ChiefsPlanet - Chiefs Mellinger | New GM John Dorsey has a real KC love story

http://www.kansascity.com/2013/01/14...ry-for-gm.html

Sam Mellinger | New GM John Dorsey has a real KC love story
By SAM MELLINGER
The Kansas City Star

The love story that would change two lives and eventually two NFL franchises began over barbecue. Yes, this is a Kansas City love story from beginning to end.

They were two adults, each career-focused, and the truth is neither thought much would come of the date. How could it? John lived in Wisconsin. Trish in Kansas City. That’s a lot of airline miles, and it’s not like either had a lot of free time. John had a busy job with the Packers. Trish worked long hours starting a career in law. But they had these friends, Lamonte and Claire Winston, who just kept insisting and, well, if nothing else at least they’d get a good meal.

So, sure. Dinner. Sounds good. John, this is Trish. Trish, John. They smiled. Shook hands. Sat down. Laughed. And that’s when everything changed, because that’s what love does.

“I’ll be honest with you,” John is saying now. “The moment I met her, I knew I’d marry her. That’s the truth. I just knew. I could feel it. Honest to god, I could feel it.”

This is the story of John Dorsey and his wife, Trisha. When he was introduced as the new Chiefs general manager on Monday, John caught the attention of Kansas City by calling this his “dream job.” His reasons had a lot to do with the Chiefs and the Hunt family and family history, but also that dinner at Jack Stack some 15 or 20 years ago.

They fell for each other right away, just like Lamonte and Claire hoped. Actually, Lamonte didn’t have any doubts. He was going by the guy code, telling John about this beautiful and smart woman, so what’s not to like?

Claire thought a little more. She met John at a football function — they think it was the Hula Bowl, though some of the details fuzz over time — and thought he had a lot in common with her friend. Claire met Trish studying for the bar exam, and thought her values matched with John.

Career is important, but so is family. They are simple people without extravagant wants. Doesn’t take a lot to make them happy.

So when John was in Kansas City on a scouting trip, Lamonte and Claire set the whole thing up. That first meeting just sealed it.

“I held up my end of the bargain because she was very attractive,” says Lamonte, who now works for the Raiders. “You know us guys, we can sense it. You could just … it was in the air that night.”

Trish remembers thinking John was “very gregarious and very personable” that night, and the Winstons think it probably helped that neither challenged the other on their career. Instead of an obstacle, that became part of the foundation. They each valued their own careers, so they began with a mutual understanding.

Back in those days, John was traveling even more than he does now so it didn’t make sense for them to make any major life changes. Theirs would be a love built in part with frequent flyer miles.

So they took it slow, years of different area codes and flights and planning weekends and at some point they both wanted the same thing. When Trish made partner at her law firm, she moved to Green Bay. They were married in a small ceremony in 2005, have two kids, and today John and Trish are godparents to the Winstons’ daughter.

When the general manager job in Kansas City opened up, it added to already strong feeling Dorsey had about the Chiefs. There is no public record of Dorsey calling the Chiefs his “dream job” before this week, of course. But in separate conversations on Monday, both Trish and new Chiefs coach Andy Reid — a longtime friend — said they’ve known Dorsey felt that way for years.

Trish talks about Dorsey’s appreciation of football history, and an admiration for the Hunt family. Reid, perhaps, gets a little closer to the point in referencing Trish. She grew up in Abilene, Kan., and lived in Kansas City for years. They won’t need a lot of recommendations on neighborhoods when they go house-hunting.

They are home, finally. Both of them, back where their love began so many years ago.

“This is like a storybook tale or something,” John says. “It’s unbelievable how this all worked out. It really is. To meet her, and be with her for about five or 10 minutes, you’ll realize it. She’s my best friend, and she’s my closest confidant.”