KCChiefs.com : Finally, D.T. is Home

[Coach]

If a week from now, Todd Haley reaches the mountaintop of football coaching with an NFL head...

More... (http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nfl/SIG=12lnvddje/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=fulloffireandfurycardina&prov=tsn&type=lgns)

[N TX Dave]

He sounds good to me I would be happy with him as HC if his current and past players like him and say he made them better what more do you want. I know how to manage a game.

[Sn@keIze]

NO NO NO!! Just because hes in the superbowl hes automatically the next best coach?!

No way, that team does have Warner, Fitz, Boldin, Breaston and James to make that Offense look special..Id say they have more to do with it than Haley..

Plus, I would like to see someone who likes a good balance between the run and pass. Hes too pass happy.

Im not even going to go into the Defensive details..too much typing.

[N TX Dave]

NO NO NO!! Just because hes in the superbowl hes automatically the next best coach?!

No way, that team does have Warner, Fitz, Boldin, Breaston and James to make that Offense look special..Id say they have more to do with it than Haley..

Plus, I would like to see someone who likes a good balance between the run and pass. Hes too pass happy.

Im not even going to go into the Defensive details..too much typing.

Well just who do you want then? Cower, Marty, The Rat, Chuckie name the old rehashed HC? Tell us who you think would be better and why.

:sign0153:

[Sn@keIze]

Well just who do you want then? Cower, Marty, The Rat, Chuckie name the old rehashed HC? Tell us who you think would be better and why.

:sign0153:In my previous post ive shown favor in your first three you listed(Cowher, Shottenheimer, Shanny)but those arent likely to happen. Definetaly dont want Chuckie, he inhereted Dungys team he built.

Id be interested in someone who can do what Herm was supposed to do, get a defense, but with a 3-4. Haley is not that guy

But more than who I want, I know who I dont want.

[hermhater]

:yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo:

[Bike]

Awesome. Finally.

[chiefsfreak4life]

Just announced on NFL Network, Derrick Thomas is going into the Hall of Fame class 2009!! It's about time he gets his due.

And a side note, Shannon Sharpe does not get in this year!

[hermhater]

http://arrowheadjunkies.com/pictures/PhotoShop/sig_pics/NFL_Players/kansas_city_chiefs/derrick_thomas/cc/derrick_thomas_spatter_cc.png

[chiefsfreak4life]

Derrick Thomas Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2009
Jan 31, 2009, 1:40:33 PM


The Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee announced on Saturday that the late LB Derrick Thomas has been elected to the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2009. The Class of 2009 will be enshrined in Canton, Ohio on Sunday, August 8th. Thomas becomes the 10th member of the Chiefs to be enshrined in Canton. He joins fellow linebackers Bobby Bell (Class of ‘82) and Willie Lanier (Class of ‘86) in Canton.

“This is an exciting day for Chiefs fans across the country and an exciting day for our family,” Chiefs Chairman Clark Hunt said. “Derrick Thomas was a cornerstone of the modern era of the Chiefs, and one of the most feared pass rushers of his generation. We are thrilled with his selection to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2009.

“His outstanding statistics and play on the field made him deserving of pro football’s highest individual honor, but – just as importantly – he was a hall of famer in the Kansas City community. Derrick’s legacy of community involvement is among the finest for any player in Chiefs history, and he will be remembered for contributions like the Third and Long Foundation and his work to help others long after his induction ceremony.”

Thomas was the Chiefs first-round selection (fourth overall) in the ‘89 NFL Draft out of the University of Alabama. A nine-time Pro Bowl selection, Thomas holds Kansas City’s franchise record and ranks 11th in NFL history with 126.5 career sacks. A native of Miami, Florida, Thomas also holds Chiefs records for career safeties (3), forced fumbles (45) and fumble recoveries (19). Only two players in NFL history own more safeties or fumble return TDs (4) than Thomas. He is also sixth in team history with 728 career tackles. Thomas recorded an NFL single-game record 7.0 sacks vs. Seattle (11/11/90). During the ‘90s, no other NFL player recorded more sacks than Thomas’ total of 116.5, including a franchise-record 20.0 sacks for the Chiefs in ‘90.

