As the Kansas City Chiefs prepare to open up their season against the New Orleans Saints, a number of connections between the two teams will surface on the field. While several players and coaches have shared time with each other on the field in years past, perhaps the most striking one is Chase Daniel squaring off against his former team after several years as the Saints back-up quarterback.
Thanks to the Chiefs PR staff for this list of Chiefs-Saints connections.
Professional
• Saints DE Baraka Atkins spent the 2009 season in San Francisco with the 49ers during Chiefs QB Alex Smith's tenure (2005-12).
• Saints DT Brodrick Bunkley spent his 2006-10 seasons in Philadelphia with members of the Chiefs: Head Coach Andy Reid (1999-2012), Assistant Head Coach/Wide Receivers Coach David Culley (1999-2012), Offensive Coordinator Doug Pederson (2009-12), Tight Ends Coach Tom Melvin (1999-2012), Assistant Offensive Line Coach Eugene Chung (2010-12), Quality Control Coach Corey Matthaei (2008-12), LB Akeem Jordan (2007-12), S Quintin Demps (2008-09), Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Barry Rubin (2008-12), Quarterbacks Coach Matt Nagy (2010-12) and Statistical Analysis Coordinator Mike Frazier (2003-12).
• Chiefs CB Dunta Robinson spent 2010-12 in Atlanta and played with Saints S Rafael Bush (2010), LB Curtis Lofton (2008-11) and QB Luke McCown (2012).
• New Orleans LB Victor Butler (2009-12) and S Akwasi Owusu-Ansah (2010-11) spent time in Dallas with several Chiefs: DL Marcus Dixon (2008-10), CB Vince Agnew (2012) and LB Orie Lemon (2011-12). Agnew and Lemon were both on the Cowboys roster when Saints Defensive Coordinator Rob Ryan was coaching from 2011-12.
• Chiefs LB Edgar Jones (2007-11) and WR Terrance Copper (2008) spent time in Baltimore with Saints CB Chris Carr (2009-11), G Ben Grubbs (2007-11) and S Jim Leonhard (2008).
• Chiefs WR Donnie Avery (2008-10) and Assistant Secondary Coach Al Harris (2011) played in St. Louis with Saints LB Chris Chamberlain (2008-11) and T Jason Smith (2009-11). Avery was on the roster when Saints Wide Reciever Coach Henry Ellard (2001-08) was part of the Rams coaching staff. Saints Assistant Secondary Coach Andre Curtis (2009-11) overlapped with Avery, Chamberlain, Harris and Smith in St. Louis.
• Saints Head Coach Sean Payton (2003-05) and DE Kenyon Coleman (2003-06, 2011-12) spent time in Dallas with Chiefs Linebackers Coach Gary Gibbs (2002-05) and WR Terrance Copper (2004-05). Coleman also overlapped as a Cowboy with Chiefs TE Anthony Fasano (2006-07), LB Orie Lemon (2011-12) and CB Vince Agnew (2012).
• During Chiefs Defensive Coordinator Bob Sutton's tenure at the New York Jets (2000-12), he coached alongside Saints Wide Receivers Coach Henry Ellard (2009-11), fellow Chiefs Assistant Special Teams Coach Kevin O'Dea (2008-09) and Quality Control Coach Mark DeLeone (2012). Players who spent time as Jets during these years include Saints DE Kenyon Coleman (2007-08), S Jim Leonhard (2009-11), T Jason Smith (2012), LB Jonathan Vilma (2004-07) and Chiefs DL Mike DeVito (2007- 12) and DL Marcus Dixon (2010-12).
• Saints G Ricky Henry played the 2011 season for Chiefs Special Teams Coordinator Dave Toub and Assistant Special Teams Coach Kevin O'Dea in Chicago.
• New Orleans CB Korey Lindsey and Chiefs FB Anthony Sherman both spent the 2011 season in Arizona.
• Chiefs DE Austen Lane (2010-12) and Offensive Line Coach Andy Heck (2004-12) spent time in Jacksonville with Saints QB Luke McCown (2009- 11) and S Akwasi Owusu-Ansah (2011).
• New Orleans WR Preston Parker spent his 2010-12 seasons in Tampa Bay with Chiefs LB Zac Diles (2011) and WR Tyler Shoemaker (2012).
• Saints TE Benjamin Watson and Chiefs Spread Game Analyst Brad Childress spent the 2012 season in Cleveland.
•Chiefs Defensive Backs Coach Emmitt Thomas (1995-98) coached alongside Saints Head Coach Sean Payton (1997-98) and Assistant Head Coach Joe Vitt (1995-98) in Philadelphia during which time Assistant Secondary Coach Al Harris (1998-02) was on the roster.
•Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis (1983-98) spent time in Seattle with Chiefs Offensive Line Coach Andy Heck (1989-93), Defensive Line Coach Tommy Brasher (1992-98) and fellow Saints Assistant Head Coach Joe Vitt (1982-91).
