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Paying respects Memorial services, jersey retirement set for Thomas
Posted: Friday February 11, 2000 10:37 AM
MIAMI (AP) -- Derrick Thomas' No. 58 jersey almost certainly will be retired by the Kansas City Chiefs. It might happen as soon as Tuesday, the day when Thomas' life will be celebrated at services in Kansas City, Mo. "Our owner is giving it great thought right now," Chiefs president Carl Peterson said Wednesday. "And the one thing about Lamar Hunt and his family is that they always find a way to do the right thing." Thomas, 33, died Tuesday from a massive blood clot in his pulmonary artery, which carries blood and oxygen from the heart to the lungs. Memorial services are set to begin in Kansas City and then move to Miami, Thomas' hometown and the place where he will be buried. There will be a viewing Monday at Thomas' church in Kansas City, then a memorial service at Kemper Arena the following day, Peterson said. "I'm not sure it can hold all the people who want to attend," he said. "It will be a public opportunity for Derrick's fans and friends to honor him." Thomas's body then will be transferred back to Miami, where there will be a public viewing Feb. 18. He will be buried Feb. 19. The reason for the delay is because Thomas' aunt, Edith Morgan's sister, died last weekend, Peterson said. Thomas' family will be at her funeral Saturday in Tallahassee. Thomas' death added to the family's grief. But former Chiefs coach Marty Schottenheimer said friends and relatives have rallied around Morgan. "She's been a rock for all of us," Schottenheimer said. "She's been a pillar of strength." Morgan was at her son's side Tuesday when he said he wasn't feeling well just seconds before his eyes rolled back. The Chiefs star, who held the NFL record of seven sacks in a game, went into cardio-respiratory arrest. Thomas, paralyzed from the chest down following a traffic accident in Kansas City, died minutes later. The cause of death, confirmed Wednesday by an autopsy, is common for paralysis victims. "A certain percentage of people with paralysis suffer from blood clots," said Dr. Barth Green, a neurosurgeon at Jackson Memorial Hospital. "Sometimes you can see them and sometimes they're hidden in the deeper veins of the body, and that's what happened with Derrick." Between 3 and 15 percent of spinal cord injury patients suffer from blood clots, Green said. Thomas was driving his Sport Utility Vehicle during a snowstorm on Jan. 23 as he and two friends headed to the Kansas City airport to fly to St. Louis for the NFC championship game. He lost control of the vehicle, and it flipped several times. Thomas was brought to the hospital in Miami, his hometown, where he had surgery to repair his spinal column. The nine-time Pro Bowl linebacker had been on blood thinners since the accident, doctors said. Therapists also used mechanical devices on Thomas daily that intermittently contracted his legs to help circulate blood. "We took all the aggressive precautions that are available to people today," Green said. "It just wasn't enough." Added Dr. Frank Eismont, an orthopedic surgeon: "If I were to have it all to do over again, I wouldn't do anything different." Thomas had been progressing quickly in rehabilitation. He was allowed out of the hospital last weekend -- although a nurse and a physician accompanied him -- and he had been talking about returning to Kansas City within the next few months, said Dr. Jon Browne, Chiefs team physician. An All-American at Alabama, the 6-foot-3, 255-pound Thomas became an immediate star as a pass-rushing specialist after being taken in the first round of the 1989 draft. He was an All-Pro in his first nine seasons and ranked ninth on the career list with 126.5 sacks. Thomas is survived by his mother; his son, Derrick Thomas Jr., 8; and a half-brother, Gregory Morgan, 19. "He's really one of everyone's own," Peterson said. "He's a special, special guy that came our way. And we were very, very fortunate to have him 11 of his 33 years. You don't replace someone like this. We won't forget him." Memorial plans finalizedPlans have been set for Thomas' funeral: -- A public viewing at the east end zone of Arrowhead Stadium is planned on Monday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. A military flyover is tentatively scheduled for 12:01 p.m. Visitors may enter the sports complex through gates 1 and 2 and parking will be available in lots A, B, C, and D. Entry to the stadium is through Gate C. No cameras or video equipment will be permitted. -- A public memorial service at Kemper Arena is planned on Tuesday starting at 11 a.m. The doors will open at 9:30 a.m. Teammates and NFL players from throughout the country are expected to be in attendance. Parking will be free in city lots A, C, D, and E or the Liberty lot.
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