A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s NFL All-Decade Team of the ‘90s, Thomas was the cornerstone around whom the Chiefs franchise was rebuilt under Peterson. During the ‘90s, the Chiefs constructed a 102-58 regular season record and led the NFL in turnover differential (+128). In the 17 seasons prior to Thomas’ arrival in Kansas City, the franchise made just one playoff appearance and enjoyed just four winning seasons. During Thomas’ 11 seasons with the Chiefs from ‘89-99, the team earned seven playoff berths, won three AFC West titles and recorded 10 winning seasons.

Truly one of the most dominant players of his era, Thomas produced 27 multi-sack games during his NFL tenure. From ‘92-99, the Chiefs were an astounding 16-1 when Thomas registered 2.0 or more sacks. He was also the key figure in Kansas City’s record-setting ‘95 defensive unit that ranked in the NFL’s top five in scoring defense (1st), total defense (2nd), rushing defense (3rd) and pass defense (5th) as the Chiefs posted a 13-3 regular season record for the first time in team history.

A stalwart in the Kansas City community, Thomas was named the ‘93 NFL Man of the Year for his philanthropic efforts. Thomas’ “Third and Long Foundation” is still active in the Kansas City community, continuing the reading and scholarship programs he began. In June of 2001, the Derrick Thomas Academy, a tuition-free public charter school was launched in Kansas City. The academy is the first-ever public elementary school named after an NFL hero.

Thomas was posthumously inducted into the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 2001. He died in his hometown of Miami, Florida on February 8, 2000 after suffering a serious auto accident in Kansas City, Missouri on January 23, 2000.

[Pro_Angler]

sharpe doesnt deserve to ever get into the HOF, not with his POS attitude.

[tornadospotter]

:yahoo: :bananen_smilies046: :yahoo: :bananen_smilies046: :yahoo: :bananen_smilies046:
About time!!!!!

[prough91]

Not just a great player, but a great man.

[N TX Dave]

All I have to say is it's about $^%@& time.

[hermhater]

I knew there was a reason the sun is shining today...

[Chieffaninfl]

Better late than never!! Hooray DT RIP.

[Sn@keIze]

Finally!

[TheLateGreat#58Fan]

Ive been waiting for this Canton here I come.

He should have gone in before Tippett but thats just my opinion

P.S. that opinion happens to be right:lol:

[prough91]

NO NO NO!! Just because hes in the superbowl hes automatically the next best coach?!

No way, that team does have Warner, Fitz, Boldin, Breaston and James to make that Offense look special..Id say they have more to do with it than Haley..

Plus, I would like to see someone who likes a good balance between the run and pass. Hes too pass happy.

Im not even going to go into the Defensive details..too much typing.

Or do they look special because of Haley? Warner sucked it up in NY. James was considered over the hill till now. Other guys? How much attention did they get before this year?

[Coach]

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee announced on Saturday that the late LB Derrick Thomas has been elected to the Hall of Fame's Class of 2009. The Class of 2009 will be enshrined in Canton, Ohio on Sunday, August 8th. Thomas becomes

More... (http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2009/01/31/derrick_thomas_elected_to_the_pro_football_hall_of _fames_class_of_2009/)

[Chiefster]

This was too long comming! RIP DT!

[alexim58]

Well this might be a sign of a new day ...

We goit Herms Out , we got a new GM and DT got Justice.

We should look for tickets for Feb 2010 ??

[Bike]

Well this might be a sign of a new day ...

We goit Herms Out , we got a new GM and DT got Justice.

We should look for tickets for Feb 2010 ??
I like your optimism!:bananen_smilies046:
But really, its gonna take some kinda divine intervention to fix this defense in one year...:drunkhb:

[Big Daddy Tek]

RIP Derrick! We love you and you deserve it! Very emotional day for many!

[slc chief]

sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet he more than deservs it about damn time

[Chief4Ever&Ever]

Greatest LB EVER!!! I would take him over Ray Lewis any day!!

