Remembering D.T.’s Record Day
Could it possibly be 18 years ago?
It just doesn’t seem like it could be that many Chiefs seasons since Derrick Thomas chiseled his name into the NFL record books.
On November 11, 1990 at Arrowhead Stadium, Thomas set a new league record with seven sacks of Seattle quarterback Dave Krieg.
The performance broke the previous record of six sacks set by San Francisco’s Fred Dean 25 years ago (November 13, 1983) against New Orleans.
It’s a record that has not been broken since. Last year, New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora had six sacks against Philadelphia. Thomas himself had six sacks in 1998 against Oakland, also at Arrowhead.
There have been a lot of passes thrown since that Veteran’s Day almost two decades ago. There have been a lot of pass rushers that have come through the pro football pipeline. The fact that none has been able to duplicate Thomas’ record is testimony to how remarkable an afternoon that day was for the second-year outside linebacker out of Alabama.
The Chiefs were 5-3 at that point in the ‘90 season. The week before the Chiefs had beaten the Los Angeles Raiders 9-7 at Arrowhead.
It was a clear Indian summer afternoon, with temperatures at kickoff hitting 63 degrees. A crowd o f 71,285 fans were in the house for this battle between AFC West rivals. Just three weeks earlier the Chiefs were beaten by the Seahawks in Seattle, so they were seeking redemption.
Thomas’ record setting day began midway through the first 
quarter. Here’s how the sacks came:
- No. 1: Midway through the first quarter, on a third and 20 from the Seattle 28-yard line, Krieg was sacked for a five-yard loss.
- No. 2: Late in the first quarter, on a third and 10 play from the Seattle 15-yard line, Thomas took down Krieg for a 14-yard loss.
- No. 3: Late in the third quarter, on a third and 17 situation from the Seattle eight-yard line, Thomas sacked Krieg, knocking the ball loose. It was recovered in the end zone by DT Dan Saleaumua for a Chiefs touchdown.
- No. 4: Early in the fourth quarter, on a second and 10 play from the Kansas City 38-yard line, Thomas took Krieg down for a loss of 10 yards.
- No. 5: With 3:49 to play in the fourth quarter, on a first and 10 from the Seattle 35-yard line, Krieg was taken down by Thomas for a seven-yard loss.
- No. 6: Three plays later, on a first and 10 from the Chiefs 43-yard line, Thomas got Krieg again for minus-10 yards.
- No. 7: The record setter came on the next play, a second and 20 situation with Thomas dragging Krieg to the ground for the seventh time. On this play it was a six-yard loss.
In what should have been one of the most memorable moments of his life, D.T.’s afternoon was spoiled about 90 seconds after that record sack. Taking over at the Seattle 34-yard line with 48 seconds to play, Krieg completed passes of 16 and 25 yards. That set up the Seahawks with a first and 10 at the Chiefs 25-yard line. After an incompletion on first down, Krieg dropped back to pass again with the clock ticking off the game’s final seconds. Thomas came flying in from Krieg’s left side and grabbed at his waist as he threw the ball towards the end zone. That’s where WR Paul Skanski jumped up and pulled down the ball as the clock showed 0:00. Skanski’s touchdown and Norm Johnson’s PAT kick gave Seattle a 17-16 victory.
The outcome of that game tore at Thomas’ heart. Eight years later, when he had six sacks in a victory against the Raiders, Thomas still felt the pain. “At least we won this time,” D.T. said then. “I still can’t believe we didn’t win that game (in ‘90).”
It’s a farce that the Pro Football Hall of Fame does not yet include Derrick Thomas. Not since Lawrence Taylor in his prime has a single defensive player so completely dominated the course of football games as Derrick Thomas did, nor has any defensive player been able to do so since Derrick’s death.
There has been a long list of outstanding defensive players in the NFL since 2000: Michael Strahan, Ray Lewis, Dwight Freeney, Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs, Jared Allen, Brian Urlacher, DeMarcus Ware, Shawne Merriman, Bob Sanders, Osi Umenyiora, etc. All outstanding players. All of them have shown the ability to give dominating performances.
But none of them step onto the field and CONTROL A GAME like Derrick Thomas.
