Rookie of the Year: Derrick Thomas, 1989

Linebacker, Kansas City Chiefs

Age: 22

College: Alabama

Height: 6’3”   Weight: 234

Prelude:

Thomas received the 1988 Butkus Award after recording a NCAA-record 27 sacks in 11 games. The Chiefs, who as a team had compiled just 23 sacks in 16 games and were in need of help at outside linebacker, chose him in the first round (fourth overall) of the ’89 NFL draft. He moved directly into the starting lineup and had an immediate impact.

1989 Season Summary

Appeared and started in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Sacks – 10 [20, tied with four others]

Most sacks, game – 2.5 vs. LA Raiders 9/17

Multi-sack games (2 or more) – 2

Interceptions – 0

Fumble recoveries – 1

Forced fumbles – 3

Tackles – 75

Awards & Honors:

NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year: AP, PFWA

AFC Rookie of the Year: UPI

1^st team All-AFC: UPI, Pro Football Weekly

Pro Bowl

Chiefs went 8-7-1 to finish second in the AFC West while leading the conference in fewest yards allowed (4293) and fewest passing yards allowed (2527).

Aftermath:

Thomas followed up his outstanding rookie year by leading the NFL with 20 sacks in 1990, including a record seven in one game. He also forced six fumbles and received consensus first-team All-NFL honors for the first of two consecutive seasons. With great speed and athleticism, opposing offenses were obliged to double-team him and he was at his best rushing opposing passers. Thomas was chosen to the Pro Bowl for nine straight years, through 1997 when a torn triceps cost him four games. He played two more seasons but died of complications from severe injuries sustained in an auto accident after the 1999 season at age 33. Overall, Thomas had 125.5 sacks, reaching double figures seven times, and forced 41 fumbles over the course of 11 seasons and 169 games, all played with Kansas City. The Chiefs retired his #58 and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2009.

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were named Rookie of the Year in the NFL (including NFC/AFC), AFL (1960-69), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press – Offense or Defense, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, or the league itself – Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year). 

1990: Derrick Thomas Has 7 Sacks vs. Seahawks

On November 11, 1990, Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Derrick Thomas set the record for most sacks by an individual player in an NFL game with seven – but it was the one that he failed to make that cost the Chiefs the game.

Kansas City was 5-3 and trying to keep pace with the Raiders in the AFC West as they hosted the Seattle Seahawks (3-5) at Arrowhead Stadium. The game was low-scoring, with the Chiefs holding a 6-3 lead at the half. The Seahawks passed for the first touchdown in the third quarter, with QB Dave Krieg hitting WR Jeff Chadwick for 54 yards.

After Kansas City’s Nick Lowery narrowed the margin with a 24-yard field goal to make the score 10-9, Thomas forced a fumble as he sacked Krieg for the third time in the game; NT Dan Saleaumua recovered in the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown.

Thomas put on an outstanding display of pass rushing skill as he sacked Krieg four more times to break Fred Dean’s record of 6 sacks in a game (set in 1983). But in the end it wasn’t enough as the Seahawks went 66 yards on four plays in the waning moments of the fourth quarter. With time expiring, Krieg looked downfield to make a desperation pass and it appeared that Thomas had a grip on him for a game-ending sack; instead, the quarterback got free and fired the ball into the end zone where a well-covered WR Paul Skansi outleaped the Kansas City defenders and came down with the 25-yard TD reception. Norm Johnson kicked the game-winning extra point, and Seattle ended up with a 17-16 win.

“I thought I had him,” said a disappointed Thomas afterward. “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.”

In spite of being sacked a total of 9 times (once apiece by LB Chris Martin and DE Neil Smith in addition to the seven by Thomas), Krieg was able to complete 16 of 23 passes for 306 yards and the two touchdowns. His Kansas City counterpart, Steve DeBerg, couldn’t get the Chiefs into the end zone, completing 16 of 30 passes for 124 yards, with no completion longer than 15 yards.

The Chiefs ended up with an 11-5 record, coming in second in the AFC West and making the postseason as a wild card; they lost to Miami in the first round (also by a 17-16 score). Seattle was right behind in third place at 9-7.

Derrick Thomas led the NFL with a career-high 20 sacks over the course of the 1990 season, doubling his rookie total of the year before when he had been selected as NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press. He was a unanimous All-NFL selection and went to his second of an eventual nine Pro Bowls over the course of his Hall of Fame career.