Chiefs Eric Berry is Making the Chiefs believe

Hog's Gone Fishin · 01-11-2017, 06:49 PM

http://www.chiefs.com/news/article-2...3-77a027a45000

Eric Berry is Making the Chiefs Believe, and He’s Probably Why You Should Too
Posted 1 hour ago

Pete Sweeney
Chiefs Reporter
Chiefs.com
The reigning first-team All-Pro is providing motivation both on and off the field

It is Christmas night, and raindrops pelt down on the Arrowhead Stadium grass.

Pregame warm-ups are over, but one Kansas City Chief remains.

He is on one knee in the east end zone, peering out into the distance. The attendance for the game is officially listed as 76,671, but in this particular moment, he may as well be the only person in the stadium.

Number 29 is visualizing; number 29 is grateful.

"I do that all the time, even in walkthroughs,” Chiefs safety Eric Berry said, describing a habit that perhaps contributed to the third first-team All-Pro campaign of his career. “Just going through everything, like you can pretty much have a limit on physical reps, but mental reps and visualizing and just really painting that picture on how you want to play the game, that plays a big role in what you actually really do, so I like to do that, and also, I just like to appreciate the moment and just take it all in, and go from there."

If there is one player in the entire league who understands how delicate those moments are, it is Berry, who had it all—his health, life and career—taken away from him when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in December of 2014.

But there he was in the end zone, nearly two years later to the date, ever thankful to be able to feel the rain.

And now, as the Chiefs enter what could be described as their most promising championship opportunity in more than a decade, he has become their reason to believe.

“This morning, Eric Berry got up and made a speech,” rookie defensive lineman Chris Jones said Wednesday afternoon. “[Berry said] you have to believe it in your heart, and that it all comes from within. If your heart believes, then your mind and body will follow. That touched me and made we want to play [right now]. It was like one of those Ray Lewis speeches.

“When that guy talks, he grasps everybody’s attention.”

In other words, Berry’s message carries to those on the other side of the football.

“I’m sure Berry is a big leader on the defense, but I consider him a big leader in the locker room, period,” offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif explained. “He’s one of those guys that will always do the talking before the game and he’s just always able to find the right words. Sometimes he doesn’t say much, but it’s the intensity and the way he said it that gets you pumped up.

“When you’re on the sideline, you look at him play and the way he plays and he goes with so much intensity. He’s chopping people, blocking people, tackling and making big plays—we saw it in the Falcons game.”

The Falcons game that you could say was the most meaningful of Berry’s career—one in which he recorded eight points via a pick-six and the first pick-two in league history in his hometown of Atlanta, at a Georgia Dome just walking distance from where he defeated cancer.

That game occurred just three weeks prior to that pregame visualization on Christmas night, right before the Chiefs would knock the defending Super Bowl champions out of the playoffs with a convincing 33-10 victory.

Berry picked Trevor Siemian off on the final play of the game.

Minutes later, he addressed every member of the team.

“What he said after the game was that, ‘We’re supposed to do this,’” kicker Cario Santos recalled. “’We’re supposed to beat these guys and we’re supposed to win and be this great.’

"That’s great, because we were all celebrating and were happy for this achievement, but he reminded us not to be surprised by this. We’re supposed to be this great.”

“For me, he’s always been a guy that has a different perspective on things,” Alex Smith added. “The one thing that I appreciate is that it always comes from the heart with EB, and obviously with his message being about heart, it’s always sincere.

“He doesn’t do it unless there’s something he wants to say. He’s not a guy that always gets in front of the room.”

On Wednesday morning, before the Chiefs began this critical practice week, Berry spoke again.

“You just don’t want to take this for granted,” Santos said of Wednesday morning's speech. “His point was that you can focus on getting your mind right and getting your body right, but if you get your heart right, that’ll take care of everything.”

Maybe Berry knows something everyone else doesn’t; maybe he realizes this is the Chiefs’ best chance in 14 years.

Maybe, he just believes.

No matter what it is, for whatever reason, the Chiefs do too.

**The Franchise** · 01-11-2017, 06:53 PM

Nobody on this team deserves a ring more in my eyes.

If we don't re-sign this guy.....I'll be ****ing pissed.

