Player Profile: Mike Cox

One of many rookies to make the Chiefs opening day roster, Mike Cox was one of six first-year starters for the season opener in New England. He’s been part of the equation ever since as the team’s only true fullback.

That role has not brought him a lot of touches in 10 games, with just one carry and six catches for a total of 10 offensive yards.  But the 23-year old has done his share of blocking and done it well enough that in this season of roster turmoil, his spot on the 53-man list has not been in doubt.  It helps that he played for offensive coodinator Chan Gailey at Georgia Tech and knew the basics of the scheme the day he arrived as an undrafted college free agent. 

Coming out of small town in Pennsylvania, Cox has achieved one of his dreams by playing in the NFL. Find out more about this young man by clicking here.

Getting to Know … Mike Cox

Name: Michael Lawrence Cox.

Birthday: July 11, 1985 in Woodbury, N.J.

Family: Dr. Lawrence and Brenda Cox. Dad is a family physician and Mom teaches sixth grade science. He has an older sister Terra and younger brothers Matthew and Lucas. Matthew is a fullback at Bloomsburg State in Pennsylvania, while Lucas is a fullback at Georgia Tech. His father played football and wrestled collegiately at Temple University.

So when we are talking fullback, we are talking the Cox family? “That’s what my Dad played at Temple too. Yeah, we’ve got a long line of fullbacks going right now.”

A Wrestling Family: The Cox name is well known in Pennsylvania wrestling circles. His grandfather Dr. Ken Cox was the head coach at Lock Haven State College for nine years. His father wrestled collegiately at Temple and was good enough to make the NCAA wrestling tournament. His younger brother was a highly-ranked high school wrestler in Pennsylvania.

So why didn’t he wrestle at the high school? “It killed my family because I was the first one not to wrestle; I played basketball. It’s the ultimate man sport: it’s just you one-on-one with the opponent. There’s no help from teammates, there is no help from anybody else. The conditioning is unbelievable for wrestling. I just always enjoyed going out and playing basketball. You can’t just go out and play a pickup wrestling match. I always had to lose weight to play football and the whole weight thing in wrestling is so hard. When I was little I wrestled and I had to lose weight and it just ruined it for me.”

Grew up in: Lewisberry, Pennsylvania. It’s a small town that sits between the cities of Harrisburg and York in the southeastern part of the Keystone State. First settled in 1798, Lewisberry had less than 400 residents in the 2000 U.S. Census.

Attended: Red Land High School in nearby New Cumberland and then the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Why Georgia Tech? “It really came out of nowhere. They called at the end of my junior year and I went down there for an unofficial visit. I looked at their offense and I knew about Coach (Chan) Gailey because he had been coach with the Steelers. I really fell in love with the city of Atlanta and the pro offense he was running.”

What was the hardest class you took at Georgia Tech? “Oh man, just about all of them. I always struggled with my accounting and economics classes. I had to take managerial science class and I had to work really hard for my C but I was pretty proud. ”

What was your first job? “My brothers and I were the cleaning service at my Dad’s office, but I don’t count that. My first job I started in the sixth grade and still do it if I’m home and they need help; I worked at Bayshore Farms bailing hay, alfalfa and straw. Up in the loft where it’s 115 degrees, going out and throwing the bails, stacking them, that’s work.”

What’s your ride? “I have a 2007 Cadillac Escalade.”

What was your first car? “I was 14 years old and I had a car. I had a Hyundai Accent that was left for me by one of my Dad’s patients passed away. I drove that around the backyard when I could. When I was 16, my Dad went out and bought me a used Dodge Intrepid with about 80,000 miles on it.

On a road trip back to PA, what do you have to have in the car with you? “If I’ve got beef jerky and Dr. Pepper in the car, I’m good to go.”

What’s on your I-Pod? “I have everything from classic rock, a little bit of rap, a little less country. I’m a huge Billy Joel fan, so I’ve got a lot of him on there. AC/DC is on there too.”

If the TV is on, what are you watching? “Always watch Sports Center on ESPN and my favorite shows are The Office and That Seventies Show.”

What’s your favorite movie? “Absolutely, positively Rocky, the original.”

Who is your hero? “Growing up I was a huge Michael Jordan fan. But my Dad’s my hero. He helped me out with so much, pushing me in sports and school work since I was little.”

Favorite team growing up? “Redskins, because I have a little native American in me and they used to go to training camp in Carlisle, PA which wasn’t far from me.”

What’s on your bucket list? “I’m getting to do one thing right now, playing in the NFL, so I can cross that off. I know my sister wants to do this, but I’m afraid of heights; she wants me to go sky diving. I’d really like to travel around and go to Europe or Africa.”

Tell us something nobody around here knows about you? “I’m a descendent of Pat Garrett who shot Billy the Kid. He’s like my great, great, grandfather or something like that. My Grandma Garrett lives out in New Mexico.”

Player Profile: Rocky Boiman

Rocky is his real name.

No really, it isn’t a nickname he picked up as a boy in Cincinnati, at Notre Dame, or in NFL stints with Tennessee, Indianapolis and Philadelphia.

No, it’s right there on his birth certificate: Rocky Michael Boiman.

Signed to the Chiefs active roster back in October, Boiman is now part of the starting group, filling in for the injured Derrick Johnson. In a short period of time he’s shown his versatility, playing both inside and outside linebacker spots and he’s made contributions in the kicking game.

To find out more about Rocky, click here.

Second Look: Tyler Thigpen

Rolling the tape and reviewing Tyler Thigpen’s performance against San Diego last Sunday revealed an impressive performance for a quarterback making just his fourth NFL start.

Running the Chiefs spread offense out of the shotgun, Thigpen wasn’t flawless. But he was far more than just a game manager, far more than a guy just holding the spot. The kid from Carolina exhibited skills that every NFL quarterback must have to be successful.

He was accurate, he protected the ball and didn’t try to force the ball into tight areas. He stayed in the pocket for the most part but showed his escapability several times and was able to make something out of nothing. In running the offense, he quickly went through his reads and in only a handful of occasions did he lock on to his intended receiver. He did a good job of looking off defensive backs.

