Kansas City Chiefs all-time Mount Rushmore

NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 11: Willie Lanier #63 of the Kansas City Chiefs runs with the ball against the Minnesota Vikings during Super Bowl IV on January 11, 1970 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Chiefs won the Super Bowl 23-7. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

5 of 5

KANSAS CITY, : In this 16 November 1997 file photo, Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Derrick Thomas. (Photo credit should read DAVE KAUP/AFP/Getty Images) /

OLB Derrick Thomas

He was far from the perfect defender. And there were those who thought he was a very one-dimensional player. But that one dimension was simply off the charts. University of Alabama standout Derrick Thomas was the fourth overall pick in the 1989 NFL Draft. A year earlier, the club used the second overall pick on University of Nebraska defensive end Neil Smith and the duo would be one of the best in the league for quite some time.

Thomas played for 11 seasons and earned Pro Bowl honors nine times and was named All-Pro twice. His ability to turn the corner was astounding and in 169 regular-season contests he rolled up 126.5 sacks and 41 forced fumbles. He finished with at least seven sacks in every one of his NFL campaigns and finished with 10 or more quarterback traps seven times. There were also 19 fumbles recoveries, four of which he returned for touchdowns.

More fansided.com: NFL power rankings: Chiefs, Saints lead way into 2020

The 6-foot-3, 243-pound defensive force passed away in February of 2000 (story courtesy of Mike Freeman of the New York Times). Who knows what kind of sack numbers would have put up had he played a few more years? But the 2009 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee left quite the legacy with this franchise.

Home/Kansas City Chiefs