Turk McBride, Darren Sproles And More Chiefs-Saints Connections

I didn't realize it but there are quite a few KC Chiefs and New Orleans Saints connections. A couple of the notable regional ones are Chase Daniel, who went to Mizzou, and Darren Sproles who went to Olathe North (before they dropped Rockhurst from their schedule) and Kansas State.

Our old pal and former Chiefs draft pick Turk McBride is in New Orleans these days. Chiefs linebackers coach Gary Gibbs was the Saints defensive coordinator before coming to KC. The LSU crew also has a lot of New Orleans connections.

All your connections after the jump, courtesy of the Chiefs game release:

Former Chiefs

• Saints DE Turk McBride originally entered the NFL as the Chiefs second-round pick (54th overall) in 2007. He played in Kansas City for the 2007-08 seasons and part of the 2009 season.
• Saints FB Jed Collins participated in offseason training in 2009 with the Chiefs.
• Saints Area Scout Terry Wooden was a scout in Kansas City during the 1997 season.

Former Saints

• Chiefs Defensive Assistant/Assistant Linebackers Coach Adam Zimmer held the same position in New Orleans for four years (2006-09).
• Kansas City Linebackers Coach Gary Gibbs was the Saints Defensive Coordinator for three seasons (2006-08).
• Chiefs WR Terrance Copper played in New Orleans for three years (2006-08).

Photo credit: John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE

Professional

• New Orleans TE David Thomas (2006-08) and TE Daniel Graham (2002-06) spent time in New England with several Chiefs: General Manager Scott Pioli (2000-08), Head Coach Romeo Crennel (2002-04), Assistant General Manager Joel Collier (2005-07), Offensive Coordinator Brian Daboll (2000-06), Defensive Line Coach Anthony Pleasant (2002-03), Defensive Quality Control Coach Otis Smith (2002), National Scout Jim Nagy (2002-08), Director of Player Development Katie Douglass (2003-08), Regional Scout Kyle O'Brien (2002-08), Area Scout JayMuraco (2000-08) and QB Matt Cassel (2005-08).
• Saints Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis was an executive in Seattle when Chiefs Quarterbacks Coach Jim Zorn was with the Seahawks as a player and coach (1983-84, 1997). Zorn coached two years in Seattle with Saints DBs Coach Ken Flajole (2001-02).
• Saints Offensive Coordinator Pete Carmichael coached in Cleveland with Chiefs Head Coach Romeo Crennel (2000).
• Saints Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and Assistant Secondary Coach Andre Curtis coached for the New York Giants when Chiefs TE Kevin Boss was in New York (2007-08).
• Chiefs Special Teams Coach Tom McMahon and Special Teams Quality Control Coach Derius Swinton were in St. Louis when Saints Defensive Coordinator Steve Spaguolo was the Rams head coach (2009-11). Saints Assistant Secondary Coach Andre Curtis also was in St. Louis during that time, and CB Jerome Murphy was there in 2010.
• Chiefs Regional Scout Dom Green was in Tampa Bay with Saints LB Barrett Ruud (2006-08).
• Chiefs DE Ropati Pitoitua played for the Jets while Saints Wide Receivers Coach Henry Ellard was coaching in New York (2009-11).
• Saints Defensive Line Coach Bill Johnson (2001-06) and Quarterbacks Coach Joe Lombardi (2006) spent time in Atlanta with Chiefs Defensive Backs Coach Emmitt Thomas (2002-06) and Director of Pro Personnel Ray Farmer (2002-05).
• New Orleans Assistant Defensive Line Coach Travis Jones coached in Miami while Chiefs DB Travis Daniels was with the Dolphins (2005-07).
• Chiefs QB Brady Quinn spent the 2011 season in Denver with Saints DT Brodrick Bunkley and DB Rafael Bush.
• New Orleans TE Daniel Graham and G Eric Olsen played the 2010 season in Denver with Chiefs QB Brady Quinn and the 2008-09 seasons with RB Peyton Hillis.
• Saints DT Brodrick Bunkley spent the 2008 season in Philadelphia with Chiefs Defensive Quality Control Coach Otis Smith and LB Andy Studebaker (practice squad).
• New Orleans FB Jed Collins spent the 2008 season in Cleveland with several Chiefs: Head Coach Romeo Crennel, Director of Football Administration Trip MacCracken, DB Travis Daniels and QB BradyQuinn.
• New Orleans G Ben Grubbs and Kansas City LB Edgar Jones spent five years together in Baltimore (2007-11). Chiefs Quarterbacks Coach Jim Zorn (2010) and WR Terrance Copper (2008) also spent time withGrubbs in Baltimore.
• Chiefs Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Mike Clark (2007-09) spent time in Seattle with Saints LB David Hawthorne (2008-09) and LB Will Herring (2007-09).
• New Orleans LB Curtis Lofton (2008-11) spent time in Altanta with Kansas City Defensive Backs Coach Emmitt Thomas (2008-09) and Special Teams Coach Tom McMahon (2008).
• Chiefs LBs Coach Gary Gibbs, WR Terrance Copper and DB Jacques Reeves spent time in Dallas with Saints LB Scott Shanle (2004-05).
• Chiefs LB Brandon Siler played in San Diego with Saints RB Darren Sproles (2007-10).