Best example was on the first TD pass, the 30-yarder to WR Mark Bradley. The Chargers sent five pass rushers at Thigpen. He kept his head and eyes on the left side of the field, and San Diego CB Quentin Jammer bought the fake. Bradley got a step behind Jammer and was five yards open when he caught Thigpen’s pass in the end zone. If anything, the ball was underthrown.

Now, Thigpen had some things going for him in this game. At the top of that list was pass protection. The Chargers were credited with a sack, but that came on a bootleg play when Thigpen ran out of bounds short of the line of scrimmage. Otherwise, in 44 passes that he attempted (41 officials attempts and two wiped out by penalty and the two-point conversion play) he was touched by the pass rush only twice, and knocked down after the throw just once. That came when LB Shaun Phillips beat RT Damion McIntosh with an inside move and forced Thigpen out of the pocket. A big help to the offensive line was the blitz pickup blocks by RB Dantrell Savage.

Getting to Know … Rocky Boiman

Name: Rocky Michael Boiman.

Born: January 24, 1980 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Grew up on the west side of Cincinnati

Family: Parents are Mike and Linda Boiman. Mike works on road maintenance for a township in the Cincinnati area. Mom Linda handles mortgage loans for a small Cincinnati bank. He has one younger sister Lindsay, who attends Cincinnati State.

Is your name really Rocky? “Yes, it’s on the birth certificate. It was really no one person I was named after. My parents liked the name, so they decided to make it my name rather than a nickname.”

High School: attended St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati. Founded in 1831, St. Xavier is the oldest high school in Cincinnati and one of the oldest in the nation, preceding many colleges and universities. Operated by the Jesuits, St. Xavier is the largest Catholic high school in Cincinnati and the surrounding region. Among famous alums are Hall of Fame pitcher and current U.S. Congressman Jim Bunning, former pro basketball and baseball player Bob Arnzen and former pro football players Lemar Marshall, Melvin Johnson and George Ratterman.

College: Notre Dame University. “That where I wanted to go to school when I was five years old. I grew up watching them. My parents were fans. I became a fan and it was definitely a dream come true when I had the opportunity to go there … it was my dream school and when they offered there was no way that I could have said no.”

What was the hardest class you took at Notre Dame? “Organic chemistry, by far, that was the hardest. I took it one summer. It was brutal. It was three hours of class a day and five-hour labs once or twice a week. It was no fun at all.”

If the TV is on, what are you watching? “I’m a History Channel kind of guy. Discovery Channel or news. I watch Glenn Beck, he’s my guy.”

What’s your favorite place? “Me and my parents have a little piece of land in the Bahamas. That’s kind of our family thing we’ve done together. We are putting a little house on it. San Salvador Island. It’s nothing spectacular, but it’s pretty cool.” (It’s widely believed that during his first expedition to the New World, San Salvador Island was the first land sighted and visited by Christopher Columbus on October 12, 1492.)

What’s your ride? “I just have a Chevy Silverado pickup truck out here. I also have a 2007 Corvette back home.”

What was your first car? It was a Chevy truck that belonged to my Dad. It wasn’t anything great, but I was happy to be able to drive it.”

Favorite movies? “My all-time favorite movie is Predator. My Dad took me to see it when I was eight years old. Pulp Fiction is one of my favorite movies. Casino.
Aliens I, II and III.”

What was your first job? “I worked at a quickie mart kind of place. It was called the Okeana Quick Stop, out in the country from Cincinnati. It was near my house. It had the gas station. I ran the register and we rented movies and had a little fresh pizza. I was doing everything, making $5.10 an hour and running the show. It was fun. The boss I worked for was a good guy. It wasn’t a bad job.”

What’s your favorite team? “I would have to say the Cincinnati Reds. I always root for them.”

What’s the best advice you were ever given? “I would say, the Boiman Law is if you want something done right, you do it yourself. I learned that from my Dad. I learned a ton of valuable lessons from him.”

Who is your hero? “My parents. They raised me well.”

Best thing about being a pro football player. “You get paid money to do what you love. Sometimes you forget you get a pay check for being around here. It’s fun. There are a lot of ups and downs; it’s such a microcosm for life. If you do things right, you get a reward. And sometimes you do everything right and things don’t go your way. That’s how life is. There are so many valuable lessons that can be learned from this game. ”

What’s your favorite meal? “I’m a steak and potatoes guy. Pretty simple.”

Bucket List? “I would like to write a song. I would like to ride in a fighter jet and travel over in Europe to places I’ve not been.”

Getting to Know … Herb Taylor

Name: Herbert Reginald Taylor II.

Born: September 22, 1984 in Houston, Texas.

Family: Herb Taylor Sr. and Maxine Davis. He has an older brother and sister from his father, but he was raised as an only child. He grew up in the Houston suburb of Missouri City, around a lot of family. Started originally as a railroad town, the first housing development built there in the late 1890s was advertised in the as “a land of genial sunshine and eternal summer” in St. Louis and surrounding areas. Eventually enough people from St. Louis moved there and it became known as Missouri City. Today approximately 62,000 people live in the city.

High School: L.V. Hightower High School in Missouri City, where he played football, baseball and was part of the track team for the Hurricanes. He was a first baseman in baseball and he considered going to college on a baseball scholarship. He threw the discus for the track team. Another Hightower grad was point guard D. J. Augustin, who played at the University of Texas and is now in the NBA.

College: Texas Christian University in Ft. Worth where after red-shirting his first season (2002), he played four seasons, starting 48 consecutive games for the Horned Frogs, which remains a school record.

Is high school football really that big in Texas? Is it really like the movie and TV show Friday Night Lights? “It is. Whether it’s in the city or the countryside, high school football is about the biggest thing going. The last game I played in was at the Astrodome we had 50,000-plus fans at the game.”

How come we don’t see you wearing sunglasses on the field anymore like you did last year? “I had Lasik eye surgery. In high school I didn’t wear anything and I was just squinting all the time. Then at TCU our head trainer sent me to the eye doctor and they had some glasses that fit firmly under my helmet. I couldn’t wear contacts because my eyes would get really red, watery and irritated. I had the Lasik in January and now I see the world in a new light. It’s pretty neat.”

If the TV is on, what are you watching? “I’m not a big TV guy. I throw in movies, that’s about all the TV I watch.”