—Tim
His time will come pal. I’d love to see Shields, Roaf and DT go in together (although I’m not sure how NFL HOF rules work, I assume Roaf goes in as a Saint, but does he get to pick? If tenure matters, its as a Saint). No matter what, to dominate a weekend like that in a couple years, would be like 5 years ago, when Marcus and Hank Stram went in together. A celebration of what this franchise means. That’s how it should be. Don’t send DT in with a bunch of awesome players with no connection to this team. Send him in with his fellow Red and Gold members.
HE BELONGS!!
He deserves to go in next year. Fred Dean was a great pass rusher too, but DT should have gotten in first.
My message to the HOF committee: Derrick Thomas is not in the Hall of Fame…..FIX IT!
I was born to be a Chiefs fan, I was born on November 11, 1990 the same day DT breaks the record for sacks in a game.
Thomas needs to get in line – he isn’t even the most deserving Chiefs player.
OT Jim Tyrer & S Johnny Robinson are at minimum more deserving; too, Jerrel Wilson, Otis Taylor and Ed Budde merit consideration, as always.
Only aft the first two guys listed above are in should any other Chief be considered.
Please make a note of it.
heh heh heh
Rin Tin Tin, I knew you would say that there are other more deserving Chiefs then DT, even before I read you’re comment. And I believe you are right about Johnny Robinson and Jim Tyrer. I also think that getting any Chief into the HOF, no matter how deserving vs. another Chief player is a credit to the Chiefs organisation and the players that have played for the Red and Gold over the years. It’s really too bad we have such a small market as compared to some teams or we would have more deserving players in there. Also since we have been in only two Super Bowls (long ago) does not help us in getting the Chiefs players into the HOF.
Steve,
Roaf gets to pick which team he represents in Canton. The only reason I know this is that when Marcus Allen went in all those years ago he went in as a Chief and he spent more time with the Raiders. I remember him saying that it was his choice and he chose to go with the Chiefs. Don’t you know that scratched at Al Davis’ brain!?
Actually, unlike the Baseball Hall of Fame, players inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton don’t “go in” as a member of any particular team.
Baseball players have to choose a cap to be wearing when their face is depicted on their plaque, but football players have no uniform or team representation on their busts in Canton. The teams they played for and their years of service with those teams are listed, obviously, but football players don’t have to “pick a team” to be a part of when being inducted.
So Willie Roaf will just go in as “Willie Roaf”, rather than “Willie Roaf of the New Orleans Saints” or “Willie Roaf of the Kansas City Chiefs”.
—Tim
I wonder if 4 sacks in the fourth quarter is a record as well?
JB
“Rin Tin Tin, I knew you would say that there are other more deserving Chiefs then DT, even before I read you’re comment.”
- thank you . . . and well, I didn’t want to disappoint you.
; )
All the rest of what you said too is apropos, yet the biggest factor regarding any member(s) of the Chiefs or other teams’s player getting in is more a matter the of human factor (not to be confused with the ‘Hunan Factor’ which – to its own credit has been responsible for HOF caliber teas & other fine Chinese cusine.
No, ‘people’ via their bias – all of us & said – make the voting as subject to whim really as any thing else. There are so many nee too many cases where the measure is not constant nor consistent.
Those examples fuel Rin Tin Tin’s sentiment that human beings disappoint greatly for the most.
Is it popularity? Big city career? Stats all of them? Championship skins? Politics? Yes – it is all of that and perhaps more. And with so many variables nee so much leeway too an inherently flawed process. Yet, it is the best we have.
Jim Tyrer had more All Star and/or Pro Bowls than Ron Mix, Jim was a three time Champion, played in two Super Bowls & won a ring as World Champion – all of which Mix had not. Yet, Mix is in as a RT, Tyrer is not despite the fact he played the more challenging LT position too. Go figure.
No less than his teammate Fred Arbanas said Tyrer was “the best LT who ever played the game.’ Heady praise, with which I concur. Oh, & here’s another sentiment mine sure to inspire as well as inflame the panties into a bunch some folk – Arbanas was the better TE than Tony Gonzalez. TG was the more proficient receiver, & FA was the more proficient blocker – six of one, half a dozen the other and a matter only preference. As Fred was a better reciver than Gonzalez a blocker, I’ll go with Fred – which is the point. Personal preference, bias and subjectivity is as present the heart a life long Chiefs fan I as in hearts every & any voter HOF or other. Impartiality is a wonderful concept nee hope…and that’s all it is because it doesn’t exist in any true sense the word.