Photo credit: John David Mercer-US PRESSWIRE

College

• Chiefs General Manager Scott Pioli served as a graduate assistant at Syracuse (1988-89) while Saints Area Scout Terry Wooden was a starter for the Orangemen.
• Chiefs Offensive Line Coach Jack Bicknell Jr. spent time coaching with Saints Offensive Coordinator Pete Carmichael at New Hampshire (1994) and Louisiana Tech (1997-99).
• Chiefs TE Jake O'Connell spent time at Miami (Ohio) with Saints Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Dan Dalrymple and Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach Charles Byrd (2006-07), and Saints Running Backs Coach Bret Ingalls coached at Miami (Ohio) in 2005, O'Connell'sfirst season.
• Chiefs Area Scout Ryan Kessenich spent time at Northwestern with Saints Running Backs Coach Bret Ingalls (2006-08).
• Chiefs Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Mike Clark spent time at Texas A&M with Saints Defensive Line Coach Bill Johnson (1992-99).
• New Orleans Assistant Defensive Line Coach Travis Jones (2003-04) and WR Devery Henderson (2000-03) spent time at LSU with Chiefs WR Dwayne Bowe (2003-06), DE Glenn Dorsey (2004-07), DB TravisDaniels (2004-07) and DE Tyson Jackson (2004-08).
• Saints Tight Ends Coach Terry Malone coached at Michigan while Chiefs WR Steve Breaston was playing for the Wolverines (2003-05).
• Chiefs DB Jacques Reeves played one year (2000) at Purdue with Saints QB Drew Brees.
• Chiefs DE Ropati Pitoitua played three seasons at Washington State with Saints FB Jed Collins (2005-07).
• Chiefs DB Jalil Brown played four seasons at Colorado with Saints LS Justin Drescher (2006-09).
• Chiefs DL Allen Bailey spent the 2009 season at Miami with Saints TE Jimmy Graham.
• Chiefs P Dustin Colquitt (2000-03) and Offensive Quality Control Coach Jim Bob Cooter (2002-03) spent time at Tennessee with Saints CB Jarbari Greer (2000-03) and DE Turk McBride (2003-06).
• Kansas City CB Javier Arenas played two seasons (2008-09) at Alabama with New Orleans RB Mark Ingram.
• New Orleans G Eric Olsen spent time at Notre Dame with Kansas City Tight Ends Coach Bernie Parmalee (2006-09) and QB Brady Quinn(2006-07).
• Kansas City C Rodney Hudson spent time at Florida State with Saints CB Patrick Robinson.
• New Orleans TE David Thomas (2002-05) spent time at Texas with Kansas City RB Jamaal Charles (2005) and LB Derrick Johnson (2002-04).
• Chiefs G Jon Asamoah spent the 2006 season at Illinois with Saints RB Pierre Thomas.
• Saints T Bryce Harris and Chiefs WR Devon Wylie spent their entire collegiate careers together at Fresno State (2007-11).

Photo credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

Hometown

• Chiefs S Kendrick Lewis is a native of New Orleans, where he attended O. Perry Walker High School before being displaced to Gainesville, Ga.,following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
• Kansas City DE Glenn Dorsey is a native of Gonzales, La., where he was an All-American at East Ascension High School.
• Chiefs DE Tyson Jackson hails from Edgard, La., where he was the Class 2A Defensive Player of the Year at St. John High School.
• Kansas City LB Edgar Jones is from Rayville, La., where he was a two time All-State selection as a tight end and defensive end.
• Chiefs Defensive Quality Control Coach Otis Smith is a native of Metairie, La., where he was an All-State performer at East Jefferson High School. He began his college athletics career by playing basketball at Southern University in Baton Rouge, La., for one season.
• Saints Secondary Coach Ken Flajole coached at Missouri for four seasons (1989-93). He coached Chiefs Defensive Quality Control Coach Otis Smith in 1989 while he was playing for the Tigers.
• New Orleans Assistant Defensive Line Coach Travis Jones coached at Kansas (2001-02).
• New Orleans Assistant Special Teams Coach Mike Mallory coached at Kansas in 2006.
• Saints QB Chase Daniel led Missouri to a 30-11 record over his three years (2006-08) as a starter, including the first two Big 12 North Division titles in school history.
• New Orleans RB Darren Sproles played four years (2001-04) at KansasState, where he set 23 school records. Sproles was an All-State runningback and was twice named The Kansas City Star Player of the Year while playing for Olathe North High School in his hometown of Olathe, Kan., insuburban Kansas City. He rushed for 5,230 yards and 79 TDs during hisprep career and won the Thomas A. Simone Trophy, which is annually awarded to Kansas City's top prep football player.