What’s your favorite meal? “Seafood, whatever I see, I eat. Now really, it would be fried shrimp, fried catfish, fried chicken, some greens, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, some rolls, my mother’s peach cobbler and my grandmother’s dressing.”

Best advice you ever received? “My old coach Eddie Williamson from TCU he would say ‘Play the ball where the monkey drops it.’ Meaning, no matter what situation life throws at you, play it , go on with it, don’t worry about why it happened, keep going forward and keep moving and play it the hardest you can.”

What’s your favorite movie? “Transformers. I was into transformers when I was little and they turned it into a great movie. I really liked it.”

What was your first job? “It was J.C. Penny and I was a sales person on the floor in the men’s department. I was the man to look for when you needed some clothes. I did it my last semester in high school. I got about $6.75 an hour.”

What’s your ride? “A 2007 Lincoln Mark LT.”

What was your first car? “It was a ‘97 Honda Accord and I started out with about 100,000 miles. I got rid of it my junior year of college so it had about 220,000 miles on it then.”

What was the hardest class you had in college? “Statistics, because I had it my freshman year at eight o’clock in the morning. I’m a math guy, but statistics at eight o’clock in the morning is never a good thing.”

Who is your hero? “My mother. I’ve seen her go through a lot. She’s a strong lady. She keeps on pushing. She’s the heart and soul.”

What’s your favorite team? “The Boston Red Sox. I loved them since I was a kid. I don’t know why. When I was little, it was the Houston Oilers and the Dallas Cowboys.”

What’s your bucket list? “I want to visit all seven continents. My Mom wants to sky dive with me, but that’s not something I want to do, so you can put it in her bucket list. Free falling out of a perfectly safe airplane, just doesn’t make sense to me.”

What’s your goal in life? “To actually make a positive footprint on people’s lives, especially younger kids; middle school to high school age. There are a lot of kids in that age group that don’t get it. I’d like to help them.”

Tell us something nobody knows about Herb Taylor? “I’m an awesome dancer. I’m light on my feet. Being from Texas, I can two-step. I learned to salsa a little bit in the last year; my girlfriend made me learn how to do that one. I like to dance.”

Chiefs Pre-Game Update 11/2

From Arrowhead Stadium

The Chiefs made a roster move on Saturday ahead of their game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers here on Sunday.

They promoted RB Jackie Battle from the practice squad to the active roster. Battle will be very active in the kicking game against the Bucs.

Although he will be under suspension starting Monday, Larry Johnson is still on the active roster, so to make room for Battle they released DT T.J. Jackson. They hope to sign him to the practice squad.

Battle joined the Chiefs almost a year ago as part of their practice squad. He was add to the active roster for the final three games and scored a touchdown against Detroit in Game No. 15.

The Chiefs will gain a roster spot on Monday when Johnson begins his one-week suspension.

Commentary: More Hurdles For L.J.

What happened on Friday with the announcement of a one-game NFL suspension for Larry Johnson did not bring an end to his situation or clarity to his immediate future.

It’s just the first of a 100 yards worth of hurdles in front of the Chiefs running back.

I’m sure L.J. himself wishes he could put all this behind him, but the penance and possible punishment he faces for his actions are all parts of the penalty for putting himself in those situations.

He has court dates in December for the two charges filed against him in Kansas City, Missouri. The league has left open the door for further sanctions against him depending on the outcome of those legal proceedings.

That’s a hurdle he’ll have to deal with next month. In the more immediate future is November 10. That’s the day he will return to the team. That’s the day he has to start changing the way the Chiefs feel about him.

From the Hunts, to Carl Peterson, to Herm Edwards, Johnson has fences to mend. He’s got a lot of fence line to ride to get them all buttoned up again, if that’s even possible.

When he signed the biggest contract in Chiefs history in August of 2007, with over $19 million in guaranteed money, he made promises to the owners, the general manager and the head coach. Those promises were not only the unspoken ones that come from signing a deal that big. He told all those parties and stated publicly that he understood the responsibilities that went with the contract and his position with the team.

He said he was up to handling those. He wasn’t. He should get one more chance to prove he can be the type of person the Chiefs want on their roster.

Getting to Know … Pat Thomas

Name: Patrick Wain Thomas.

Born: January 26, 1983 in Vallejo, California. His family moved to New Orleans and then to Miami at the age of four, where he grew up. Dad was in the Navy. Grew up in the Kendall neighborhood of Miami, which is southwest of the downtown area and just southwest of Coral Cables. The Don Shula Expressway runs through Kendall.

Parents: Winston and Monica Thomas. Older sister Laurie Ann and younger sister Cheyenne. His parents divorced when he was four years old and he moved to Miami with his mother.

Attended: Killian High School and North Carolina State University. Other athletes from Killian High included the late Sean Taylor, safety for the Washington Redskins, retired WR Randall Hill, NBA guards Raja Bell and Steve Blake and Tennessee Titans LB Stephen Tulloch.

Miami’s a very big city and there are a lot of temptations for a young man. How did you stay on the right side?
“I’ve came a long way and to look back and see from Miami to Kansas City, you see a lot of different things. There were a lot of influences, friends … just to look back and see that God has constantly made a way out for me whether it was through going to college and not knowing if I was ever going to go to college, to not knowing if I was going to play football and here I am in the NFL. That’s God’s work and graces. My mom always stayed on me, throughout my life, even up to today. I thank her for that. I remember going outside to play and it was night time and she would come out looking for me. She would drive her car around trying to find me and I would be hiding in the bushes. My friends would be like ‘Pat there’s your Mom’ and I’m hiding behind a tree. I would go home and that’s when the whipping came. She never let me forget what was important.”

Is Wain a family name and why the different spelling? “That came from my father. When I was born he was into Bruce Lee movies and he wanted to name me Wain Lee Thomas, but my mother wasn’t going to let that happen. So I think she gave on the Wain. I don’t like that name. Hate it. Why it’s spelled that way only my Dad can answer. I think he just wanted to be different.”

A lot of players have come into the NFL from N.C. State the last five years, how can that much talent not win a national title? “Good question. My junior year was Philip Rivers last year there and we had a great defense that year. My senior year we had a great defense due to our coach Reggie Herring. I was blessed to play with guys who wanted to get to the ball and everybody wanted to make plays and do their job. We’ve got a lot of guys in the league.”

