Happy Friday, kids! Here's today's Kansas City Chiefs news for your review. Once again I am headed for an early train and wil be skipping the tweets. If you're traveling for the holiday, be safe!
The franchise has 81 players under its control. It’s a roster built more on the future than the past, more on what might be than what has been.
How this group of players is whittled down to 53 is what training camp and the pre-season will be all about. Just how much better that group of 53 is from the 4-12 team of last season is what the season will be about.
The next four days provide an opportunity to evaluate the group that will travel up I-29 to St. Joe. It starts at the bottom, as today comes an evaluation of players No. 81 through No. 60, as rated by your trusted observer. On Saturday, we’ll hit No. 40 through 59, with Sunday bringing No. 20 through 39 and then on Monday, No. 1 through 19.
The Chiefs – 81 thru 1/Part #1 … Friday Cup O’Chiefs from Bob Gretz
The former Nittany Lion and current Kansas City Chiefs defensive end was on hand to throw out the first pitch at Thursday night's State College Spikes game against the Williamsport Crosscutters at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
Hali, whose pitch went down the middle for a would-be strike, said he thinks Nebraska's addition to the Big Ten will be good for the conference.
"I think we are stronger now," said Hali, who sported a No. 91 Spikes jersey to throw the pitch. "People keep saying our conference is weak, our conference is weak. Nebraska's a good team as in football and a great university to go to."
Hali talks expansion, offseason routine at game from The Daily Collegian
Bears special teamer Tim Shaw hails from the same high school as Chiefs linebacker Tamba Hali, Livonia Clarenceville high school.
He held a camp at the high school recently and mentioned Hali while talking about what he did to be successful.
"I talked the other day with my first roommate in college, Tamba Hali, a first-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs. We saw a lot of guys around us that could have done what we did, but he and I decided to do it. We had the self discipline when others going to parties, we didn't need to go party because we wanted to play in the NFL. We decided that when we were too tired to study and get our homework done - we were going to get it done - because we wanted to get college degrees. We said we were going to do it back then and we did it. Have the self discipline to say you're going to do it.''
Chiefs LB Tamba Hali's Former Teammate Talks About What Made Them Successful from SB Nation Kansas City
Along with losing multiple players to graduation, the Spearville High School basketball team will suffer another big departure.
Willie Cauley, who will be a junior, said he will be attending Olathe Northwest this fall.
Cauley became friends with Shavon Shields while playing on the same Amateur Athletics Union team, the MO-KAN Elite, the past couple years. Shields’ father is former Kansas City Chiefs great Will Shields, who invited Cauley to live with him as he attends the school
Previously, Cauley has stayed at the Shields residence while playing AAU ball in Kansas City.
Caulet Transfering to Olathe Northwest from The Augusta Gazette
Jack Rudnay, 62, is a battered man. He will never complain. Never. That's not how you become one of the greatest linemen in Northwestern history and a 13-year NFL veteran -- all of them with the Kansas City Chiefs -- four of those years as the AFC starting center in the Pro Bowl. You've probably seen Rudnay in that oft-run Silver Bullet beer commercial, the one with Chiefs coach Hank Stram prancing on the Super Bowl IV sideline. Rudnay's the bearded guy in the business suit behind Stram. Jack fractured three vertebrae in the 1969 College All-Star Game, and was on injured reserve for that 1970 Super Bowl championship, his rookie year. 'I was never diagnosed with a concussion, but ...' from The Chicago Sun-Times
Hali is entering his fifth season with the Chiefs and second as a linebacker after beginning his career at defensive end. To help reverse their fortunes, the Chiefs hired former Cleveland Browns coach Romeo Crennel as their defensive coordinator. The change has forced Hali to learn a new defensive scheme.
"Romeo is a great coach," Hali said. "With our scheme right now, I believe we are going to be better next year. The way he runs the defense. … I can’t sit here and tell you guys because that will be ratting. It’s almost like watching the Steelers being that the defense is a 3-4. We have to be on our toes. There’s a lot of thinking."
Stevenson excited to be back on mound from The Centre Daily Times
But, the fundraising fun continued the following Sunday with the 2nd Annual Forman's Foundation Celebrity Golf Classic at San Diego County's top-rated Maderas Golf Club, with each golfer receiving a pair of Maui Jim sunglasses.. Nick Lowery, Hall of Fame kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs, was the featured speaker at the golf awards reception. Professional golfers, Debbie Dahmer and Vince Howell, were also on the golf course to help and challenge the participants.
INside San Diego: Forman's Foundation Celebrity Gala and Fund Raising Dinner from Just Luxe
Saturday’s Freedom from Cancer Ride will benefit two groups that fight cancer.
One is the Lance Armstrong Foundation, founded by the champion cyclist. Officials also have announced the ride will benefit Alex’s Lemonade, which helps families of children with cancer......Some former Kansas City Chiefs – Tim Cofield, Louie Aguiar and Mike Maslowski – will ride the longer routes, and others will help at rest stops.
The after-party is at Buffalo Wild Wings, where riders can collect autographs and watch the start of the Tour de France.Freedom from Cancer bike ride Saturday from The Examiner