this click from the 1989 NFL draft on Thomas:

Thomas would go on to set the Chiefs’ rookie record for sacks with 10 in 1989, paving the way for his selection as the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year. He also earned an invitation to the Pro Bowl, which would spark a Pro Bowl run that lasted for nine consecutive seasons. He earned First-Team All-Pro honors in 1990 and 1991.

Thomas led the entire league in sacks in 1990 with 20 sacks on the year, fueled by a game during which he set the NFL’s single-game record for sacks. To this day, Thomas remains Kansas City’s franchise leader in sacks with 126.5 career sacks. He also produced a whopping 41 forced fumbles and three safeties during his career.

A car crash in 2000 would ultimately leave Thomas paralyzed from the neck down. Not a month after his accident, Thomas died due to a pulmonary embolism. He’d be posthumously inducted into both the Chiefs Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

As a way to recognize his achievements both on and off the football field, the Chiefs would go on to retire Thomas’ No. 58 jersey and would name the annual team MVP award after him.

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LOOK: Von Miller honoring legendary Chiefs LB Derrick Thomas

#Bills LB Von Miller is honoring #Chiefs HOF LB Derrick Thomas by wearing a T-Shirt featuring his likeness in pregame warmups.

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Bills LB Von Miller has been wearing unique shirts each week during pregame warmups this season, most featuring prominent figures and moments in Buffalo franchise history. This time, Miller is doing something different. He is using his T-Shirt to honor his favorite player of all-time — Kansas City Chiefs LB Derrick Thomas.

Miller spoke a bit this week ahead of the matchup about why he loves traveling to play at Arrowhead Stadium and how he pays his respects to Thomas every time he’s on that field.

“I’m looking forward to going back to Arrowhead Stadium,” Miller said. “Derrick Thomas is my favorite player to ever play the game. I molded my game after him. He was the reason why I wore No. 58 in Denver. Every time I am on the field, I look for that 58 that’s on the Ring of Honor and just give him a moment and give him a moment of silence and my energy because I want to continue to try and play the game the way he played it. Arrowhead Stadium has always been a special place for me.”

Thomas is the Chiefs’ franchise sack leader, with 126.5 career sacks before his sudden death back in 2000. Miller has been studying Thomas’ game since he was playing college football back at Texas A&M and that’s only increased over the years in the NFL. He’s a student of the game, who continues to model his game after an all-timer like Thomas. It’s cool to see that even in his 12th NFL season, Miller is paying respect to one of the players he’ll join in the hallowed halls of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

All of that said, let’s hope Miller looks nothing like Thomas on Sunday afternoon when the game between Buffalo and Kansas City kicks off.

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Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for Week 4

#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes has passed Pro Football Hall of Fame LB Derrick Thomas for the most AFC Player of the Week Awards in franchise history.

Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes has earned his second AFC Offensive Player of the Week Award this season and the ninth weekly award of his career. In doing so, Mahomes even made a bit of franchise history.

Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers No. 1 ranked scoring defense, Mahomes posted an impressive stat line of 23-of-37 for 249 yards, three touchdowns and one interception with a 97.7 passer rating and 34 yards on the ground. He threw a touchdown pass that had the whole football-watching world talking, reminding us all of just how special it is to watch him play. Most importantly, his performance helped this team get back into the win column after a disappointing loss the week prior.

Mahomes now has nine NFL weekly awards during his five seasons as a starter and has passed Chiefs Hall of Fame LB Derrick Thomas for the most weekly awards in franchise history. It took Thomas 10 seasons to earn eight weekly awards and Mahomes exceeded that amount in half the time.

Here are links to our stories on all of his other AFC Player of the Week honors:

Mahomes was the only player in the AFC to throw three touchdown passes in Week 4. Only Dan Marino and Peyton Manning have more games with three touchdown passes through their first six seasons as a starter.

On top of all that, Mahomes now has the fifth-most weekly awards among active NFL quarterbacks. He’s accomplished that in just five seasons as a starter and we’re barely a quarter of the way through the 2022 NFL season.

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The Honey Badger brings home another award

Another award for former LSU Tigers defensive back Tyrann Mathieu.

Former LSU Tiger, Tyrann Mathieu, earned his second career Derrick Thomas MVP award for his performance in the 2021 NFL season and postseason.

The Derrick Thomas Award is named after the former Chiefs linebacker and NFL Hall of Famer that played 169 games in Kansas City. He recorded 642 tackles, 126.5 sacks, 41 forced fumbles, and an interception during his 11-year career.

This was the second time Mathieu won the prestigious award that is voted on by Kansas City players and coaches. He last won the award in 2019. This year, Mathieu finished the season with 82 combined tackles, three interceptions, and a sack. The Chiefs were defeated by Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game.

“Chiefs Kingdom, Tyrann Mathieu here,” Mathieu began. “It is, once again, such an honor to accept the Derrick Thomas team MVP award. You know, credit goes out to my coaches and my teammates for believing in me, for helping support me. It’s such an honor to represent Chiefs Kingdom. So, go Chiefs.” – chiefswire

Mathieu played for LSU in 2010 and 2011 totaling 133 combined tackles, 16 tackles for loss, six sacks, four interceptions, eight fumble recoveries, and 11 forced fumbles. The Tigers were 24-3 during those two years and appeared in the National Championship game against Alabama on January 9th, 2012.