Favorite place in the world? “I would go to Jamaica if I had to pick one place. My family is from there. Both my mother and father were born in Jamaica. My Mom left when she was 16 and my Dad when he was 19. I like the country life. A lot of my family is from the countryside there. It’s real relaxing.”

If the TV is on, what are you watching? “I don’t watch too much TV. I like to watch re-runs: Martin, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Good Times, stuff like that. My mom is like you’ve seen this plenty of times, but I like to sit and watch them over and over.”

Favorite meal: “That would be curried chicken and rice and beans.”

Who is your hero? “Jesus Christ, no doubt about it. He saved me, he saved the human race. I wish people would realize that God is love and Jesus came to show us how to love.”

What was your first job? “I worked at McDonald’s in the back, making burgers and cheese burgers. I didn’t like it much and then one day I came in after working about two weeks and the manager guy says to me ‘I thought I fired you.’ Man that was bad. He checked the list and I was still on there, but I quit the next day.”

What’s your favorite movie? “I like movies I can watch over and over again. A lot of ’80s movies like Karate Kid and Teen Wolf. Recently, the movie I really liked I saw last year, called City of God. It was Brazilian and you had to read the sub-titles but it was very good.”

What’s your ride? “A Chevy Avalanche. Nothing fancy.”

What was your first car? A Dodge Colt. My grandma bought it for me. It was like a little buggy, like a Geo. It was red. I remember I got into my first accident and the hood got messed up when I ran into the back end of another car. After I was driving away from the scene, I was driving home and the wind was blowing, and the hood kept flying up and I had to reach my hand out the window and push it back down. I eventually had to tie it down. It was a mess.”

What was the hardest class you took at North Carolina State? Chemistry. I had it in high school and did pretty good, so I took it in college thinking it would be the same thing. We went over the periodic tables and stuff like that and I was good. But that was the first week. Then came all this other stuff and oh my, it was tough. That was the worst.”

What’s on your I-Pod? “I have a lot of gospel and some reggae too. I like to listen to gospel, songs about Jesus and God. It gets my motor running.”

Player Profile: Turk McBride

His rookie season in 2007 was a tough transition for Turk McBride.

Just 22 years old when he joined the Chiefs out of the University of Tennessee, it took awhile for McBride to feel comfortable with the Chiefs, the NFL and Kansas City.

Now in his second season, McBride is starting to make a place for himself in the Chiefs defense.  He’s been a starter at the left defensive end position since training camp and has begun to show the ability to put pressure on the passer.

With his temperment, McBride is also showing some leadership potential as he tries to help his unit get itself back on track during this 2008 season.

Click here to learn more about the Turk, a self-confessed Momma’s boy from Camden, New Jersey.

A Message for Larry

Let me establish this right from the start: I like Larry Johnson.

I like Larry Johnson the player. I like Larry Johnson the man.

I know that leaves me in a very small room with all his other admirers. Actually, probably a phone booth is all that’s needed these days. But that’s OK; it’s not the first time I’ve been on the so called wrong side, and won’t be the last either.

Some of the things that Larry Johnson the player and man have done I do not like. He’s dished out a lot of hurt lately, and I’m not just talking about hurting himself. I’m talking about a locker room full of teammates, a coaching staff and an organization that he’s let down. His actions off the field have not been very good either. I know he’s a target out there. He knows he’s a target out there. So I don’t feel sorry for the guy when he puts himself in situations where bad things can happen. Wear a target and walk into a shooting gallery? That’s his fault.

I carry no grudge against L.J. Many in the media do. They are loving this time, because he’s suffering and they are remembering all the times when he wouldn’t play their game, by their rules. Now they can bash away in print and on the airwaves and sound all righteous and pompous about how they saw this coming.

Larry Johnson needs help. On Wednesday before the glaring eye of the media that hates him, he admitted that yes, there’s a problem, and the problem is him. He says he’s going to find help in taking care of his problems. He apologized to the Hunts, the team, the coaches, the GM and the fans.

Where Larry goes from here is unknown. He won’t play Sunday against the New York Jets. The NFL is investigating his two most recent off-field incidents. There’s a suspension coming, that you can count on.

What happens after that is up to Larry. He has professionals who can help him with their advice. He also has friends who can hurt him with their advice.

I count myself as neither friend nor foe. I’m certainly not a professional. But I’ve got some advice for Larry. Coming from a guy who at various times has screwed up his own life pretty good that might seem pretty funny, but that’s not stopping me. L.J. likely will never see this, but I’ll feel better getting it off my chest.

Larry, it’s time to go Rocky.

Getting to Know … Turk McBride

Name: Claude Maurice McBride, Jr., otherwise known as Turk.

Born: May 30, 1985 in Camden, New Jersey. Located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Camden has about 80,000 residents and one of the highest crime rates in the country. In 2004, the FBI ranked Camden as the most dangerous city in the country, jumping ahead of Detroit. Established in the mid-1600s, Camden was at one time a thriving industrial center and shipbuilding city. With direct access down the Delaware to the Atlantic Ocean, the port of Camden was always busy. The decline of manufacturing jobs changed the character of the town and created many of its problems with crime and poverty today. Well known Camden natives include the poet Walt Whitman, singer and dancer Lola Falana and NFL players Donovan Darius and Mike Rozier.

Family: Father is Claude Maurice McBride Sr. and mother is Paulette. His Dad has nine kids, Turk is the third oldest. He’s the second and youngest son of his mother.

Attended: Woodrow Wilson High School in Camden and the University of Tennessee, where he majored in Sociology.

Why Tennessee? “To be honest, I didn’t want to go to Tennessee. I thought it was too slow and too country. My dream school was the University of Miami. I badly wanted to go there. Miami was everything to me. But when I was coming out of high school I was just 17 years old and I wasn’t mature enough for South Beach and that whole scene. My Mom and my uncle who was my coach made the decision on Tennessee. It worked out for the best.”

Knoxville had to be quite a transition then? “Oh, there was culture shock when I got there. I wasn’t used to seeing that much green, so many trees, open spaces and the people were nice and smiled at you. That was really different.”

Where does Turk come from? “I really don’t know; it’s a family thing. I’m actually Little Turk. My Dad is Big Turk. I’m a junior.”

