See what Darrion had to say about his father’s legacy, the team this year, and more!
Justin Miles @justm1les
This past week, JP and I had the opportunity to sit down with the son of Chiefs legend Derrick Thomas, Derrion. While on the podcast, Derrion and JP reminisced on old stories, we discussed Derrick’s legacy both on and off the field, we talked about how the Chiefs are looking heading into this season. The podcast can be found here: A special show with an old friend.
Derrick’s legacy is undisputedly one of the greatest. He strived to be great both on and off the field. On the field, Derrick put together one of the most dominant careers in NFL history. DT started his career off in 1989 when he was named Defensive Rookie of the Year. He went on to become a 9 time Pro Bowler and a 2-time All-Pro. Derrick owns the NFL record for the most sacks in a single game (7) and numerous franchise records for the Chiefs. He finished his career 9th all-time in NFL career sacks. In 2009, Derrick was named to the NFL Hall of Fame and his jersey number 58 was officially retired by the Chiefs organization.
Today, the Chiefs have also named their team MVP award after Derrick. Off the field, Derrick was very involved in his community. He started the 3rd and Long Foundation, a foundation focusing on helping young kids who deal with life-threatening situations in the KC area and helping students succeed in school. Today.
Derrion serves as a board member of the organization. In 1992, Derrick was named President Bush’s 832nd Point of Light, the only NFL athlete to receive this honor at the time. In 1993, Derrick was awarded the Walter Peyton Man of The Year award for his efforts off of the field. In 1994, DT was awarded the Alan Page Award, an award that recognizes one player annually who demonstrates a profound dedication to positively impacting his team’s city and communities across the country. Darrion stated in the interview that Derrick struggled growing up, and his main motive was to help kids avoid the struggles he faced at their age.
The topic of discussion for the three of us then moved to the Chiefs this season. Derrion stated that it is important to stay healthy when playoff time rolls around and properly face adversity throughout the season. He believes the Chiefs have finally decided what their plan is at the linebacker position, and feels that they are finally locking in certain parts of their defense that have been in question in previous years. He says it is important for the Chiefs to “find their identity on defense”, compared than letting the offense carry the load. He acknowledged our tough schedule but said the Chiefs should “No doubt make the playoffs”.
JP and I really enjoyed getting to sit down with Derrion and look forward to having him on the show again in the future. Make sure to check out the full podcast to hear some awesome stories shared by Derrion and JP, get more insight on the inside of Derrick’s life, and get Derrion’s full thoughts about this next season for the Chiefs.
A special show with an old friend.
Stats via: Pro Football Reference