•Saints Assistant Head Coach Joe Vitt spent his 1999 season in Green Bay with several Chiefs: General Manager John Dorsey (1984-88, 1991-2012), Offensive Coordinator Doug Pederson (1996-98, 2001-04), Defensive Backs Coach Emmitt Thomas (1999) and Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Barry Rubin (1995-05).
•Chiefs Offensive Coordinator Doug Pederson and Saints Offensive Coordinator Pete Carmichael spent the 2000 season in Cleveland.
•Chiefs Defensive Backs Coach Emmitt Thomas (1986-94) and Saints Wide Receivers Coach Henry Ellard (1994-97) coached alongside each other in 1994 in Washington.
• Kansas City Defensive Backs Coach Emmitt Thomas (2002-09) coached Saints LB Curtis Lofton (2008-11) and served on the coaching staff alongside Saints Defensive Line Coach Bill Johnson (2001-06) and Quarterbacks Coach Joe Lombardi (2006) in Atlanta.
• Saints Assistant Special Teams Coach Stan Kwan (1991-96) spent time in San Diego with Assistant Special Teams Coach Kevin O'Dea (1994-95) while Chiefs Running Backs Coach Eric Bieniemy (1991-94) was on the roster.
• Chiefs TE Kevin Brock (2011) spent time in Buffalo with Saints Assistant Special Teams Coach Stan Kwan (2010-12).
Former Chiefs
• Saints C Brian de la Puente spent the 2008 season as a member of the Chiefs.
• New Orleans Assistant Head Coach Joe Vitt spent time in Kansas City as a linebackers coach (2000-03).
Former Saints
• Kansas City Linebackers Coach Gary Gibbs spent three seasons with the Saints (2006-08) as Defensive Coordinator.
• Chiefs WR Terrance Copper played for the Saints from 2006-08.
• Chiefs QB Chase Daniel played four seasons for the Saints (2009-12) and was part of their XLIV Super Bowl Championship team
College
• Chiefs P Dustin Colquitt and Saints CB Jabari Greer spent their entire collegiate careers together at Tennessee (2000-04).
• New Orleans LS Justin Drescher played at Colorado with Chiefs CB Jalil Brown from 2006-09.
• Saints FB Jed Collins and Kansas City S Hussain Abdullah spent time playing at Washington from 2004-06. Collins' career included a brief stop in Kansas City as well in 2009.
• Saints RB Mark Ingram and Chiefs LB Nico Johnson spent the 2008- 10 seasons together at Alabama during which time Ingram received the Heisman Trophy (2009). Both were part of the 2010 BCS National Championship team.
• Kansas City TE Anthony Fasano spent the 2006 season with Saints G Eric Olsen at Notre Dame.
• New Orleans WR Jarred Fayson (2007-10) and DE Glenn Foster (2008- 11) played at Illinois with Chiefs G Jon Asamoah (2006-09) and OL Jeff Allen (2008-11).
• Chiefs S Eric Berry (2007-09) and QB Tyler Bray (2010-12) both spent their collegiate years at Tennessee while Saints LB Austin Johnson was on the roster (2008-11).
• Saints S Jerico Nelson spent the 2009-10 seasons at Arkansas with Chiefs RB Knile Davis.
• Saints DT John Jenkins played at Georgia from 2011-12 with Chiefs DB Sanders Commings.
• Kansas City WR Junior Hemingway played with C Elliot Mealer at Michigan from 2008-12.
• New Orleans LB Kevin Reddick played with Chiefs RB Shaun Draughn from 2009-10 at North Carolina.
• Chiefs WR Jamar Newsome and Saints LB Ray Shipman played together from 2010-11 at Central Florida.
• Saints WR Kenny Stills played with Chiefs OL Donald Stephenson at Oklahoma from 2010-11.
• Chiefs Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach Travis Crittenden played under Saints Assistant Secondary Coach Andre Curtis at Virginia Military Institute from 2000-03.
Hometown
• Saints RB Darren Sproles played for Kansas State from 2001-04 and is a native of Olathe, Kan.
• Chiefs DB Otha Foster III is originally from Angie, La., 71 miles from New Orleans.
• Kansas City DE Tyson Jackson hails from Edgard, La., 29 miles away from New Orleans.
• Chiefs Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Barry Rubin grew up in Monroe, La.
• Chiefs LB Edgar Jones is from Rayville, La.
• Saints RB Travaris Cadet and CB Patrick Robinson grew up in Miami, Fla., along with Chiefs DB Anthony Toribio and WR Dwayne Bowe.
• Kansas City CB Brandon Flowers calls Delray Beach, Fla., his hometown along with Saints WR Preston Parker.
• Chiefs OL Jeff Allen shares Chicago, Ill., as a hometown with Saints DE Glenn Foster and LB Martez Wilson.
• New Orleans T Marcel Jones and Chiefs CB Jalil Brown share Phoenix, Ariz., as a hometown.
• Chiefs K Ryan Succop and Saints FB Austin Johnson both grew up in Hickory, N.C. The pair played for Hickory High School and overlapped for the 2004 season.