Favorite meal? “Probably sushi or Thai food. I don’t eat beef or pork at all, so probably sushi is where I’d go first.”

Favorite Move? “The Notebook. It’s a true life look at a relationship. You love this person, but there are times this person breaks your heart. It’s a good relationship flick.”

Favorite place? “My basement. I really haven’t been too many places. I’ve only been to three or four states besides playing football. My basement is a real comfort zone. A lot of the guys come over and hang out there. I’ve got two big screens, one to watch TV on and another one for games. There’s a card table. It’s got everything I need.

What do you drive? “I’ve got an Infiniti QX56 and I have a Grand Marquis.

What was your first ride? “It was a ‘95 Acura, white with a peanut butter colored interior. I had some rims on that. It was sweet! It probably had 100,000 or 110,000 miles on it, but it rode great. It was beautiful. I had it in high school.”

What was your first job? “It was called Urban Promise. It was a summer program where I worked as a counselor. That was the first time I got paid by a check and found out about FICA.”

What’s the best advice you have ever been given? “If you don’t want it, what makes you think somebody else is going to want it for you. It wasn’t so much advice and something I realized when I first went to Tennessee and it was the same when I first came here. I didn’t know where to go, I didn’t have any friends; you start having doubts about yourself. I saw my family members and they wanted it for me more than I wanted it for myself and it just came to me that what mattered is if I wanted it and was I willing to work for it.”

What’s your goal in life? “To be the best man I can be in everything. Husband, father, uncle, friend, football player, everything.”

What’s your bucket list? “I want to fix up Camden. That’s one of my main goals. And, I definitely want to show my family overseas. There are people in my family who have never been on a plane and I want to take them somewhere to see things they’ve heard about.”

You are on a road trip, driving back to Camden, what do you have to have in the car with you? “Green tea and honey buns. I probably shouldn’t have the honey buns but I love’em.”

Tell us something nobody knows about you? “I’m the biggest Momma’s boy in the world. My mom wakes me up every day. She calls me every day, for the last year and a half. I talk to her about 30 minutes a day. She comes out about twice a month and runs my household like it’s her’s. I’m the biggest mama’s boy in the world.”

Tony G. Speaks About No-Trade

From the Truman Sports Complex

Tony Gonzalez was back in familiar surroundings on Wednesday, practicing with the Chiefs in their indoor facility and then holding court for the media horde after practice.

Gonzalez spoke to his teammates at their morning meeting, with no coaches in the room at his request. 

“I told them the situation, how it occurred what my thought process was behind everything, why I wanted to go and how I thought maybe it could help the team,” Gonzalez said of what he told his teammates.  “But now it’s over.  So, it’s done with.  I’m a Chief now for these next 11 games.  I’m concentrating on going out there and trying to be the best player that I can be and help this team win. 

“I wanted to make sure; I think most of them know me, the guys that have been around for awhile know what I’m all about.  But I wanted to make sure those young guys know that this is about winning football games, about being the best football player you can be.  No matter what the situation is, whether you are frustrated or you are extremely happy, you have to go out there and bust your tail every day and try to get better and help this team win.”

He also had plenty to say on various subjects:

All Tony, All The Time

It’s time for our tight end talk segment here on KTG, that’s all Tony Gonzalez, all the time. This is your host AG and the phone lines are jammed so let’s go to our first caller. It’s Fred in Raytown. Go ahead Freddie.

Man AG, I don’t understand this. Have the Chiefs gone loco? Why are they trying to trade Tony Gonzalez? He’s the best player on the team. Has Carl Peterson completely flipped out?

Freddie my man, you haven’t been paying attention. The only reason the Chiefs are trying to trade Tony Gonzalez is because he asked them too. Not once, not twice, but several times. He does not want to go through the rebuilding project that the Chiefs are in right now. He wants out. They are just trying to make him happy.

Let’s go to Shannon from Lenexa for our next question.

AG, I understand Tony wants out, but would they let any player out if they walked into the office and said ‘Carl, trade me’?

Probably not Shannon; Tony’s situation is unique, at least on this team right now. Everybody thinks Carl Peterson is such a hard-ass, but here’s another case where he’s a softie for a guy he likes, and he likes Tony G. There are some teams and GMs that would have told Gonzo to take his request and said “don’t let the door hit you in the butt on the way out.”

OK, here’s Johnny Mack out East, what’s your question?

I want to know what we can get and who are we going to get it from. Tell me what’s coming back to the Chiefs and I’ll tell you if it’s a good deal or not. What do you say to that?

Johnny, I don’t think the Chiefs are going to make this a fire sale with Gonzalez, meaning they’ll take whatever they can get for him in a trade. That sets a very bad precedent for future players, who can say ‘Hey you let Tony G out of here for a sixth rounder’ Plus, if the Chiefs don’t get a decent draft choice in return, they’ll get smacked twice by the public: once for trading Gonzalez and then for not getting enough for him.

One more question man. Surely somebody would give us a No. 1 pick for the best tight end in the history of the game. Come on, we shouldn’t take less.

Foundation Update

The Chiefs 12 draft choices from the 2008 NFL Draft are the foundation of the franchise’s rebuilding effort. Ten of those 12 are on the active roster, joined by six other rookies.

The bye week seemed a good time to sit down with Herm Edwards and talk about his football babies.

-DT GLENN DORSEY (left) – Through five games, Dorsey has been credited with 19 tackles and one forced fumble. “He’s getting better each week,” said the coach. “He’s the most unselfish defensive lineman we have. He’s doing exactly what we are asking him to do. He’s beating up the guard and he’s taking on the double-team block so he doesn’t have the stats people look at. But he’s giving the linebackers the chance to go make plays. He has to improve on his pass rush, in using his hands. That takes time, especially when you are playing against the kind of guards he’s playing against.”

-LT BRANDEN ALBERT (below) – Over three games and one half, Albert has shown the Chiefs they were correct in moving him from guard, where he played most of his college career, to tackle. The only thing that’s held him back are injuries, a foot in the pre-season and now a dislocated right elbow which has cost him the last game and a half. “He’s doing very well,” Edwards said. “You draft a guy, you ask him to play left tackle, he misses the whole pre-season and then he comes in the first game and he plays every snap. And, it turns out he played those snaps really well. I’m not sure people realized how unusual that was. He continued to follow that up in the games after that.” When asked if he the Chiefs can consider the left tackle spot filled for the next decade, Edwards said: “I wouldn’t know why not. With his talent and his mentality, he’s going to be there a long time.”

