| | KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Joe Phillips will never forget the day
Derrick Thomas promised a big hit on John Elway.
"We were playing the Broncos on the last day of the 1992 season and we needed to win to get in the playoffs," said Phillips, who played with the nine-time Pro Bowl linebacker.
|  | | Derrick Thomas' exuberance was constantly on display -- especially to opposing quarterbacks. |
"Derrick had what he called the big triple when he would sack the quarterback, knock the ball loose and recover it for a
touchdown. That morning, he told me he was going to get a big
triple on Elway. Then late in the game, we punted them deep and as we ran onto the field he said, `I'm going to get it now.' "
And he did.
Springing past the blocker with his lightning-quick first step,
Thomas tackled Elway, chopped the ball from his hand and fell on it in the end zone to seal a 42-20 victory.
"He virtually called his own shot," Phillips said. "It was an
amazing thing."
Thomas was paralyzed from the chest down in a car accident Jan. 23. He died Tuesday in a Miami hospital at 33.
Thomas personified the revival of the Chiefs during his 11-year career. He led the NFL in sacks during the 1990s, as the Chiefs became just one of three teams to win 100 games in the decade.
But Thomas had interests broader than football.
He was fascinated by the killing of President Kennedy and
certain there was more than one assassin. He made several visits to the assassination scene in Dallas and once became so engrossed
while discussing the subject he forgot a team meeting and was fined $500.
"I would pay 100 times that much if somebody could tell me what really happened down there that day," he said.
Although he had matured the last couple of years, the former Alabama All-American with the dazzling smile was a tireless party animal in his early days. His late-model sports car with the license plate, "ISAKQBS," became a familiar sight at Kansas City night spots.
He enjoyed other celebrities. He would show up at concerts and hang out with the performers. He would go to a Chicago Bulls game and leave with Michael Jordan. He went to the NCAA Final Four and baseball's All-Star Game.
"I'm having a ball," he said. "I can hardly believe how lucky
I am."
His whirlwind, round-the-clock schedule prompted friends to dub him the "social director of the NFL."
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Schottenheimer statement
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ESPN NFL analyst Marty Schottenheimer, who arrived in Kansas City the same year as Derrick Thomas and coached the Chiefs from 1989-98, released this statement on Tuesday:
"Today is a sad day for Marty Schottenheimer, the Schottenheimer family, the entire Chiefs family, and fans everywhere who love our game. It's hard for many of us to realize that even the strongest branch is easily broken. Derrick Thomas spent his entire professional career in Kansas City, and it was my good fortune to coach all of it but one year. Arriving in Kansas City
as a young man of 22, he distinguished himself not only athletically, but as a giving and caring person.
"Derrick touched the lives of not only countless fans, but also those of his teammates, coaches, and their families. He was confident of his abilities and envied no one. He had pride in his achievements. As a friend he was always thoughtful, sensitive, and interested -- but never intrusive. He lived life to the fullest. Yet those of us who were close to him, and experienced his smile and his laughter, knew him to be a truly happy man -- even after his devastating injury laid him low. Through his good humor and attitude, Derrick brightened our days and affected us all more that we knew,
and only now that he is gone will we begin to realize the importance of his impact on our lives."
-- Marty Schottenheimer
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He was the personal favorite of Chiefs president Carl Peterson, who called him "son." He also was resented at times for appearing to occasionally loaf during training camp.
"Derrick walks around here like he was the host at a party,"
one former assistant coach grumbled.
But he also invested plenty of time and money in civic projects, almost all aimed at helping disadvantaged youngsters. He founded "Third and Long" to encourage kids to read. He appeared at libraries every week, reading to young people.
Thomas, who grew up fatherless in a tough part of Miami, realized he could easily have gone down another road.
"If nobody had ever invented football, I would probably be in prison right now," he once said. "Football saved my life."
His greatest game was probably on Veterans Day in 1990 when he set the single-game sack record by downing Seattle's Dave Krieg seven times.
Fighter jets flew over Arrowhead Stadium during pregame
ceremonies. That reminded the young NFL star of Air Force Capt.
Robert Thomas, who died in Vietnam during Operation Linebacker II.
Derrick was only 5 years old when his father was reported
missing.
"I would wake up every morning hoping that would be the day he would come home," he said.
He cherished that hope for nine years before Capt. Thomas was officially declared dead. By then, Derrick was 14.
"Seeing those Air Force jets really inspired me," he said.
"I kept thinking that my father was up there watching me," hesaid. "I wanted to make sure he was proud of me."
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ALSO SEE
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Thomas made final months of dying boy's life special
Thomas among all-time great pass-rushers
Users: Remembering Derrick Thomas
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Chiefs coach Gunther Cunningham knows how Derrick Thomas will be remembered in Kansas City.
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RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Chiefs president Carl Peterson announces the passing of Derrick Thomas.
RealVideo: | 28.8
 Chiefs president Carl Peterson explains what Derrick Thomas meant to the franchise.
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RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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