We will never forget you DT!!

[CHIEFS_FN_ROCK]

BOUT TIME! He was a beast! Ask Elway he will tell ya!! RIP DT

[Chief4Ever&Ever]

sharpe doesnt deserve to ever get into the HOF, not with his POS attitude.

I agree!! Sharpe was ok at best, he just played with a great QB and RB at the time, he is the ****iest peice of $@&% I have ever seen!!

[Chief4Ever&Ever]

DT more than deserves to be in the Hall of Fame!! It took them way too $%*&in long to induct him!!

He was a true Chief, unlike LJ who just wants his money!!

[AkChief49]

Finally #58 in red and gold and #1 in our hearts gets his due! Kinda takes a little of the sting out of this past season. R.I.C.(Rest In Canton) DT.

[stricken721]

So glad to finally see DT in the Hall!

[Lazeye]

AMEN!! R.I.P. DT, he was one of my hero's.

[Vandelay]

Derrick Thomas = Hall of Fame

[anaeelbackwards]

:yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo:




Awesome. Finally.


:yahoo: :bananen_smilies046: :yahoo:
About time!!!!!


Not just a great player, but a great man.


I knew there was a reason the sun is shining today...


Finally!


all of those just needed to be re-quoted HAH! :yahoo:

[Sn@keIze]

Or do they look special because of Haley? Warner sucked it up in NY. James was considered over the hill till now. Other guys? How much attention did they get before this year?James, oh ya, the guy who Haley didnt use all season. His run/pass ratio will not work here. We dont have 3 1000+ yd recievers.

But say he is the best offensive mind(which he isnt).
Would you rather have him or the best defensive guru.

Defense is the higher priority. i.e. Haleys not the guy.

[Coach]

TAMPA, Fla. | Each time the Super Bowl came to Florida during the past five years, Edith Morgan made the trip in hopes that her son, former Chiefs linebacker Derrick Thomas, would be voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

More... (http://www.kansascity.com/sports/chiefs/story/1011671.html)

[Coach]

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.

More... (http://www.kansascity.com/sports/chiefs/story/1011414.html)

[Coach]

April 1989: Became the Chiefs’ first-round draft selection at No. 4 overall. December 1990: Became the first Chiefs rookie to lead the team in sacks (10) since Art Still in 1978.

More... (http://www.kansascity.com/sports/chiefs/story/1011667.html)

[rbedgood]

Congrats guys....this one was obvious.

[warcrychief]

he is finally home. We all miss you #58

[Nel Toille]

I agree!! Sharpe was ok at best, he just played with a great QB and RB at the time, he is the ****iest peice of $@&% I have ever seen!!
It's easy to hate Thannon Tharpe. He is the definition of a horse face. They drafted him because if he didn't pan out as a player, he could at least have been their mascot. But seriously, he was pretty good... though not as good as TONY! MWAHAHAHA

[hernanch]

This is amazing, even though the last season was a complete fiasco, since then there has been a lot to celebrate, Herm is OUT and DT is IN

HURRAAAAAYY!!!! :yahoo:

[Coach]

TAMPA, FL -- "Lamar is sitting up there just smiling." Those were Norma Hunt's words Saturday afternoon after the announcement of the Class of 2009 for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As his wife well knows, the Chiefs

More... (http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2009/02/01/finally_dt_is_home/)

[honda522]

20 years in the making...finally! He deserved it. Never again will there be even close to 7 sacks in 1 game.

[Nel Toille]

This is an argument I've been making for years now and now that Derrick's in the HOF, I want to share my thoughts with the rest of you.
I always wondered why Derrick Thomas barely makes the conversation whenever you hear analyists talk about the greatest pass rushers of all time. Most don't rank him in the top 5 and a few don't even consider him in the top 10. Most people will put Bruce Smith as the number one guy simply because he had the most sacks but he also played for 18 seasons. Derrick finished with 126.5 over a span of 10 years. That's obviously about 12 sacks a season. Smith had 200 sacks (the record) over 18 seasons and averaged 11 sacks a season. I'm not saying that Thomas would have continued to have averaged 12 sacks a season; he probably would have teetered off towards the end, however, if he would have even averaged 10 sacks a season for the rest of his career, which would have been possible, he would have reached the record and may have beaten it had he played as long as Smith. I wonder how many people take that into consideration. Plus, he still holds the record for most sacks in a game (which will probably never be beaten) and the record for most forced fumbles in a career... and he only played ten years. If you don't consider Derrick to be in the Top 5 along with the likes of Smith, White and LT, then you're smoking some crack.