-CB BRANDON FLOWERS (below) – In five games, Flowers has 26 tackles and a fumble recovery. “The game is not too big for him,” said Edwards. “He has great moxie and he’s tough. He’s learning how to play nickel back (the cornerback covering the slot receiver when the Chiefs go with five defensive backs.) It will take him a year. It took Ronde (Barber of Tampa Bay) about a year and five games to figure it out. I see Brandon on the same road.”

-RB JAMAAL CHARLES – So far in five games, Charles has run the ball 21 times for 98 yards and caught 12 passes for 68 yards. He’s also returned three kicks for 79 yards and has three tackles in special teams coverage. That’s not nearly the production the Chiefs envisioned for the fleet back out of Texas. “We don’t have enough plays,” said Edwards. “He’s been the guy that’s probably been hurt the most by that. If we can get eight or nine plays put together, then we can start using him and getting the ball in his hands, and let him go. I think the more he gets in there, the more he touches the ball, you know he can make a big play. If we can stay on the field, I think you will see more and more big plays from him.”

Getting to Know … Dantrell Savage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name: Dantrell Montanner Savage.

Born: February 15, 1985 in Columbus, Georgia. It’s located on the Chattahoochee River that separates Georgia and Alabama. Phenix City, Alabama is directly across the river. Columbus was the site of what may have been the last battle of the Civil War. It happened on Easter Sunday 1965 when Union forces attack the city and burned many of the industrial buildings. The battle came after Lee’s surrender at Appomattox. Columbus is the nearest town to the Fort Benning Military Reservation, home of the U.S. Army Infantry School. Famous folks from Columbus include John Stith Pemberton, the creator of Coca Cola, novelist Carson McCullers, guitarist Robert Cray, baseball player Frank Thomas and former NFL players like Otis Sistrunk, Brentson Buckner and Nate Odomes.

Family: The only son of Virgil Willis Dunlap and Monica Hubbard. He has two half-siblings, Arsenio and Lastanicha.

Attended: Jordan Vocational High School in Columbus, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in Perkinston, Mississippi and Oklahoma State University.

Why did you end up at Oklahoma State? “My J.C. and the Oklahoma State coaches knew each other. They felt that was the best spot for me. I thought it would be great to be away from home to be in another culture.”

Were you surprised when you were not drafted? “I wasn’t surprised. It happened for a reason. I have always been about proving myself, so this situation is no different.”

When you look at your production, you ran for 1,000+ yards in high school, 1,000+ yards in junior college and 1,000+ yards in major college football. Why do people still doubt your ability? “It’s just human nature; people think you have to be a certain size to play football. They don’t realize that some of the best backs in history have been my size. Look at a guy like Darren Sproles and his production.

Going into the draft, you decided to stay in school, rather than leave and spend your time preparing for the NFL Combine. Why? “I was 18 credits short of graduation and I wanted to graduate. It was a very hectic time. I was training to get ready for workouts and the combine and I was taking Spanish, Math, History and the line. I was somewhat stressed out. I had to prove to myself that you could do anything.”

Where does Dantrell Montanner come from? Is that a family name? “It came from my Auntie and it’s just something she made up as far as I know. I’m not really sure how she came up with it.”

Who is your hero? “That would be my Mom, because she’s been such a strong woman. She worked three jobs when I was growing up to support the family. I stayed with my Grandmother because my mom was in and out all the time going back and forth to work.”

What’s your favorite meal? “I’m a down-home Southern boy and I like soul food. Give me some cornbread, collard greens and a turkey neck.”

What’s your favorite place in the world? “Home. There’s no place like home, isn’t that the saying. It’s true. When I’m away, I look forward to going back.”

If the TV is on what are you watching? “I like the oldies. I love to watch Good Times, Sanford and Son, and The Jeffersons. I love George Jefferson.”

What’s on your I-Pod? “A lot of gospel songs and some Kurt Franklin. Slow jams, R&B-type stuff.”

What do you drive? “It’s an orange 2004 Honda Element. That’s my sweetheart. It’s got 20 inch rims and a TV. My Dad hooked me up with it. I’ve had it since junior college. Right now I have about 80,000 miles on it.”

What was your first job? “I worked with my uncle doing construction work. It was the hardest job I ever had. You work in the sun, on scaffolds, in the Georgia summer. It was a good experience.”

What was the hardest class you had in college? “Spanish and Math. Oh yeah, my last math class really kicked me. If you get behind in math there’s no hope for you at all.”

Tell us something nobody knows about you? “Most people don’t know that I’m real fond of muscle cars. 396 Chevelles, old Camaros, Grand Nationals, cars like that. My Daddy put me on to those when I went down and stayed with him in Miami.”

D.J. Named AFC Defensive Player of Week

From the Truman Sports Complex

For three weeks there were many NFL observers asking the question, where is Derrick Johnson in the Chiefs defense.

“I was asking the same question,” Johnson said.

Well, answers came on Sunday when the linebacker led the Chiefs charge on defense, contributing a half-sack, interception, a forced fumble and seven tackles. That performance earned him the AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.

It’s the first time in six years that a Chiefs linebacker has been singled out by the league for this honor. The last time it happened was Mike Maslowski in week eight of the 2002 season.

Getting To Know … Brandon Carr

Name: Brandon Carey Carr.

Born: May 19, 1986 in Flint, Michigan. Situated northwest of Detroit, Flint is the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Michigan with a 2007 census estimate of 114,000 residents. Fur trader Jacob Smith established a trading post at the city’s current location on the Flint River in 1819. Flint has long been big in the auto industry and was the home in the early days for the Buick Motor Company and General Motors. The city also has a long history of producing outstanding athletes and football players like former Chiefs wide receiver Andre Rison, cornerback Todd Lyght, linebacker Carl Banks, tackle Jon Runyan and defensive tackle Robaire Smith.

Family: John and Kathy Carr with one older brother Tony.

Attended: Carman-Ainsworth High School in Flint and Grand Valley State University, just outside Grand Rapids, Michigan. Played both offense and defense for the Cavaliers, before moving into the college ranks with the Lakers where he was a three-year starter at the boundary cornerback position.

