🏈 20 years ago today Bama Fans lost a true Head Hunter!

[rick4bama]

 

[tider79]

One of the all time great football players!

 

[Rolltide24]

My favorite player of all time, college pros, high school, pee wee league....

 

[sean]

that man set records that may never be attained again....

(from wikipedia)

Derrick Thomas holds every Alabama record for quarterback sacks with 52 during his career from the 1985 to 1988 seasons, 27 in 1988 and five in a single game against Texas A&M in 1988.

and to give some perspective at his career number (52)...the next closest player, Jonathan Allen, had 28. and that's only 1 more than Derrick had in a single season (1988).

it was absolutely astounding what that man did on the field. and if you've never seen the espn films, Sec Storied - In Search of Derrick Thomas, you should find a way to watch it. i saw it when it first aired and it's a great piece on him.

 

[Rsedge72]

, my favorite player of all time!!!!

 

[Bamabww]

I remember what Coach Perkins said about DT's penalties in the Kickoff Classic. A reporter asked him about the penalties and Coach Perkins replied something similar to this, "did you notice he made those penalties playing 110%? We can work with that." We got our kids pictures with him at Starkville later in his career. Very nice young man who left us too soon.

Kickoff Classic (from the NY Times)

Alabama won the Chase Kickoff Classic in the fourth quarter tonight at Giants Stadium before a crowd of 68,296. But the Crimson Tide almost gave its victory away to Ohio State after time had run out.
This was a bumpy contest laced by key turnovers, and Ray Perkins, the winning coach, said afterward, ''I told our players it wasn't pretty. But who said it had to be pretty?''
Mike Shula, the Alabama quarterback who was a mediocre passer through three periods, and Gene Jelks, a darting halfback, produced the big plays in the final quarter that brought the Crimson Tide a touchdown and a field goal. 2 Extra Plays for Buckeyes But Alabama had to survive the last play that saw Jim Karsatos, the Ohio State quarterback, attempt a pass to Cris Carter in the Alabama end zone. It failed but not by much.
That was the second of two bonus plays for the Buckeyes that came about with the game clock showing no time remaining.

Derrick Thomas, an Alabama linebacker, mauled Carter for pass interference as time elapsed. But because a game can not end on a defensive penalty, Karsatos had another chance, this time at the Alabama 33-yard line.
He again passed to Carter, and this time Thomas tackled the receiver before he could catch the ball. This second pass-interference penalty put the ball on Alabama's 17 and sustained the match once more. A touchdown followed by a conversion kick could have won the game for the Buckeyes, who had outplayed Alabama until the final period began.

 

[jdpas29]

Never been another one like him

 

[50+yeartidefan]

I remember DT......in early fall practice....they had to take him off field....he was TO disruptive for the offense as they tried to learn n run their plays.... lol
Even bama Offense couldnt keep him blocked
DT n Bennett were some great LBs....bama probably never had any better

 

[c5vetman]

My favorite player of all time, college pros, high school, pee wee league....

mine too

 

[PurlJam]

2 words......Tony Sacca

 

[alabama mike]

DT was an outstanding LB at Alabama and later for the Chiefs. He truly was one of the best at his position IMO.