[wildcat]

His career was cut short so we will never know if he would have been considered the greatest. I do agree that DT does not get the credit he deserves. Not only does he have the record for the most sacks in a single game, he is also tied for the second most in a game at 6. And the most forced fumbles in a career (while only playing ten years)!? Talk about a game changer. I'm glad to see that he finally made it into the HOF.

[hometeam]

Yes.

[Sn@keIze]

Some consider his lack to stop the run as one of the reasons. Solely being a pass rusher and not as much of a LB.

[hardcorechiefsfan]

This is an argument I've been making for years now and now that Derrick's in the HOF, I want to share my thoughts with the rest of you.
I always wondered why Derrick Thomas barely makes the conversation whenever you hear analyists talk about the greatest pass rushers of all time. Most don't rank him in the top 5 and a few don't even consider him in the top 10. Most people will put Bruce Smith as the number one guy simply because he had the most sacks but he also played for 18 seasons. Derrick finished with 126.5 over a span of 10 years. That's obviously about 12 sacks a season. Smith had 200 sacks (the record) over 18 seasons and averaged 11 sacks a season. I'm not saying that Thomas would have continued to have averaged 12 sacks a season; he probably would have teetered off towards the end, however, if he would have even averaged 10 sacks a season for the rest of his career, which would have been possible, he would have reached the record and may have beaten it had he played as long as Smith. I wonder how many people take that into consideration. Plus, he still holds the record for most sacks in a game (which will probably never be beaten) and the record for most forced fumbles in a career... and he only played ten years. If you don't consider Derrick to be in the Top 5 along with the likes of Smith, White and LT, then you're smoking some crack.
I didn't realize that they already had decided who was going to be in Hall of Fame. DT has been in there for years in my book. He is in the record books for sacking a QB 7 times in a game. .I don't care how you tear him apart, DT had a heart that cared.

[Nel Toille]

Some consider his lack to stop the run as one of the reasons. Solely being a pass rusher and not as much of a LB.
That's why I was saying he should at least be considered in the top 5 of pass rushers. That's what he was and I don't even see why people bother bringing up his ability to stop the run. He wasn't supposed to stop the run, he was supposed to murder the QB and statistically, nobody else did that better than him for an entire decade. That's saying something.

[AkChief49]

20 years in the making...finally! He deserved it.w Never again will there be even close to 7 sacks in 1 game.still cannot believe we lost that game! had Krieg not slipped out of #8 and #9 ....

[Chiefster]

I'll be merging this with the other DT / HOF threads, and will leave a temporary redirect link.

-Chiefster

[tornadospotter]

