30 greatest players to never win a Super Bowl

22. Derrick Thomas, LB, Kansas City Chiefs

Let’s go back and look at the first five selections in the 1989 NFL Draft. Selected first overall was quarterback Troy Aikman (Dallas Cowboys), followed by tackle Tony Mandarich (Green Bay Packers), running back Barry Sanders (Detroit Lions), outside linebacker Derrick Thomas (Kansas City Chiefs) and cornerback Deion Sanders (Atlanta Falcons), respectively.

There’s four Pro Football Hall of Famers among the group, with Mandarich the lone exception. Of course, Aikman was part of three championship teams with Dallas and Sanders won rings with both the 49ers and Cowboys. Sanders is one of the great players at his position but like Thomas came up short when it came to holding up the Lombardi Trophy.

The former University of Alabama star made an immediate impact with the Chiefs. Few players could turn the corner on an opposing tackle and even fewer had the ability to pressure and slap the ball out of the quarterback’s hand. It added up to 126.5 sacks and 41 forced fumbles and a Pro Bowl invitation in each of his first nine seasons. Thomas’ strength was not pass coverage and he totaled one interception in 11 NFL campaigns and that came in his final year in the league.

Of course, the irony of Thomas sacking Seattle Seahawks quarterback Dave Krieg seven times in one game in 1990 at Arrowhead Stadium and the veteran signal-caller eluding him in the final moments to throw the game-winning touchdown pass somehow epitomizes the close-but-no-cigar career of this fierce defender.

Next: No. 21