Why Grand Valley State: “I was a late bloomer. I wasn’t the fastest guy and I certainly wasn’t the biggest guy coming out of high school. When I got to college I hit my spurt, growing physically, maturity wise. I was about 5-10, 175 pounds at the end of high school. When I got to college, I had grown up; my first day there I weighed in at 192 pounds. I got faster as well.

So how did you get so much bigger and faster? “That summer I worked out every day. I would get up around 6 a.m. and not get done until 9 or 10 p.m. I worked with a trainer and he helped me get stronger, bigger and faster. I wanted to go and play immediately. So for three months, May, June and July, I hit it hard.”

Did any Division I school recruit you: “Central Michigan did. I went for a couple visits there for games. They recruited my brother Tony four years earlier and I might have ended up there, but the coaching staff was fired.

Is it true you did not give up a touchdown pass in coverage during the three years you started at Grand Valley? “I wish I could say that, but I gave up one TD in man coverage. It was against Delta State.

What was his name? I know you haven’t forgotten that receiver’s name: Eric Marshall, yeah I remember his name.

What’s it like winning a national championship, since you guys won in both your sophomore and junior seasons at Grand Valley? “It’s great. It’s why you play. It’s fantastic.”

How did you develop the mentality to play cornerback, where you know you can do everything correctly and still be beaten? “You have to brainwash yourself. You know you are out there on an island. You have to have that certain confidence about yourself. If you don’t have that, you aren’t going to last long.

Before the draft the Chiefs asked you to describe yourself. What did you say? “Smart, technician, battler. My technique allowed me to stay on top of the receiver. You’ve got to go out there and try to make plays, just fight all the time. I just watch people around me, take advice and try to apply it to the game. I study it as much as I can. I think it’s my job to know the job of everybody on the field, especially the defense.”

Who is your hero? “My father. He wasn’t dealt the best of cards when he was coming up. He was from a big family and he was the second oldest and he didn’t have the things that he provided for me. But he went out and made something for himself and his family. He was a supervisor at Ford for a lot of years, but they are cutting back, so now he’s working in real estate.”

What’s your favorite place in the world? “I’ve got two, both of them down in South Carolina. They would be Myrtle Beach and Charleston. I like to go out there at night on the water. It clears your head on the ocean.”

What’s your favorite meal? “Baked chicken, mashed potatoes and either peas or corn, with cornbread on the side.”

If the TV is on, what are you watching? “ESPN Sports Center, the NFL Network and BET are the only things I watch.

What’s your ride? “A ‘08 Denali.”

What was your first car? “It was a Chevy Cavalier. I had that all through high school. There were over 200,000 on that one. When I got to college I didn’t have a car until the second semester of my second year and then my Dad gave me his Taurus. That was pretty close to 200,000 when I got rid of that.”

What’s your favorite movie? “Friday, with Ice Cube and Chris Tucker. I love that movie. Paid in Full, Boyz N the Hood, they would all but up there too.”

What was your first job? “I worked at a Red Lobster. I was a host. It was my 11^th and 12^th grade in high school. ‘ Hello, how are you doing? How many in your party?’ I must have said that thousands of times. I learned to smile even when you are having a bad day. A smile really goes a long way.”

Hardest college class you took in college? “Research Methods. It was a lot of reading, late nights, going through the library. That class gave me a run around!”

What’s on your bucket list? “I’d go scuba diving. I want to go on a cruise and I think I’ll try sky diving. I’ll be screaming the whole way down, but I think I’d like to try.”

What’s your goal for 2008? “To go to the Super Bowl.”

Isn’t that getting ahead of yourself? “Why else do you play?”

Tell us something nobody knows about you?  “I come across as a shy guy, but I love to perform.  I love to sing and I love to dance.  I’ve got my dance moves down.

Do you sing publicly?  “Oh no.  I’m a shower guy, or in my car.”

So if somebody pulls  up next to your Denali at a traffic light and sees you singing away, every things is cool?  “Yeah, I’m doing pretty good then if I’m belting it out.”

On The Cusp Of Tight End Immortality

With 50 yards receiving on Sunday against Denver, Tony Gonzalez will hold every major receiving record for tight ends in the history of pro football. Over his 177-game career with the Chiefs, Gonzalez has averaged 56.6 receiving yards per game.

That’s why, despite the team’s offensive problems of late, this weekend against the Broncos should be record setting for the former first-round draft choice of the Chiefs (1997) and nine-time Pro Bowler.

For what Tony G is thinking, here’s a transcript of a segment he did on Wednesday on the NFL Network.

Getting To Know … Tyler Thigpen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name: Tyler Beckham Thigpen.

Born: on April 14, 1984 in Winnsboro, South Carolina. Winnsboro is 30 miles due north of Columbia. The town was founded in the mid-1700s by Richard Winn, who went on to become a General in the Revolutionary Army. British General Cornwallis spent the winter of 1780 in the Winnsboro area. The Mel Gibson movie “The Patriot” was based on many of the Revolutionary War incidents in this area between Cornwallis and American generals like Francis Marion, Thomas Sumter and Daniel Morgan, who was the basis for the Benjamin Martin character played by Gibson in the movie.

Attended: Fairfield Central High School in Winnsboro (class of 2002) and Coastal Carolina University in Conway, S.C., just minutes from Myrtle Beach.

Why does he wear No. 4? “When I got to Minnesota last year, I wanted to wear No. 16; that was my college number. But it was already taken, so they gave me No. 4. When I got here, they gave me No. 4 and I asked about No. 16, not knowing about Len Dawson and it being retired and everything. They joked around with me and told me I could ask him (Dawson) about it. I decided to just stick with No. 4.”

Why did he not play quarterback in his senior season at Fairfield Central? “I started the first game at quarterback and a guy got hurt; he was playing our wingback and slot position. The coach came to me a couple days later and asked if would switch. If I could help the team out in any way possible, then I was going to do that. We threw the ball maybe eight or nine times a game. I wasn’t thinking of going to play college football as a quarterback, so I figured why not play another position. I was getting letters about playing college football as a tight end or slot receiver. I was thinking about going to a smaller school and playing. But Coastal offered me a scholarship and asked me if I wanted to play quarterback, so I moved back.”

