Return to the Missouri House of RepresentativesWhereas, Derrick Thomas' immense talent on the football field was matched by his caring and generous spirit in the Kansas City community; and
Whereas, in his eleven year career as a Kansas City Chief, Derrick Thomas established himself as one of the NFL's most dominant defensive players and feared pass rushers, and firmly etched his place in history as one of the Kansas City Chiefs best linebackers; and
Whereas, Derrick Thomas made nine Pro Bowl appearances, the most of any player in the illustrious history of the Kansas City Chiefs; established team career records for sacks, safeties and fumble recoveries during his career; and his twenty sacks in 1990 set a Chiefs single-season mark, with his seven-sack game in 1990 setting an NFL single-game record; and
Whereas, Derrick Thomas was named the Chiefs Most Valuable Player following the 1991 and 1994 seasons, won the 1994 Genuine Heroes Award and received the league's two most prestigious humanitarian awards: the 1993 NFL Man of the Year and the 1995 Byron "Whizzer" White Humanitarian Award for service to team, community and country; and
Whereas, as the son of an Air Force Captain, Derrick Thomas was five years old when his father's plane was shot down while it was returning from a mission in Vietnam on December 17, 1972. With his father declared legally dead in 1980 as a Vietnam MIA, Derrick Thomas had a special relationship with veterans. He delivered the keynote address at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial during the Memorial Day ceremony in 1993 and volunteered regularly at Kansas City's veterans' hospital; and
Whereas, the notable achievements of Derrick Thomas off the football field were equally remarkable to his achievements on the football field. Derrick started an inner-city reading program with his "Third and Long Foundation" ten years ago and as its founder read to children at local libraries each home Saturday during football season; he was the Kansas City Chief's United Way spokesperson; and he was designated by former President George Bush as the "832nd point of light" in the President's Thousand Points of Light campaign:
Now, therefore, be it resolved that the members of the House of Representatives of the Ninetieth General Assembly, Second Regular Session, the Senate concurring therein, do hereby instruct the State Highways and Transportation Commission and the Department of Transportation to take action immediately to name a section of Interstate 70 from Blue Ridge Cut Off at the George Brett Bridge on the west to Highway 291on the east, the "Derrick Thomas Memorial Highway".
Be it further resolved that the Chief Clerk of the Missouri House of Representatives be instructed to prepare properly inscribed copies of this resolution for the State Highways and Transportation Commission and the director of the Department of Transportation.
Offered by Representative Terry RileyReturn to the Missouri House of Representatives