Super Bowl LVIII provides the Chiefs with a chance to honor Derrick Thomas

When it comes to the Super Bowl, there really isn’t a need for extra motivation; playing for the sport’s top prize should be more than enough to get any athlete fired up. But as Super Bowl LVIII inches closer, the Kansas City Chiefs could have something extra to play for. Or, more accurately, someone. And that’s none other than Derrick Thomas.

And while his name may loom large in Arrowhead, not everyone has the same historical knowledge. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the Chiefs’ legendary No. 58 ahead of the Super Bowl of the same number.

Who Was Derrick Thomas?

These days, the Chiefs are most known for offensive stars like Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. During the 1990s, though, Thomas ruled things on the defensive side of the ball.

After cutting his teeth at Alabama, the pass rusher joined the Chiefs as the fourth overall pick of the 1989 draft. He immediately made an impact, tallying 10 sacks as a rookie, but that was just the start. During the 1990 campaign, Thomas took down the quarterback an incredible 20 times.

And while he never reached those heights again, the hits kept on coming. Thomas had 13.5 sacks in 1991 and 14.5 the following season, remaining a consistent threat on virtually every snap. He ultimately retired after the 1999 campaign with 126.5 sacks to his name.

The Chiefs’ star earned nine Pro Bowl appearances and earned two First-Team All-Pro nods. He also took home the 1993 National Football League (NFL) Man of the Year award, which is prestigious in its own right.

It’s worth noting that the Chiefs of this era weren’t destined for playoff success. Despite putting together some strong regular seasons, Thomas and the club could not reach the promised land. He appeared in 10 playoff games across his career, going as far as the 1993 AFC title game, but didn’t win the big prize.

Thomas Died at Age 33

When we’re talking about professional athletes, it’s easy to look at them as real-life superheroes. Thomas, however, provided a painful reminder of their humanity.

In 2000, the linebacker was driving with two friends to the airport to travel to the NFC Championship game. “He lost control of his car on a snowy highway, and it rolled several times. Thomas and Michael Tellis, 49, of Kansas City, Kan., were not wearing seat belts and were thrown from the car, police said. Tellis, a close friend of Thomas who helped him set up projects such as a charity golf tournament that had become an annual event in Kansas City, was killed instantly,” an ESPN News Service post explained.

Thomas survived, but was partially paralyzed. It was unclear if he’d ever be able to walk again.

In early February, though, the situation took a sudden turn for the worse.

“Derrick Thomas, the Kansas City Chiefs’ Pro Bowl linebacker known for his ferocious play on the field and his charity work off it, died unexpectedly yesterday morning in a Miami hospital, 16 days after a car crash had left him paralyzed from the chest down,” a February 9, 2000, New York Times article reported at the time.

“Doctors said Thomas suffered from cardiorespiratory arrest while being transferred from his bed to a wheelchair on his way to a therapy session.

“Thomas’s death surprised the doctors who were working closely with the former National Football League star. Dr. Frank J. Eismont, a neurosurgeon at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, said he believed that Thomas died from a pulmonary embolus, which is a blood clot traveling through the lungs. The 33-year-old linebacker had been taking blood thinners and wearing compression stockings to try to prevent such clots, Eismont said, but that doesn’t always keep them from occurring,” the Times reported.

As you might assume, that sudden death was acutely felt in Kansas City.

“As thousands streamed by the casket in the east end-zone of Arrowhead Stadium it became abundantly clear that what the people of Kansas City were feeling for Derrick Thomas and really the Chiefs franchise was all-consuming and could not be ignored. The line of mourners did not stop from early morning to evening,” the Chiefs official website explained.

The club promptly inducted Thomas into their Hall of Fame and didn’t reissue his number 58; it was retired on a franchise level in 2009, following his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Super Bowl LVIII Can Be a Tribute to Thomas

While we’ll need to wait and see how things play out during the Big Game, this year’s Super Bowl could be a golden opportunity for the Chiefs to pay tribute to their late star.

The biggest connection is, of course, the number. While Roman numerals might not be everyone’s cup of tea, this Super Bowl is the 58th edition of the contest. And, as mentioned, Thomas famously took the field with No. 58 on his back.

As highlighted by local news station KCTV on Saturday, Thomas’ son, Derrion, has been selling specially made buttons and shirts with that connection in mind.

“It being the 58th Super Bowl and his number being 58, just thought it would be a great way to honor him and bring awareness to what we’re doing in the community with the Third and Long Foundation,” Derrion said.

The Big Game also arrived mere days after the 24th anniversary of Thomas’ death, placing him on KC’s collective mind.

Beyond that, there’s also an element of making up for historical failings.

Thomas was an elite player who simply couldn’t make it over the postseason hump. While today’s Chiefs seem to have a guaranteed ticket to at least the AFC Championship, things were different in the 1990s. A Super Bowl title was a dream, and it seems like KC would devise every possible way to fall short of the ultimate prize.

Through that lens, winning Super Bowl LVIII would honor the late legend who never got to lift the Lombardi himself. And while reaching the top of the mountain is always sweet, doing so in Super Bowl LVIII would be that much more special for the franchise.