That’s the way you feel when you get to know Derrion Thomas, son of the late Derrick Thomas, the outstanding linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Like his father, Derrion, a 17-year-old junior at Blue Springs South High School, was blessed with some serious athletic ability.
But Derrion’s skills are a bit more diverse. Physically, he’s ripped like his father, only slimmer. He’s 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs around 200 pounds. As he prepares for his senior year, his options are wide open, and the sky is the limit.
You see, he’s only a few ticks from having world-class speed as a swimmer, a sport he has pursued since he was 5.
He’s also really into playing defensive end for the Blue Springs South football team, a squad that won a state championship in 2006, his first year on the team. He also has dabbled at wide receiver.
And he runs track, specializing in sprints.
Add to that the fact he’s consistently getting better on the football field, and you’ve got yourself one heck of a young athlete. He had a couple of sacks this past year.
“I’m not as fast off the line as he (his dad) was,” Derrion said. “So I have to work on that a little bit. But as far as having the vision of what’s going on, that kind of came a little bit natural. It does require a bit of work, the footwork, technique and stuff.”
While football is in Derrion’s genes, swimming is an entirely different story. His father never learned to swim.
As a member of the Kansas City Storm swim team, Derrion recently won first place in the Missouri Valley Division II short-course swim championships in the 100-yard backstroke, second in the 200-yard backstroke and seventh in the 200-yard individual medley. And at the Missouri Valley Division I short-course championships, he had a sixth-place finish in the 50-yard freestyle.
“Short sprints are our core,” Derrion said. “That’s where we really excel. I like the whole get-up-and-go thing. If you make one mistake, you’re pretty much out of the race. You’ve got to be focused. You’ve got to be intense.”
Leonard Horne, the coach of the Kansas City Storm, said it had been a privilege to coach Derrion.
“He’s a wonderful young man,” Horne said.
“He’s very committed to his involvement in his extracurricular activities, be it football, swimming, or track and field. He has stellar performances in all three. And he’s a great team leader. He’s just a true pleasure to be around. Everything about him is just upbeat.”
If it wasn’t for the fact that he took a whole year away from the pool, Derrion could very well be preparing for the Olympics in China right now. Swimming came along at the right time in his life.
His father died in 2000 when he was 9.
“This program has helped me through a lot,” Derrion said. “It helped me deal my dad’s death. Swimming became my kind of stress reliever. Getting in the water helped me get past all that. It helped me build a name for myself.
“There are a lot of people who say: ‘Hey, you’re Derrick Thomas’ son. You should be on the football field.’ Swimming has helped me build my own image and not just follow in his footsteps.”
At some point, Derrion says he may choose one sport over the others.
Whatever he decides to do next year as a high school senior and in the years after that, there will be a whole lot of people in Kansas City rooting for him to do well, just as they once rooted for his dad.
Knowing what Derrion’s been through in life and how well he has turned out, it’s just an easy thing to do.
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