DT’s
Decade of
Excellence
Award
This award was originated in the year 2000 as a way to
honor the memory of a fallen hero—Derrick Thomas. The award is handed out once at the end of each decade to the FFL
coach that has shown the most consistent level of excellence for that
decade. Congratulations to Tim
Schroeder of the Midwest Menace for being the original recipient of the award,
as he was clearly the most dominant team in the FFL throughout the 1990’s.
Tim
Schroeder of the Midwest Menace becomes the Derrick
Thomas was an All-Pro
first-ever
winner of the award for his excellence in linebacker
for the Chiefs for 11 years.
the
1990’s. He
will be missed by so many fans.
*** Click here for a close-up view of the
award ***
DERRICK
THOMAS – Inaugural Award Speech
(as
presented by Tim Ervin at the 2000 FFL draft)
As so many of you have pointed out to me over the years,
the Fantasy magazines will tell you that the first thing you should look for in
a commissioner for your league is someone who is NOT married. And if a single person is not available, you
definitely need someone obsessed with sports.
As the saying goes.... one out of two ain’t bad. I have been a sportsnut for as long as I can
remember. And although I have never
really associated the word HERO with any of my favorite pro-athletes, the
player, in any sport, that would most fit the bill for me is Derrick Thomas.
About the time
my sports obsession was beginning to hit full stride, Derrick Thomas was
drafted with the 4th overall pick in the 1989 NFL draft by the
Kansas City Chiefs—my favorite team in any sport. He was the consensus Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1989,
posting a team-high 10 sacks. During
his 11-year career with the Chiefs, Thomas would produce 126.5 sacks and many,
many, memorable moments. I had the good
fortune of being in attendance at Arrowhead Stadium on November 11th,
1990 when Derrick set a new NFL record with SEVEN sacks in a single game. He made Seahawks quarterback Dave Krieg look
like an injured Dolphin in shark-infested waters. And yet... what Derrick Thomas remembered the most about that
game was the sack he DIDN’T get. With
just seconds remaining on the stadium clock, Dave Krieg dropped back to pass
and looked downfield. From the
blindside he was suddenly grabbed by Thomas.
DT had him dead-to-rights, in his hands.... but the squirmy Dave Krieg
shook him off for the first time all day and hit a no-name receiver, Paul
Skansi, in the back of the end zone for the game-winning score as time
expired. Despite setting the NFL record
with his 7-sack performance, all Thomas could talk about later was the sack he
missed--- just a glimpse into the kind
of EXCELLENCE he expected from himself.
Thomas also
displayed excellence off the field. He
started his own Third-and-Long Foundation dedicated to raising money to promote
literacy among Kansas City youth. Some
of his other selfless acts over the years included-- feeding the homeless or underprivileged, giving generously to
charities, visiting sick children at area hospitals and making a difference in
the lives of terminally ill children, paying to send many strangers to college,
arranging to send 700 inner city Miami kids to a camp, and helping an elderly
couple when they had car trouble on a very hot day. Thomas was a class-act, through and through.
On January 23rd
of this year, Thomas was driving through a snowstorm to the Kansas City airport
to fly to St. Louis for the NFC Championship game. He lost control of his car and it overturned at least three
times. Thomas was left paralyzed and
just 16 days later died suddenly from a heart attack. It was a devastating loss for so many people that it seems almost
selfish to speak of how his death has affected me personally. What I do want to say is this-- Thomas was my favorite player on my favorite
team and, more importantly, he was a great human being. I will miss him.
I would ask that
you all indulge me just a little longer, as I read a poem that was written by
former Chiefs kicker Nick Lowery shortly after Thomas’ accident...
NICK
LOWERY’S POEM FOR DERRICK THOMAS
“Derrick’s
Moment”
When
we think of important things,
Truly
important things,
We
forget that for us
Life’s
alarm clock rings.
We
forget that each moment sings,
Each
breath is priceless,
Each
smell, each sight is unique
Each
friend a true sign we seek.
That
we are here for a reason,
Not
to argue another season
But
to give pleasure in God’s sight
To
bear true compassion, not merely fight.
For
we soar to the fighter pilot’s altitude,
Not
with wrath but with gratitude.
Our
wings unfold with the chance to smile
To
laugh for awhile, to live with style.
To
stretch our leg, to pump our powerful arm
To
leap into life and do good
Where others might do harm
To
reach out because we must, we should.
To
inspire with the relentless energy
That
would light a thousand Arrowhead fires
To
tear down life’s invisible walls,
Even
more than quarterbacks or footballs
To
sack a child’s opportunity barrier
Even
more than a ball carrier
And
give the ultimate gift
A
young spirit given lift.
And
stand tall among men
Because
what we left
Was
not so much on the field
But
in young people’s hearts.
Little
boys and girls, bereft
Of
family and hope,
Raised
up and taught to cope
With
their only sure treasure.
A
spirit lit up
With
a mind on fire,
A
soul unrelenting
In
curiosity, belief and desire.
In
our own Hall of Fame
Our
wall against shame
Derrick: You have won life’s only real game
With
your burning, unquenchable, unmatchable flame.
And
you will rise up,
You
will take off,
You
will soar again
With
new dreams
And
we will fly with you,
Wherever
you go.
Shortly after his death I began spending time thinking of
ways in which I could honor the memory of Derrick Thomas—some way that our
little FFL league could appropriately pay tribute to a fallen hero. After much thought, I finally came up with
the concept of an award for our league, that I hope will sufficiently honor
him. It is called—DT’s Decade of
Excellence Award. You see, Thomas spent
almost exactly a DECADE as a dominant force for the Chiefs and the Kansas City
community. And so, what better way to
honor his memory than to introduce an award for our league that is so
prestigious that it is given out only once every ten years.
DT’s Decade of
Excellence Award will be handed out at the end of every decade to the FFL coach
that has exhibited the most consistent level of excellence during that ten-year
span. This is not an award that will be
put to a vote. There will be no point
system, no consulting the council. This
is an award that is from me personally.
It will not only honor Derrick Thomas, but will also serve as a THANK
YOU from me to the coach that has earned it by maintaining a consistent level
of excellence throughout the decade.
As I endeavored
to determine who the first-ever winner of this award should be, it became clear
almost instantly who should “take home the hardware.” He was voted FFL Coach of the Year by his peers in 1995 and again
in 1997. He won four FFL Scoring
Titles, including three straight from 1995 to 1997. He was a three-time Champion of the Kansas Division, winning it
in 1995, 1998, and 1999. And he finally
got the monkey off his back with his first FFL Superbowl victory in his 1998
Championship season. For his consistent
excellence in the 1990’s, I now present the first-ever DT’s Decade of
Excellence Award to...... Tim Schroeder of the Midwest Menace. Congratulations, and thank you.
*** Click here for another
fan’s tribute to Derrick Thomas ***