Back to stats, honors, championships and all the rest, ditto for a Johnny Robinson belonging HOF for all these very same reasons & factors, his being left out the HOF while a lesser these all respects Larry Wilson is in. Another travesty.
Jerrel Wilson was better x2 than Ray Guy in both gross as well as net punting average, yet all you
can believe via media hype is Guy is the only who has ever put foot to ball. Yale Lary was also the better than Guy my opine & two others are also in the argument all time best- yet NONE are HOFs, as if a punter was superfluous. Ridiculous.
Lynn Swann has lesser stat than Otis Taylor…so why is Lynn in & Otis is not? Big catches? Swann had nothing on Taylor in that – both had many. Appears championships, media darling ballyhoo & his more recent vintage all contributed to Swann being enshrined. In my opinion – here comes that human factor again – bias – mano y mano, a Swann couldn’t carry a Taylor’s shoes.
I knew when I wrote my post this blog that there would or will be D.Thomas adherents who decry my saying he should not go in afore guys like Tyrer & Robinson, et al, but that’s not why I said it – I said it because it is both my honest sentiment as well as fact, and in every sense the factors I have referenced Thomas comes up short those guys all considered.
Thomas was not unlike former Chief HOFr DT Buck Buchanan in that before his career even ended 58 was losing his greatest asset – speed/quickness. While still putting up good numbers he no longer was the peerless pass rushing force he had been (I remember OT Tony Boselli absolutely stoning Thomas when both players were said to be in the prime as it were.) Thomas belongs in the HOF no doubt, but like Buck and others Derrick was not one of those rare players who still dominating well into their 30’s like a Darrell Green among others. Buck lost his legs, so too was Thomas.
We likely all can agree that several Chiefs merit consideration which alas is no different than say most every other team & its fans regards several their players through the years.
I now return the soapbox to the other aggrieved herein…
Sorry to get you off on a tirade there Rin Tin Tin, I have always wondered about one thing. Given the number of retired players out there. I think the HOF should up the old time players to at least four per year, if not equal to the more current players going in (six I believe)? Just seems like there are an awful lot of players who are elligable but never even get considered. How about it Bob?
Sorry to get you off on a tirade there Rin Tin Tin”
- love (of what someone speaks about) means never having to say your sorry – as such, Rin has never & will never apologize…join that rarified aire.
“I have always wondered about one thing.”
- consider yourself lucky then; most folks wander around in a state un-requited wonder their entire lives…not Rin of course.
“Given the number of retired players out there.”
- uh huh, uh huh…
“I think the HOF should up the old time players to at least four per year, if not equal to the more current players going in (six I believe)?”
- regards such, my question is/would be- what are you afraid of HOF/voters? True enough there is or least in principle should be a line demaracation some between merely very good players and great, nee HOF caliber. Otherwise, every very good who ever played would be HOF. Good to a point – but ultimately fraught with niggling doubt aft vote.
My opine, the response to said is the HOF’s not so arbitrary minimum requirement on the one and maximum at the other enshrinee quota/limits.
“Just seems like there are an awful lot of players who are elligable but never even get considered.”
- it does seem that way, thus probably is, least considered seriously nee with anything more than an insight theirs that conjures any further than say 1980. The downside to the few ‘vintage’ them the voters is ‘if’ they be old enough to remember the 1960s or afore, they may & probably are still in most cases NFL biased shy say a Paul Zimmerman who was an AFL proponent; others more inclined as was the case thence toward ‘look down the end the nose’ sensibility, any. Double-edged sword.
Rin’s sentiment be the only Hall of Fame that to a fan should really matter is the one located at a spot center left chest, the other a bit north in the locale ‘memory’.
“How about it Bob?”
- that’s Rin…R-i-n (take a break Bob)
NEXT CASE/QUESTION!!!
“OT Jim Tyrer & S Johnny Robinson are at minimum more deserving; too, Jerrel Wilson, Otis Taylor and Ed Budde merit consideration, as always.”
Patience – Emmitt Thomas got in – these guys will get their due.