One of the most devastating linebackers ever to play college — and later professional — football, Thomas still holds the unofficial single-season record for sacks with 27 in 1988 while playing for Alabama. That feat came a season after he recorded 18 sacks and twice during his college career he had four or more sacks in a game. He captured the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker and finished 10th in the balloting for the Heisman Trophy.
A unanimous selection for All-American in ’88, Thomas finished with 52 career sacks with the Tide from 1985-88.
The Chiefs made Thomas the fourth overall pick of the NFL 1989 and he played all 11 of his NFL seasons with them. He was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009 after a career as one of the NFL’s top pass rushers of all time.
Thomas died Feb. 8, 2000 at 33 from complications after a car accident weeks earlier.