You were also your high school team’s punter and place kicker and you kicked straight on? “Yeah, every time we scored, they would throw this straight-toed boot on the field and I would kick the PAT (17 of 23) and I kicked some field goals too (four FGs). It was fun playing special teams and getting to see another part of the game.”

If the TV is on what are you watching? “It would have to be ESPN or the NFL Network. I love to watch football. I like to catch up with other sports, but if there’s football on, I’ll watch it.”

What was your first job? “I had a summer job where I would work for about two weeks for Harley Davidson at Myrtle Beach Bike Week. I made a little more than $1,000 over two weeks just standing in a parking lot directing bikes to where they could park. It was 12-hour days, from eight in the morning until eight at night. That was a pretty good deal.”

What’s your favorite movie? “I’m a comedy guy. I like Jim Carrey movies. Chris Tucker, I enjoyed his Rush Hour movies.”

What is your favorite place in the world? “I guess it would have to be Myrtle Beach. That’s where I want to make my home with football is all said and done.”

Favorite meal? “Turkey and dressing. I love that. A good old Thanksgiving meal.”

What do you drive? “A 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee.”

What was your first car? “It was a ‘95 Jeep Grand Cherokee. I had that all through high school and college and then last year in the NFL. By the time I bought this new one, it had 235,000 miles on it.”

What’s your bucket list? “I want to fly in a helicopter. For some reason, I’ve always wanted to do that. I want to be in the pits for a NASCAR race. I didn’t grow up a NASCAR fan but I’ve become one.

Didn’t you grow up not far from Darlington, where they have a famous NASCAR track? “Yeah, it’s not far away, probably an hour or so away. But when I was a kid, I was always out playing or participating in some sport. I didn’t spend a lot of time sitting around watching things. I was out there playing.”

Something Kansas City fans don’t know about you? “I was second in the state of South Carolina in home runs one year behind Roscoe Crosby, who was drafted by the Royals in the first round of the baseball draft. I had eight and he had about 15 that year. He wasn’t looking over his shoulder or anything at me, but I like to say I was second.”

It Happens Every Decade Or So

When Tyler Thigpen takes the opening offensive snap for the Chiefs on Sunday in Atlanta, he will become the third different starting quarterback for the team in the season’s first three games.

That’s happened before in the NFL. In fact, it happens about once every decade.

The Los Angeles Rams were forced to live through this in 1976. Marty Schottenheimer’s Cleveland Browns had the same problem in 1988. Eleven years ago the Jacksonville Jaguars dealt with the same matter.

How did it all work out? Here’s a look at each team that had to deal with the problem.

Thigpen Is Gannon Like

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Watching Tyler Thigpen all through the off-season, then training camp and in the Chiefs pre-season I was always struck by a feeling t hat I’d seen him play before. While I certainly enjoy the Carolina beaches almost every summer, I’d never seen him hook it up for the Chanticleers of Coastal Carolina.

I couldn’t quite put my finger on a name until this week.

Rich Gannon. Tyler Thigpen reminds me of Rich Gannon.

Not the Rich Gannon that won NFL MVP honors with Oakland and helped lead the Raiders to the Super Bowl. That was the veteran, experienced Gannon.

I’m talking about the Gannon the NFL saw over his first seven seasons with New England, Minnesota and Washington, before he blew out his shoulder and missed the 1994 season.

The King Returns!

I know the pictures below are fuzzy and blurry, but it has to be shown. It must see the light of day! I know there are other pictures of this event out there, but I don’t think there’s much in the way of video. There were no TV stations there to record the event. Too bad for them; they missed a good evening.

“The King” returned Thursday night at the 13^th Annual Shadow Buddies Foundation Dinner at the Sheraton Hotel Overland Park.

Yes, Elvis … Gonzalez performed for the crowd in the hotel ballroom. Wearing a black jump suit, sunglasses, gold chains and a very bad wig, Tony Gonzalez became Elvis Presley.

Seriously. Look closely. That fuzzy picture is the Chiefs All-Pro tight end performing at the charity event. He was later joined by the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, known during the day as DaJuan Morgan of the Chiefs. Let me say, the rookie safety stole the show with his Brown imitation and dance moves. Plus, the velvet pants and cape were the perfect touch.

Elvis and James Brown were joined by Diana Ross, otherwise known as Toby Gonzalez, Tony’s wife and by Miles Postlethwait as Buddy Holly and his sisters as the Supremes. More on Miles in a second.

In the audience were teammates like Brodie Croyle, Larry Johnson, Dwayne Bowe, Donnie Edwards, Dustin Colquitt, Kolby Smith and others. Carl Peterson made a visit and said a few words.

It was all to benefit Shadow Buddies, an organization that Gonzalez got involved with during his rookie season. It was created by a mother with a sick child. That’s a very simplistic explanation of what Marty Postlethwait has created with Shadow Buddies, but it really comes down to that single thing: a mother helping Miles, who was born with multiple congenital defects. That single idea has grown to become an international charity and one that distributed over 750,000 Shadow Buddies dolls.

You can learn more about Shadow Buddies at the foundation website. Click here.

Now, anyone who was there and has a picture of Elvis Gonzalez or the “Godfather” DaJuan, please send them immediately to info@bobgretz.com

And if anybody shot video with their phone, send that as well, or post it to YouTube immediately.

More of the King must be seen!

Top Active Chiefs

As the 2008 season begins, here’s a look at the top active players in several statistical categories. We’ve limited this to four categories where members of the Chiefs are listed.

TOP 10 ACTIVE PASS RECEIVERS

 

Chiefs Finish Practice Squad

The Chiefs now have the full compliment of practice squad players as they’ve filled their two openings on the nine-man developmental team.

LB Wes Dacus was brought back.  He made the first 53-man roster, but was released when the Chiefs claimed LB Erik Walden on waivers.

Also added was WR Scott Mayle (6-1, 175) who was released on Saturday by the Buffalo Bills.  Mayle joined the Bills last season as a college free agent out of Ohio University.  He spent 16 weeks on the Bills practice squad in ‘07 and was added to the 53-man roster for the season finale, but did not play.

In the ‘08 pre-season, Mayle caught one pass for 17 yards and returned three p