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Cardinals-Chiefs Connections Include Scott Pioli, Jason Licht

By Joel Thorman
Getty Images
The Kansas City Chiefs and Arizona Cardinals will meet on Friday night at Arrowhead Stadium for the preseason opener and there will be a few familiar faces on both sides of the ball. The Chiefs release a weekly game packet and included in there is a listing of all the connections between the two teams.

This week's series of connections is pretty big. Check 'em all out after the jump, courtesy of the Chiefs.
Professional

• Kansas City General Manager Scott Pioli worked with Arizona Director of Player Personnel Jason Licht on the personnel staff with the New England Patriots (2000-03) while Chiefs Head Coach Romeo Crennel was the team’s Defensive Coordinator (2001-04). Pioli also spent time in Cleveland as a Scouting Assistant (1992) and Pro Personnel Assistant (1993-94) while Arizona Special Teams Coach Kevin Spencer served as a Coaching Assistant for the Browns. Chiefs Defensive Line Coach Anthony Pleasant played on Cleveland’s defensive line during Spencer’s tenure with the Browns (1991-94).

• Arizona Strength and Conditioning Coach John Lott held the same position for the New York Jets while Chiefs GM Scott Pioli was the Jets Director of Pro Personnel (1997-99).

• Chiefs Assistant Head Coach Maurice Carthon coached the running backs in Arizona for two seasons (2007-08). Carthon was also the Assistant Head Coach/RBs for the New York Jets in 2000 when Arizona Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt was the Jets TEs coach.

• Chiefs Director of Football Administration Trip MacCracken was the Salary Cap Administrator in Cleveland while Arizona Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt coached the Browns special teams (1999).

• Kansas City WR Steve Breaston was drafted by Arizona and spent four seasons (2007-10) with the Cardinals.

• Cardinals DE Vonnie Holliday played for the Chiefs for two years (2003-04).

• Chiefs Area Scout Aundrae Harris interned in the Cardinals scouting and football operations departments (2007).

• Chiefs DBs coach Emmitt Thomas was the TEs/WRs coach with the Cardinals (1981-85) while the franchise was based in St. Louis. Thomas later was the WRs (1986) and secondary (1987-94) coach for the Washington Redskins when Cardinals Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt played tight end (1989-90), Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line Russ Grimm played guard (1986-91) and then coached tight ends (1992-94) and Defensive Coordinator Ray Horton was a Defensive Assistant.

• Arizona Defensive Coordinator Ray Horton coached alongside Kansas City Assistant Head Coach Maurice Carthon (2002) and Defensive Quality Control Coach Otis Smith (2003) in Detroit.

• Chiefs QBs coach Jim Zorn was the position coach for Arizona WRs coach Frank Reich when he played QB for the Detroit Lions (1998).

• Kansas City LB Edgar Jones and Arizona TE Todd Heap were teammates with the Baltimore Ravens (2007-10). Jones played tight end along with Heap in 2009.

• Arizona Football Administration Coordinator Matt Caracciolo is the brother of Chiefs Football Operations Assistant Tom Caracciolo.

College

• Arizona Defensive Line Coach Ron Aiken coached the D-line at Iowa while Kansas City QB Ricky Stanzi (2006-10), TE Tony Moeaki (2005-09) and OL Rob Bruggeman (2004-08) were on the roster.

• Chiefs CB Brandon Flowers was a teammate of Arizona Offensive Quality Control Coach Chad Grimm (2004-06) and TE Jeff King (2004-05) at Virginia Tech.

• Kansas City Quarterbacks Coach Jim Zorn was the Offensive Coordinator at Utah State when Arizona Running Backs Coach Tommie Robinson held the same position for the Aggies (1992-93).

• Kansas City LB Derrick Johnson (2001-04) and RB Jamaal Charles (2005-07) were teammates of Arizona C Lyle Sendlein (2003-06) at Texas.

• Kansas City DL Allen Bailey (2007-10), T Eric Winston (2002-05) and T Leon Williams (2002-05) were teammates at Miami with Arizona WR LaRon Byrd (2007-11), DE Calais Campbell (2004-07) and RB Javarris James (2006-09).

• Kansas City OL Donald Stephenson was a teammate of Arizona CB Jammell Flemming at Oklahoma (2008).

• Arizona DB Marshay Green (2006-09) and T Bobby Massie (2009-11) played at Ole Miss alongside Kansas City G Darryl Harris (2003-07), RB Dexter McCluster (2006-09), DL Jerrell Powe (2008-10) and S Kendrick Lewis (2006-
09).

• Kansas City CB Javier Arenas and Arizona DB Rashad Johnson were teammates in the Alabama secondary (2006-08).

• Chiefs CB Stanford Routt and LS Thomas Gafford played at Houston along with Cardinals QB Kevin Kolb (2003-04).

• Kansas City LB Tamba Hali played at Penn State (2002-05) with Arizona G Rich Ohrnberger (2004-05) and T Levi Brown (2002-05).

• Kansas City DE Tyson Jackson (2004-08) and DE Glenn Dorsey (2004-07) spent time at LSU with Arizona CB Patrick Peterson (2008-10) and WR Early Doucett (2004-07).

• Kansas City WR Jon Baldwin was an offensive teammate of Arizona RB LaRod Stephens-Howling at Pittsburgh (2008).

Hometown

• Chiefs CB Jalil Brown is a native of Phoenix, Ariz., where he attended South Mountain High School.

• Chiefs Area Scout Aundrae Harris is a native of Phoenix, Ariz., and graduated from Northern Arizona.

• Arizona RB William Powell (2009-10) and LB Reggie Walker (2005-08) played at Kansas State. Walker grew up in Boonville, Mo., before moving to Sacramento, Calif., before high school.

• Cardinals Assistant Athletic Trainer Jeff Herndon is a native of Hallsville, Mo., and graduated from Missouri.

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