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:
Here is the selection of #Chiefs EDGE Derrick Thomas in the 1989 NFL Draft: pic.twitter.com/fs1dgKEkcZ
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) April 19, 2023
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.
