Organized football. It starts today. This makes me happy. Today's Kansas City Chiefs news includes a couple of stories on UDFAs that will be working out today, and updates on a few former players and coaches. Happy Friday!
Haley doesn’t reveal what he says to the players or even prospective players, but we’ve got an idea of what this opening talk might be like. That’s thanks to his mentor Bill Parcells.
As the Big Tuna was exiting the head coaching job with the New York Jets back in the 1999 season, he did a book with the late Boston sportswriter Will McDonough. Part of the book was comments he made to his young players upon their first arrival at the Jets Complex.
If not word-for-word, I’m willing to bet that what the Chiefs rookies hear will be very similar. That nice guy on the end of the phone who asked them if they were ready to be a member of the Chiefs on draft day will be replaced by the spirit of Parcells.
Rookies Will Get An Earful … Friday Cup O’Chiefs from Bob Gretz
The Kansas City Chiefs believe Horne, a former wide receiver at Albany High and Milford Academy, has something to offer and he begins a three-day stint at rookie mini-camp after agreeing on a deal with the NFL team after the final day of the draft Saturday.
"I actually thought I was going to be drafted," said Horne, who was contacted by a number of NFL teams before, during and after the draft. "Everything happens for a reason."
Horne began his college career at Syracuse and transferred to the University of Massachusetts, where he played wide receiver, returned kicks and served as a special teams player from 2007-09.
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Horne received interest from the Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns and Seattle Seahawks before settling on the Chiefs.
"I thought most definitely it was my best opportunity. They don't have a lot of receivers," Horne said of the Chiefs.
Horne thinks he has chance in NFL from The Times Union
We always welcome input from readers. Sometimes those posts catch our attention and they turn up here on the site. Here are the thoughts of Douglas Wymore. Enjoy.
Maybe the best way to analyze the Chief’s draft is look from the top down, instead of the bottom up, which is the more traditional method of building a team.
I think that is what Todd Haley wanted, and he got his way.
A Different View Of The Chiefs Draft from Bob Gretz
In 2006, Printers finally got the opportunity that he coveted, signing a three-year deal with the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs. That opportunity, however, proved to be short-lived when the Chiefs released him the following year.
"When I played for the Kansas City Chiefs, there was guy who, after they released me, told me my pedigree wasn’t good enough; and by pedigree, I mean where you come from," he said. "I was under the impression all the way up until that moment that your pedigree didn’t matter."
"Everything that I thought was the truth about college and professional sports were false."
Propelled by the numerous disappointments Printers had previously experienced that culminated in that one conversation, he began conducting research on the trends of the drafts in professional sports.Former Rattler shares wisdom in successful self help book from The Famuan
Dedric Ward is living the second act of his football life at Northern Iowa at a UNI-Dome near you, and the script is not quite finished.
An all-American wide receiver for the Panthers in the 1990s, Ward has occupied the role of vagabond since his final game in purple. He wandered through five NFL franchises during his playing days. Retiring in 2004, he kept moving as a coach - from Missouri State to the Arizona Cardinals to the Kansas City Chiefs. A year ago, Kansas City chose not to renew Ward's contract.
Now, he's back at the old school, working as a volunteer coach with the Panther wide receivers.
Will he stay? Will he go? Ward is awaiting the next page of his life
Ward enjoying return to Cedar Falls from The WCF Courier
The NFL Draft is behind us, immediately ahead is the Chiefs rookie mini-camp. It seems a good time to open up the pipeline and answer your questions about the team, the AFC West and the league.ASK BOB … Post-Draft from Bob Gretz
One of the great things about sports is it provides athletes a way to live out their dreams.
Much as the next great American novel elevates the author from struggling waiter writing on the side to celebrity status, sports provides similar opportunities for those with the creativity and inner drive to see the possibilities.
Of course, even the dream is relative, particularly in the sports arena. For some, it’s beating the Soviets in Lake Placid. For others, it’s simply making the cut.
Tyler Eastman and Keegan Hyland reside somewhere in between those extremes.
Eastman, a 6-foot-6, 310-pound Old Town native, began his pursuit of a pro football career Thursday when the former University of Maine lineman began a rookie minicamp with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Eastman, Hyland Live the Dream from The Bangor Daily News
"Many of the cuts and new revenues have come from the academic affairs side of the institution," Cronk said. "Honestly, that’s a little discouraging."
