Tony Richardson is a special name around Kansas City. For 11 years he left his mark not only on Arrowhead Stadium, but also in the community so a lot of folks remember him fondly.
During the playoffs last January, a lot of us became Jets fans simply to root for Richardson. Even though he hasn't been a Chief since 2005, he's shown a tremendous amount of respect and goodwill towards the city and the people residing there.
Likewise, Thomas Jones became a similar figure in New York because of the good character he brought to the team and the city.
So it shouldn't be a huge surprise that Jones reached out to Richardson about playing in Kansas City.
"Tony Richardson, I played with him a couple years in New York," Jones explained. "He said to me, 'Look, Kansas City is a great place to play. I played there a long time and the fans love football. It's a football town.'
"As a football player, I couldn't ask for more."
Jones also credited his relationship with offensive line coach Bill Muir as a reason for coming to Kansas City. Jones and Muir were together in Tampa Bay.
That's one more reason to thank Tony Richardson.