Derrick Thomas’s son, Donnell Alexander, gets tryout with Chiefs
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The son of late Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Famer Derrick Thomas went through a tryout with the team that ended Monday, reports Pete Sweeney of Chiefs.com.
Thomas was one of the most dominant defensive players in NFL history during his 11-year career with the Chiefs. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2009, nine years after he died in a speeding accident.
Alexander, who played running back at Colorado State and Akron during his collegiate career, talked about the reactions he receives from fans about his father.
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“I have memories (of Thomas), but I was quite young [when he played], so a lot of the memories mostly come from film,” he said. “When I was in Colorado, I did a camp, and a lot of people came up and spoke to me, and just the way they said that they idolize my father, to me that was amazing because they have no idea really who he is, but for them to just be die-hard fans like that, that shows me a lot.”
Alexander grew up a Chiefs fan and has an arrowhead tattooed on the back of his neck.
“It’s a surreal experience,” Alexander said. “No matter what, I think I would have come here regardless and at least tried out, because this is where I would love to be—a Chief.”
He played in 12 games with Akron last season, carrying the ball 106 times for 494 yards and three touchdowns.