The other major area of reduction that the athletic department has made is not replacing an assistant football coach, saving the department $23,660.
While the department reduced costs by cutting the position, the athletic department decided to keep a video production position. Dave Williams, Missouri Western athletic director, said that his department has taken criticism in regards to this position.
"I feel that that position is a benefit to every department or sport, [it] is vital to where we’re going with the Kansas City Chiefs, vital to where we’re going in the future of technology," Williams said. "Two weeks later we had a football coach leave and we’re not getting any credit for that one."
Williams said the position is vital to public relations for the athletic department and the university as a whole.
"These are the types of things students look for on a new college," Williams said. "When students go to our web site we want them to see technology."
Even with these cuts, Cronk feels that Western’s athletic department still may not be cutting enough, especially with the construction of the spring sports complex and the Chiefs Facility. But the revenue brought in by the Max Experience fee can only be used for the spring sports complex and the Chiefs facility is separate from the athletic department’s budget.
Athletics budget cuts below university average from The Griffon News
Duncan Park will play host to several former NFL players, a slew of food and a good time Saturday at the 16th annual Joe Fortunato Golf Tournament.Each year, the Miss-Lou Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame gives out seven scholarships to one student-athlete from each local school. The tournament serves as the primary fundraiser for each scholarship, said tournament founder Joe Fortunato...
...The scholarship money is deposited into the student’s account after enrollment at a college is confirmed. It’s also available to use for graduate school if the student doesn’t need it for undergrad.
Special guests will include former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver/kick returner Noland Smith, as well as former Green Bay Packer Allen Brown, who will help cook Saturday.
Former NFL players to be guests at Joe Fortunato tournament from The Natchez Democrat
Others such as Regina Rams receiver Jordan Sisco (Indianapolis Colts), Bishop’s Gaiters receivers Steven Turner (Chicago Bears) and Shawn Gore (Green Bay Packers), Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks defensive end Chima Ihekwoaba (Detroit Lions) and Concordia linebacker Cory Greenwood (Kansas City Chiefs) are slated to take part in tryout camps this weekend.Riders’ assistant GM pumped up about CFL draft from The Montreal Gazette
Ireland is the stepson of College Football Hall of Famer E. J. Holub, who played center and linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Texans .
Ireland is also the grandson of Jim Parmer, who played for the Philadelphia Eagles and was a personnel executive for the Chicago Bears.
Translation, this punk missed no meals, had three hots and a cot all his life. I'd submit, Dez Bryant's mother was born onto a path which placed her in har m's way . . . by the time she hit puberty . . .
But I know, everybody born into chaos and disorder are suppose to be able to improvise, adapt and overcome all adversity . . . just like in the movies.
Empathy, sympathy, understanding, even unwanted pity . . . where is it Mr Ireland? What about employing a little tact, decorum, diplomacy?
Straight No Chaser: The Ireland Blues from BlackAthlete.net
Player Tweets
MrKolbySmith Kuntry and proud of it. Raised on ox tails, greens, cornbread, mustard greens, sweet potato, neck bones and (cont) http://tl.gd/130sjk
MrKolbySmith Grandma won't let me talk. Lol RT @MsTCaldwell: @MrKolbySmith callin u n 5mins
GlennDorsey72 weather nice, whos goin to this MMA fight in Power and Light?
BFlowers24 @joshujy you gota have a crazy dcoordinator coming into the nfl for the first time lol..ill always love my mane man gun lol
BFlowers24 @kcrockaholic they asked me about @berry14 but im taking no credit there...he earned his way to be the #5 pick
GlennDorsey72 Me too RT @alvianne_brule: I don't know what it is about Barnes and noble ..... But I LOVE this place!
GlennDorsey72 Ooo weee!!!
Media and Fans
gregaiello Highlights of @nflcommish fan forum b4 Draft last Saturday. Commish spoke w/50 season tix holders from 7 teams. http://tinyurl.com/2apzshs
ChiefsPR Just spotted "The Count," Chiefs Hall of Fame RB Curtis McClinton here at Arrowhead.
SneakySnooper The KC Royals: We're just getting you warmed up for another Chiefs season
gregaiello RT @nfllabor: ESPN.com’s Gregg Easterbrook: "There will be new NFL CBA" http://tinyurl.com/2dj5hog
davidmwhited I've got a idea after the T Swift concert tonight. KC Chiefs need to give unsold tickets to 13 yr old girls and have them yell on 3 downs!