Thursday Morning Cup O’Chiefs
The Chiefs are all about building through the draft under Herm Edwards. The first selection meeting where Edwards and VP of Player Personnel Bill Kuharich were in charge was the 2006 Draft.
Here’s a quick check on how they did:
1-DE Tamba Hali, a starter since his first game.
2-S Bernard Pollarid, became a starter last season at strong safety.
3-QB Brodie Croyle, became a starter last year.
5-CB Marcus Maxey, was released at the end of the ‘07 pre-season. He never made the transition from playing man-to-man coverage at the University of Miami to the cover two scheme the Chiefs used in ‘06-07.
6-G Tre Stallings, is still on the Chiefs roster and fighting to retain his backup status.
6-WR Jeff Webb, is still on the Chiefs roster and fighting to retain his backup status.
7-S Jarrad Page, became a starter last year at free safety.
That’s four starters and two backups in seven selections. Right now, those look like pretty good numbers for Edwards and Kuharich.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
If you should happen to see Chiefs special teams coach Mike Priefer wish him a Happy Birthday. He was born on August 21, 1966.
Plus a guy that works directly with Priefer is also a birthday boy: kicker Nick Novak was born on 8/21/81.
And finally it was on August 21, 1945 that the “Honey Bear” came into the world. That would be Hall of Fame linebacker Willie Lanier.
COUNTDOWN
It’s 5 days from the NFL’s first mandatory cutdown of the roster. Teams must go from 80 to 75 on August 26. It’s 9 days from the NFL roster cutdown to the regular-season limit of 53 players.
We are now 17 days - less than three weeks - away from their regular-season opener against the Patriots in Foxboro and they are 24 days away from their home opener against the Raiders.
CHIEFS HISTORY
On August 21, 1971, the Chiefs beat the New Orleans Saints 27-7 in a return to Tulane Stadium where they won Super Bowl IV. The Chiefs had touchdown runs by RB Ed Podolak (1-yard), RB Warren McVea (6 yards) and QB Mike Livingston (78 yards.) Livingston score came after handoff to RB Robert Holmes who gained 2 yards and fumbled. Livingston picked up fumble and ran 78 yards for the score. There were 70,459 at Tulane Stadium.
On August 21, 1972 the Chiefs lost to the Baltimore Colts 23-17 at Arrowhead Stadium in front of a crowd of 76,882 fans. The Chiefs touchdowns came on a 52-yard TD pass from QB John Huarte to RB Jeff Kinney and a 1-yard run by RB Jim Otis. K Jan Stenerud added a 27-yard FG. QB Len Dawson was sacked 7 times by Colts pass rush.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
Over in St. Louis, Dante Hall has undergone a re-birth of sorts by changing his diet and workout habits. That seems to have led to a change in attitude as well.
Our buddy Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News is writing about quarterbacks and so he starts his weekly column with comnets from Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden, who likes to collect quarterbacks.
AROUND THE AFC WEST
Out in Denver, center Tom Nalen will undergo another surgery on his knee and he will miss the rest of the pre-season.
In San Diego, WR Chris Chambers remains very happy about the trade that brought him out of Miami last October.
Just like the Chiefs, out in Oakland the Raiders are trying to find a returner.
doesn’t McFadden return kicks?
Love your history lessons. I happened to be at that August 1972 Colts game, the first for me, and just the second game played at Arrowhead. Johnny Unitas was in his last year with the Colts, just one of seven future Hall of Famers on the two rosters.
Where do you find details on these games?
Let me first say, I enjoy visiting your website on a daily basis.
I think the Chiefs have done a decent job in the recent drafts, but I’m not sold on all the “starters”. Would all those players start on a championship team?