Kiimo · 01-11-2017, 06:55 PM

Remember at the beginning of the season when every reporter in Kansas City was convinced the Chiefs made a major mistake keeping Berry over Sean Smith?

Hog's Gone Fishin · 01-11-2017, 06:57 PM

I'm saying prayer that he delivers Bell a reason to change his running style to mimick Knile Davis

Shawny2X4 · 01-11-2017, 07:02 PM

What a beast.

-King- · 01-11-2017, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kiimosabi

Remember at the beginning of the season when every reporter in Kansas City was convinced the Chiefs made a major mistake keeping Berry over Sean Smith?

No.
Posted via Mobile Device

Mr. Laz · 01-11-2017, 07:10 PM

Pay him 20 million per year!!!

**BigRedChief** · 01-11-2017, 07:10 PM

I agree it's our best chance in the playoffs we have had since Montana. Which I'm forever convinced that if Joe doesn't go down with a concussion in buffalo, we win the Super Bowl that year.

Kiimo · 01-11-2017, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by -King-

No.
Posted via Mobile Device

Drink less.

**mdchiefsfan** · 01-11-2017, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kiimosabi

Drink less.

No.

**RealSNR** · 01-11-2017, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Laz

Pay him 20 million per year!!!

The Chiefs offered to make Berry the highest paid safety in the NFL last offseason, and Eric turned them down. I expect the team will come up a bit in their offer now, especially if KC reaches the Super Bowl. And they absolutely should.

I don't harbor any ill will towards Berry for betting on himself, just like I didn't mind Justin Houston taking the team to the cleaners. It's a ****ton of money, but if you keep Berry and Houston together for several more years, that's chemistry you don't want to **** with.

kcmaxwell · 01-11-2017, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pestilence

Nobody on this team deserves a ring more in my eyes.

If we don't re-sign this guy.....I'll be ****ing pissed.

/thread

kcmaxwell · 01-11-2017, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RealSNR

The Chiefs offered to make Berry the highest paid safety in the NFL last offseason, and Eric turned them down. I expect the team will come up a bit in their offer now, especially if KC reaches the Super Bowl. And they absolutely should.

I don't harbor any ill will towards Berry for betting on himself, just like I didn't mind Justin Houston taking the team to the cleaners. It's a ****ton of money, but if you keep Berry and Houston together for several more years, that's chemistry you don't want to **** with.

//thread

Kiimo · 01-11-2017, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdchiefsfan

No.

Do what I say and not what I do.

*clinking ice in glass*

OldSchool · 01-11-2017, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RealSNR

The Chiefs offered to make Berry the highest paid safety in the NFL last offseason, and Eric turned them down. I expect the team will come up a bit in their offer now, especially if KC reaches the Super Bowl. And they absolutely should.

I don't harbor any ill will towards Berry for betting on himself, just like I didn't mind Justin Houston taking the team to the cleaners. It's a ****ton of money, but if you keep Berry and Houston together for several more years, that's chemistry you don't want to **** with.

Look at what happened to the Eagles' D when Reid lost Dawkins and his long-time DC.

Hope Reid and Dorsey learn from that mistake.

