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.”
Derrick Thomas was a legend, but so was his father.
Check out our Kingdom Short episode about Capt. Robert Thomas’s heroic role in Operation Linebacker >> https://t.co/9zGIYgiWIL pic.twitter.com/xjtx6EBxpf
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) December 23, 2022
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.
