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The Kansas City Chiefs game release has a ton of connections with the Seattle Seahawks this week, including Jim Zorn, who is in Seattle's Ring of Honor, Matt Cassel, who was with Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll at USC, and Seahawks GM John Schneider, who was in KC's personnel department over a decade ago.
Here's one I bet you didn't know: Chiefs defensive line coach Anthony Pleasant was on the 49ers in 2000 when Terrell Owens was there.
Lots of connections. See 'em all after the jump.
Professional
- Chiefs QBs coach Jim Zorn spent time in Seattle on three different occasions. Zorn started his NFL playing career in Seattle (1976-84), which later earned him a spot in the Seahawks Ring of Honor. He ranks third in Seahawks history with 1,593 completions, 20,122 passing yards and 107 touchdown passes. Zorn’s fi rst NFL coaching position was in Seattle as he served as an offenseive assistant for one year (1997). Zorn’s third stint in Seattle lasted seven seasons (2001-07) when he coached the quarterbacks. Seattle won four consecutive NFC West Division titles (2004-07) and made five straight playoff appearances (2003-07), including the Seahawks first trip to the Super Bowl (2005).
- Seattle General Manager John Schneider served as Director of Pro Personnel for Kansas City (1997-2000).
- Kansas City Strength and Conditioning Coach Mike Clark held the same role with Seattle (2004-09).
- Seattle Assistant Director of Pro Personnel Trent Kirchner interned with the Chiefs during the spring of 2000.
- Seattle Quarterbacks Coach Carl Smith, WR Braylon Edwards, CB Coye Francies, TE Kellen Winslow and T Paul McQuistan spent time in Cleveland with Chiefs Head Coach Romeo Crennel (2005-08), Assistant Head Coach Maurice Carthon (2005-06), Offensive Coordinator Brian Daboll (2009), Director of Football Administration Trip MacCracken (2005-09), DL Amon Gordon (2005), DB Travis Daniels (2008), S Abram Elam (2009), QB Brady Quinn (2007-09) and LB Leon Williams (2006-08).
- Chiefs DL Amon Gordon spent part of the 2010 season with the Seahawks.
- Chiefs LS Thomas Gafford spent time with Seattle (2007).
- Seattle G/C Lemuel Jeanpierre originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with Kansas City (2010).
- Seattle RBs coach Sherman Smith was the Offensive Coordinator under Kansas City QBs coach Jim Zorn when he was the head coach in Washington (2008-09).
- Seattle T Allen Barbre, QB Matt Flynn and RB Kregg Lumpkin spent two seasons (2008-09) in Green Bay with Kansas City DL Anthony Toribio.
- After spending three collegiate seasons together at Michigan, Chiefs WR Steve Breaston and Seahawks DT Alan Branch continued as teammates over four seasons (2007-10) in Arizona. Kansas City Assistant Head Coach Maurice Carthon (2007-08) and Seattle G Deuce Lutui (2007-10) were also with the Cardinals during that time.
- Seattle DE Chris Clemons spent time in Oakland (2007) with Chiefs CB Stanford Routt. He also spent time in Philadelphia with Chiefs LB Andy Studebaker (2008 training camp) and Defensive Quality Control Coach Otis Smith (2008).
- Chiefs DE Ropati Pitoitua spent two seasons (2009-10) with Seahawks WR Braylon Edwards in New York with the Jets. Seattle RB Leon Washington spent four seasons with the Jets (2006-09) when Kansas City Offensive Coordinator Brian Daboll (2007-08) and S Abram Elam (2007-08) were in New York.
- Seattle LB Matt McCoy spent part of the 2007 season in New Orleans when Kansas City Linebackers Coach Gary Gibbs, Defensive Assistant/Assistant Linebackers Coach Adam Zimmer and WR Terrance Copper were with the Saints.
- Kansas City Defensive Line Coach Anthony Pleasant played for the 49ers (2000) when Seattle WR Terrell Owens was in San Francisco. Owens spent time (2006-07) in Dallas with Chiefs DB Jacques Reeves.
- Chiefs Area Scout Willie Davis and Seahawks Running Backs Coach Sherman Smith worked together in 1996 for the Houston Oilers and for two more seasons (1997-98) after the franchise relocated to Tennessee.
College
- Chiefs QB Matt Cassel played three seasons (2001-04) at USC when Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Chris Carlisle, Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach Jamie Yanchar and Defensive Passing Game Coordinator Rocky Seto were with the Trojans. Seattle Linebackers Coach Ken Norton Jr. and Quarterbacks Coach Carl Smith joined the staff at USC in 2004.
- Seahawks Wide Receivers Coach Kippy Brown served as the interim head coach at Tennessee during Kansas City S Eric Berry’s fi nal season (2009).
- Kansas City Offensive Coordinator Brian Daboll coached at Michigan State alongside Seattle Assistant Offensive Line Coach Pat Ruel (1998-99).
- Chiefs WR Steve Breaston spent his fi nal three seasons (2004-06) at Michigan with Seahawks DT Alan Branch. Seattle WR Braylon Edwards was a teammate of Breaston and Branch in 2004.
- Kansas City LB Tamba Hali spent his entire college career at Penn State (2002-05) with Seattle WR Deon Butler and FB Michael Robinson.
- Seattle QB Matt Flynn played at LSU with several Chiefs: WR Dwayne Bowe (2003-06), DE Glenn Dorsey (2004-07), DB Travis Daniels (2004-07) and DE Tyson Jackson (2004-07). Seattle DT Pep Levingston was with the Tigers in 2007 with Daniels and Dorsey.
- Chiefs CB Brandon Flowers was a teammate in the secondary at Virginia Tech (2006-07) with Seahawks SS Kam Chancellor.
- Seattle WR Golden Tate spent time at Notre Dame with Chiefs TEs coach Bernie Parmalee (2007-09), DE Ethan Johnson (2008-09) and QB Brady Quinn (2007).
- Seattle TE Kellen Winslow spent two seasons (2002-03) at Miami with Kansas City T Eric Winston and LB Leon Williams.
Hometown
- Seattle Assistant Offensive Line Coach Pat Ruel was the Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach (1988-90) and Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach (1991-96) at Kansas.
- Kansas City DB Mikail Baker and Seattle LB Mike Morgan are from Dallas, Texas, and spent three years (2003-05) together at Skyline High School.
- Seattle T Allen Barbre is from Neosho, Mo., and attended Missouri Southern (2003-06).