Derrick Thomas turned Chiefs into winners

By DOUG TUCKER – 2 days ago
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — When Air Force jets roared over Arrowhead Stadium in patriotic pregame ceremonies, it used to mean big trouble for visiting quarterbacks.
Derrick Thomas, the son of a pilot lost in Vietnam during Operation Linebacker II, always seemed quicker, bolder and even more punishing on those days. That's when Kansas City's great pass-rushing linebacker would summon every ounce of his talent.
Those skills carried Thomas, who died in 2000, into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.
"I always think of my dad when I see the military planes," the 6-foot-3, 245-pounder once said. "It makes me feel sad that I had to grow up without him. But I guess it also gets my adrenaline going. I dedicate the game to him, and I want to do my best for him."
The first time Chiefs fans witnessed this phenomenon was on Veterans Day 1990. An unstoppable Thomas got his hands on Seattle's Dave Krieg nine times that afternoon and sacked him seven, an NFL record that still stands.
That game signaled to the league that long-woeful Kansas City was no longer a sad collection of flops and also-rans.
An Alabama All-American and the first player drafted by new general manager Carl Peterson in 1989, Thomas energized a franchise turnaround that catapulted Kansas City into perennial contender status. Before dying of injuries sustained in a one-car accident, Thomas would smash team records for sacks, safeties, fumble recoveries and forced fumbles.
"Derrick was one of those rare players — there aren't many — that an offense has to be aware of every time the ball is snapped," said Gunther Cunningham, who was either defensive coordinator or head coach for most of Thomas' 11 seasons in KC.
Thomas' Chiefs won 100 games in the 1990s and captured four AFC West titles. Suddenly, a lethargic fan base which had lost interest during 15 years of mediocrity became transformed. A perennially sold-out Arrowhead gained a reputation as one of the toughest, loudest stadiums in the league.
Thanks greatly to the fun-loving, charismatic linebacker with the phenomenal quickness and light-up-a-room smile.
"Athletically, he simply overmatched just about every guy he went against. He had the quickness to get around you and the strength to overpower you," Cunningham said. "That combination is hard to find."
His signature play, appropriately for a community that claims the world's greatest barbecue, took its name from a cut of meat.
Charging around a hapless blocker, he would close in from the quarterback's blind side. As the crowd caught its breath, he'd reach out and chop at the passer's hand, knocking the ball loose in what fans dubbed the Kansas City strip.
He seemed at his best when going against the best, sacking John Elway 14 times in Arrowhead. In one of the most memorable plays of his career, he victimized Denver's Hall of Famer for a Kansas City strip and recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchdown.
The one knock on Thomas was that he was one-dimensional, not very good against the run. He was benched in the final minutes of the Chiefs' loss to Buffalo in the 1994 AFC title game, a humiliation that haunted him the rest of his life.
But Peterson, who resigned last month, said there was no weakness to Derrick Thomas.
"The guy had almost 800 tackles in his 11 years. For an outside linebacker, that's extraordinary," Peterson said. "He had such quickness, he would force you to the sideline. If you ran away from him, he would chase you down from behind. A lot of those 45 fumbles caused, an extraordinary number, were the result of him coming up from behind the ball carrier and knocking the ball out."
Thomas' license plate read, "ISACQBS" and was frequently parked at the city's most fashionable night spots. While going to the Pro Bowl in Hawaii nine straight times, he picked up the nickname, "social director of the NFL."
On Jan. 23, 2000, as he hurried to the airport to fly to St. Louis for the NFC championship game, the car Thomas was driving flipped over on a snowy highway.
He was not wearing his seat belt and was thrown from the vehicle, sustaining injuries that emergency personnel said would probably have killed most men. A passenger who was also not wearing his seat belt was hurled out of the SUV and died at the scene. A second passenger whose seat belt was fastened walked away.
Fifteen days later, Thomas was being prepared for therapy in a Miami hospital. He said to his mother, "Mom, I don't feel good," and died instantly of a blood clot. He was 33.
Thousands of Kansas Citians who'd never met him grieved as though they'd lost a close friend. On a cold, gray February day, they lined up outside the stadium, silently trooped onto the field and past his open casket that sat in the corner of the same end zone where he sacked Elway and stripped him of the ball.
Team officials estimated 23,000 people, more than attended some games before Thomas helped turn the Chiefs into winners, paid their solemn respects to No. 58.
Cunningham's wife had to pull him away.
"I felt like I'd lost a son," he said.

[Coach]

Who is this Derrick Thomas guy?

[Chiefster]

Who is this Derrick Thomas guy?


Opposing offenses worst nightmare.

[prough91]

The sacks were awesome but has anyone ever compared his forced fumbles with the other sack leaders? It's phenomenal.

[chiefsfreak4life]

I believe he leads the nfl in forced fumbles.

[Chiefster]

The sacks were awesome but has anyone ever compared his forced fumbles with the other sack leaders? It's phenomenal.


Put quite simply in my completely biased point of view, he was the absolute very best!