Despite the bad news coming out of the Kansas City Chiefs camp this weekend with the loss of Tony Moeaki for the season as well as the rumored rib injury of Matt Cassel, some good stories still emerged with the announcement of the Chiefs 53-man roster. One of the surprises that stood out was the successful return of Keary Colbert to the NFL. And as Gregg Rosenthal of Pro Football Talk points out, he's another example of a USC player experiencing an unexpected late-career return to the pros.
By now it's quite clear that Colbert was a surprise showing at training camp in the first place. He hasn't put up a single statistic in the NFL since 2008 -- since Cam Newton was a sophomore at the University of Florida -- and even became tight ends coach for his alma mater. Just earlier this summer, Colbert signed up for his second stint in the UFL with the Sacramento Mountain Lions. He knew he could still play, just not at the NFL level. Little did anyone know, he would make the Chiefs opening-day roster just two months later.
It completes a return to the pros like Mike Williams, another USC product who had a downward spiral of an NFL career. Once a Detroit Lions draft joke, Williams dropped out of football altogether for two years after failed stints with the Raiders and Titans as well. But now he's back as one of the Seattle Seahawks top receivers.
If anything, the two USC receivers show that no one is ever finished in the NFL unless they want to be. Hard work is rewarded in the end each year as teams cut players with assumed roster spots and keep guys who might be surprises. Given the injuries the Chiefs are feeling on offense, here's hoping that Colbert isn't just a feel-good story but that he can also help provide another weapon for a team that could use it at receiver.