New Chiefs WR L'Damian Washington has a heck of a story

New Kansas City Chiefs WR L'Damian Washington has a hell of a story and I'm not even sure where to begin. I'll just number these things off.

1. Start here with this story which explains LDW losing both of his parents by the time he was a sophomore. His best friend was murdered when he was 15.

2. Continue with this Grantland piece on his story. (Don't watch this at work unless you want to explain to your co-workers why you're crying.)

3. We get to Tuesday afternoon at Missouri Western State University. Washington, who had been signed to the Chiefs the day before, had just gone through his first practice as a Chief, which included a nice catch on a deep ball from former Mizzou teammate Chase Daniel.

I asked him how the Chiefs came about signing him and that's another good story.

He said he was in church this weekend and sat up in front -- "my first time going to the front" -- to ask the pastor to pray for him as he rehabbed from surgery. Apparently the prayers worked as a member of the Chiefs called after church. The Chiefs weren't even necessarily looking to sign him right away but were getting an update on where he stood in his rehab. He had interest from other teams but told the Chiefs he could come down right away since he was so close in Columbia, Mo.

There's a reason a 6'4, 210 pound receiver with college experience is available in August and it's because of injuries. The story of LDW's injury makes my stomach churn a little bit.

If you know the details of my leg surgery then you know to be in this position was nothing but God! I worked my ass off in rehab daily!

— L'Damian Washington (@Fe_Verdadera2) August 4, 2015

"Back in Pittsburgh in camp, I split my calf in two and tore it off the bone," Washington said when I asked him what he's been rehabbing from. "I didn't know it originally so overnight I had internal bleeding. I was wondering why my leg was going numb and I couldn't sleep.

"I just got there [to Pittsburgh] so I didn't have any trainers number to call so I'm just sitting there in pain. About 5:30 I drove to the complex and told the first person I saw, you have to check out my leg. Anything over 15 led to lateral compartment syndrome, anything over 15 you have to go to emergency surgery. I had a 165.

"So we originally cut it open thinking I had lateral compartment syndrome. I come out of surgery and he says, oh you split your calf in two and tore it off the bone. The first three days I sat with my leg cut open and let the swelling down then I had my second surgery.

"A guy had it once in 1992, he played linebacker and I don't think he played again. For me, that was a huge set back. It's just a blessing to be here and to be back this fast, honestly."

Washington said he had several teams calling him to see where he was health-wise. The Chiefs were the closest.