January 1, 1967:
Born Derrick Vincent Thomas.

December 17, 1972:
The plane of his father, Robert, was shot down in Vietnam. The name of the mission: "Operation: Linebacker II." Robert Thomas was declared legally dead in 1980.

1981-85:
Attended South Miami High School and earned all-league honors in football. Thomas played running back and tight end, as well as linebacker.

1985:
Enrolled at the University of Alabama. Thomas recorded three sacks as a freshman.

1987:
Set an Alabama single-season record with 18 sacks as a junior.

December 1, 1988:
Set an Alabama single-game record with five sacks against Texas A&M.

December 5, 1988:
Won the Butkus Award honoring the nation's top college linebacker. Thomas broke his own single-season record with 27 sacks, giving him 52 for his career, another 'Bama record.

December 24, 1988:
In his final game at Alabama, Thomas blocked a kick to help preserve the Tide's 29-28 victory over Army in the Sun Bowl.

April 1989:
Selected fourth overall, behind Troy Aikman, Tony Mandarich and Barry Sanders, in the NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. Thomas was the first linebacker had ever taken in the first round of the draft.

September 17, 1989:
Recorded the first sack of his career against the Los Angeles Raiders.

1989:
Recorded 10 sacks and was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Named to the Pro Bowl, the first of nine invitations he received during his career, a Kansas City Chiefs record.

November 11, 1990:
In a game he dedicated to his father in honor of Veterans Day, Thomas set an NFL single-game record by sacking Seattle's Dave Krieg seven times. Thomas sacked Krieg 15 times during their careers; the only quarterback he sacked more often was John Elway (17).

1990:
Set a career high with 20 sacks, a franchise record that is the fifth-highest single-season total in NFL history.

Memorial Day 1993:
Thomas delivered the keynote address at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

1993:
Named the Edge NFL Man of the Year for his charitable ways. The highlight of his philanthropic endeavors was "Third and Long Foundation," an inner-city literacy program he founded.

September 6, 1998:
Sacked Oakland's Jeff George six times, one short of his single-game NFL record.

November 16, 1998:
Thomas repeatedly was flagged for personal fouls in a Monday night game against Denver. He apologized for his behavior later in the week and was suspended for the November 22 game against San Diego for his actions.

December 26, 1998:
Thomas returned a fumble 44 yards for a touchdown against the Oakland Raiders, the fourth and final touchdown of his career. Thomas also recorded two sacks in the game, giving him 12 for the season. That gave Thomas seven seasons during his 11-year career in which he reached double figures in sacks.

December 18, 1999:
Recorded the final sack of his career, as he dropped Pittsburgh's Mike Tomczak for an eight-yard loss. The seventh sack of the season, Thomas finished with 126.5 for his career, the ninth-highest total in NFL history (sacks became an official NFL stat in 1982).

January 2:
Played in his final NFL game, a 41-38 loss to the Oakland Raiders. Thomas recorded six tackles.

January 23:
Thomas was injured when the car he was driving flipped on an icy highway in Kansas City. Thomas broke his spine and neck and was paralyzed from the waist down. Michael Tellis, a friend of Thomas and a passenger in the vehicle, died in the crash.