Swinney compares Clemson linebacker to Pro Football Hall of Famer

When he watches Trenton Simpson, Dabo Swinney sees flashbacks of a former Alabama star and Pro Football Hall of Famer. During his Zoom conference call Sunday evening, Clemson’s head coach compared the Tigers’ sophomore linebacker to the late great …

When he watches Trenton Simpson, Dabo Swinney sees flashbacks of a former Alabama star and Pro Football Hall of Famer.

During his Zoom conference call Sunday evening, Clemson’s head coach compared the Tigers’ sophomore linebacker to the late great Derrick Thomas, one of college football’s best pass rushers who was a first-round pick in the 1989 NFL Draft and went on to become a nine-time Pro Bowler, totaling 126.5 sacks during his 11-year career with the Kansas City Chiefs.

“He can do anything. He really can. He can do anything,” Swinney said of Simpson. “I was one year at Alabama with a guy named Derrick Thomas… I got to see him up close and personal and then obviously followed him all through his career. You hate to compare people, but he reminds me of that. Derrick was a little bigger, but just the versatility and all the different things he can do as far as rushing the passer, the speed he possesses, his physicality, range, you name it – he is just a really, really good football player that’s going to continue to get better.”

In 11 games this season (10 starts), Simpson – a former five-star prospect from Mallard Creek High School in Charlotte – has tallied 66 total tackles, which is good for third on the team. Simpson is second on the team with 11 tackles for loss and six sacks, behind only Myles Murphy in both statistics. Simpson has also recorded three pass breakups and eight quarterback pressures.

Swinney believes Simpson is ahead of where former Clemson do-it-all defender and current Arizona Cardinals linebacker Isaiah Simmons was at the same stage of their college careers.

“He’s still learning the game, still building a great foundation for his future,” Swinney said of Simpson. “But he’s a weapon and can do a little bit of everything. Very similar to Isaiah in that regard. I think he’s ahead of Isaiah as a true sophomore, for sure, within our scheme. Like I said, just going to continue to improve and grow.”

Clemson Variety & Frame is doing their part to help bring you some classic new barware and help one of the local businesses that helps make Clemson special.

Order your Nick’s barware and do your part to help.  #SaveNicks

Throwback Thursday: Chiefs’ Derrick Thomas sets NFL’s single-game sack record

#TBT to #Chiefs legend Derrick Thomas setting the NFL’s single-game sack record on Nov. 11, 1990, with seven sacks against #Seahawks QB Dave Krieg.

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31 years to the day, Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Derrick Thomas broke the NFL’s single-game sack record.

The record was previously held by San Francisco 49ers DE Fred Dean, who set it with six sacks in 1983 against the New Orleans Saints. He held the record for seven seasons before Thomas put up one of the best performances by a defensive player in NFL history. Facing the Seattle Seahawks at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 10 of the 1990 NFL season, Thomas notched seven sacks on QB Dave Kreig, including four sacks in the second half of the game.

It was just Thomas’ second season as a professional and he was building upon a stellar rookie campaign. While the record stands to this day, it didn’t matter at the moment. Kreig escaped what would have been the eighth sack by Thomas and delivered a fourth-quarter strike to WR Paul Skansi with seconds remaining in the game. The Seahawks would win the game 17-16 over Kansas City, giving the Chiefs their fourth loss of the season.

“I thought I had him,” said Thomas, via the New York Times. “He just stumbled back and caught his balance and threw the pass. That last sack I didn’t get is the one I’m going to remember.”

The Chiefs would go on to finish the season with an 11-5 record. Marty Schottenheimer’s team would make the wild-card round of the playoffs, but lose with a familiar 17-16 score against the Miami Dolphins. Thomas would go on to record a league-leading 20 sacks that season, earning a selection to the Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro honors.

Bringing the past to the present, Thomas actually faced off against current Chiefs OL coach Andy Heck, who played left tackle for the Seahawks from 1989-1991. While his team won the game, playing against Thomas is probably a memory he’d rather soon forget.

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Will Anderson jr. earns SEC conference honors yet again following win against Miss. State

Will Anderson Jr. earns the Crimson Tide’s seventh SEC honor on the season!

Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr. has been no stranger to SEC conference honors during the 2021 season, so far.

The Sophomore linebacker earned his third SEC Player of the Week award on the season after recording four tackles for loss during the Mississippi State game on Saturday, all four TFLs were sacks.

The star edge rusher also added two more stops to go with his four TFLs, giving him a total of six stops on the evening. He also added a pass breakup to his impressive stat sheet.

Anderson earned the Crimson Tide’s seventh total SEC honor on the season.

With the performance, Anderson became just the third Alabama defender in its history to record four-plus sacks in a game, joining the legendary NFL Hall of Famer Derrick Thomas and two-time All-American Leroy Cook.

Anderson was highly commended by Alabama fans and alumni after his recent displays of leadership prior to the game against the Bulldogs.

Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire for continued coverage of the Alabama Crimson Tide!

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