01-11-2017, 06:49 PM
Hog's Gone Fishin Fish are scared of me Join Date: Nov 2001 Casino cash: $1790477	Eric Berry is Making the Chiefs believe http://www.chiefs.com/news/article-2...3-77a027a45000 Eric Berry is Making the Chiefs Believe, and He’s Probably Why You Should Too Posted 1 hour ago Pete Sweeney Chiefs Reporter Chiefs.com The reigning first-team All-Pro is providing motivation both on and off the field It is Christmas night, and raindrops pelt down on the Arrowhead Stadium grass. Pregame warm-ups are over, but one Kansas City Chief remains. He is on one knee in the east end zone, peering out into the distance. The attendance for the game is officially listed as 76,671, but in this particular moment, he may as well be the only person in the stadium. Number 29 is visualizing; number 29 is grateful. "I do that all the time, even in walkthroughs,” Chiefs safety Eric Berry said, describing a habit that perhaps contributed to the third first-team All-Pro campaign of his career. “Just going through everything, like you can pretty much have a limit on physical reps, but mental reps and visualizing and just really painting that picture on how you want to play the game, that plays a big role in what you actually really do, so I like to do that, and also, I just like to appreciate the moment and just take it all in, and go from there." If there is one player in the entire league who understands how delicate those moments are, it is Berry, who had it all—his health, life and career—taken away from him when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in December of 2014. But there he was in the end zone, nearly two years later to the date, ever thankful to be able to feel the rain. And now, as the Chiefs enter what could be described as their most promising championship opportunity in more than a decade, he has become their reason to believe. “This morning, Eric Berry got up and made a speech,” rookie defensive lineman Chris Jones said Wednesday afternoon. “[Berry said] you have to believe it in your heart, and that it all comes from within. If your heart believes, then your mind and body will follow. That touched me and made we want to play [right now]. It was like one of those Ray Lewis speeches. “When that guy talks, he grasps everybody’s attention.” In other words, Berry’s message carries to those on the other side of the football. “I’m sure Berry is a big leader on the defense, but I consider him a big leader in the locker room, period,” offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif explained. “He’s one of those guys that will always do the talking before the game and he’s just always able to find the right words. Sometimes he doesn’t say much, but it’s the intensity and the way he said it that gets you pumped up. “When you’re on the sideline, you look at him play and the way he plays and he goes with so much intensity. He’s chopping people, blocking people, tackling and making big plays—we saw it in the Falcons game.” The Falcons game that you could say was the most meaningful of Berry’s career—one in which he recorded eight points via a pick-six and the first pick-two in league history in his hometown of Atlanta, at a Georgia Dome just walking distance from where he defeated cancer. That game occurred just three weeks prior to that pregame visualization on Christmas night, right before the Chiefs would knock the defending Super Bowl champions out of the playoffs with a convincing 33-10 victory. Berry picked Trevor Siemian off on the final play of the game. Minutes later, he addressed every member of the team. “What he said after the game was that, ‘We’re supposed to do this,’” kicker Cario Santos recalled. “’We’re supposed to beat these guys and we’re supposed to win and be this great.’ "That’s great, because we were all celebrating and were happy for this achievement, but he reminded us not to be surprised by this. We’re supposed to be this great.” “For me, he’s always been a guy that has a different perspective on things,” Alex Smith added. “The one thing that I appreciate is that it always comes from the heart with EB, and obviously with his message being about heart, it’s always sincere. “He doesn’t do it unless there’s something he wants to say. He’s not a guy that always gets in front of the room.” On Wednesday morning, before the Chiefs began this critical practice week, Berry spoke again. “You just don’t want to take this for granted,” Santos said of Wednesday morning's speech. “His point was that you can focus on getting your mind right and getting your body right, but if you get your heart right, that’ll take care of everything.” Maybe Berry knows something everyone else doesn’t; maybe he realizes this is the Chiefs’ best chance in 14 years. Maybe, he just believes. No matter what it is, for whatever reason, the Chiefs do too.
Posts: 40,312

01-11-2017, 06:53 PM	#2
The Franchise Most Valuable Villain Join Date: Dec 2006 Casino cash: $3195047	Nobody on this team deserves a ring more in my eyes. If we don't re-sign this guy.....I'll be ****ing pissed.
Posts: 91,938

01-11-2017, 06:55 PM	#3
Kiimo MVP Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Studio City, CA Casino cash: $4108742	Remember at the beginning of the season when every reporter in Kansas City was convinced the Chiefs made a major mistake keeping Berry over Sean Smith?
Posts: 12,533

01-11-2017, 06:57 PM	#4
Hog's Gone Fishin Fish are scared of me Join Date: Nov 2001 Casino cash: $1790477	I'm saying prayer that he delivers Bell a reason to change his running style to mimick Knile Davis
Posts: 40,312

01-11-2017, 07:02 PM	#5
Shawny2X4 Starter Join Date: Aug 2015 Casino cash: $9910752	What a beast.
Posts: 209

01-11-2017, 07:10 PM	#7
Mr. Laz Don't Tease Me Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: KS Casino cash: $11047037	Pay him 20 million per year!!! __________________
Posts: 95,626

01-11-2017, 07:10 PM	#8
BigRedChief Has a particular set of skills Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: On the water Casino cash: $3229627 VARSITY	I agree it's our best chance in the playoffs we have had since Montana. Which I'm forever convinced that if Joe doesn't go down with a concussion in buffalo, we win the Super Bowl that year. __________________ Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering. -YODA
Posts: 78,937