Chiefs preached “Kill the head and the body will die,” too

[Quesadilla Joe]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/07/13/chiefs-preached-kill-the-head-and-the-body-will-die-too/

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/1628/aviaryprofootballtalknb.png


Among the many incendiary statements that former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams used to fire up his players was, “Kill the head and the body will die.” There’s been a great deal of debate about what Williams meant when he talked about killing the head, but there’s no doubt about this: He wasn’t the only one in the NFL who used that phrase.

In fact, players walking into the Kansas City Chiefs’ defensive line room in 2008 were greeted with that slogan painted in huge letters: “KILL THE HEAD & THE BODY WILL DIE.”

The phrase was shown on the 2008 NFL Films production Hey Rookie, Welcome to the NFL, which aired on NFL Network today. (The image here is a picture I took of my TV.) Herm Edwards was the Chiefs’ head coach at the time, Gunther Cunningham was the defensive coordinator and Tim Krumrie was the defensive line coach. It’s not clear who painted the slogan or which members of the coaching staff endorsed it, but it is clear that the phrase was something the Chiefs wanted all of their defensive linemen to see.

After audio emerged of Williams saying before the playoff game against the 49ers that he wanted his players to “Make sure we kill Frank Gore’s head,” many people were shocked at what they heard, while some former players said it was par for the course in the NFL. In the Chiefs’ defensive line meeting room, “Kill the head & the body will die” was the first thing every player saw, every time he walked in.

[RealSNR]

Fuck you. I had just successfully wiped those two names from my memory at the last therapy session and you had to go and fuck shit up.

[Chief_For_Life58]

sweet. hopefully its still up

[OnTheWarpath15]

I didn't care when it was the Saints, I don't care now.

The sport is nothing without violence.

Don't like it?

Don't watch or don't play.

[DeezNutz]

Coach Slap Dick and his hands test are both greatly missed.

[Nightfyre]

I'm pretty sure it is well-established that if you get pressure on the quarterback, the rest of the passing game falls apart.

[Munson]

Not a single f*** was given.

[DeezNutz]

Gun used to talk about "taking a team's heart" too when alluding to an opposing QB, so I'm pretty sure he was thinking about that dude in Temple of Doom.

Probably should be fined.

[DTLB58]

No! Not Herm.....The same guy espn has put on TV and radio night and day to say how bad all the people are related to this "Bounty" scandal?

ROFL :doh!:

[Hammock Parties]

*Gunther Cunningham likes this*

[Rasputin]

Gun used to talk about "taking a team's heart" too when alluding to an opposing QB, so I'm pretty sure he was thinking about that dude in Temple of Doom.

Probably should be fined.

literally Gun did this.

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t196/orac1977/templeofdoom.gif

[HemiEd]

Oh those master motivators, Herm and Gunther! They had all the tricks. Will the Chiefs have to vacate the playoff victories?

[DTLB58]

I didn't care when it was the Saints, I don't care now.

The sport is nothing without violence.

Don't like it?

Don't watch or don't play.

Pretty much.

Watch some highlights from just the 70's let alone before that. The hits are vicious!

Some fans think it's worse now than ever. The truth is, the league is just trying to crack down on it recently and are tearing it apart hit by hit.

[tarheel23]

It's ok to say it you just can't pay for it.

[Rain Man]

I'm pretty sure it is well-established that if you get pressure on the quarterback, the rest of the passing game falls apart.

Yep.

The Chiefs don't cheat. Never have, never will. They're Chiefs.

[KCUnited]

"Tackle Somebody, Anybody" would've been more effective.

[Nightfyre]

Yep.

The Chiefs don't cheat. Never have, never will. They're Chiefs.

LMAO exactly.

[CoMoChief]

Gunther wants to rip the hearts and souls out of opposing players.

Fuckin love that man. He had shit to work with and wasn't very successful his 2nd time around, but he loved the Chiefs and loved KC more than any coach that's been here.

[mikey23545]

Jeebus.

I'm in my 50's and I've heard that expression forever.

[BigMeatballDave]

Denver Broncos:

Smear the Crisco and the D can't tackle.

[Deberg_1990]

****in love that man. He had shit to work with and wasn't very successful his 2nd time around, but he loved the Chiefs and loved KC more than any coach that's been here.

:facepalm:

[CoMoChief]

:facepalm:

What's the matter?

[RealSNR]

What's the matter?
There are tons of people formerly with this organization who love the Chiefs and Kansas City. Len Dawson and Trent Green for starters.

Difference between those guys and Gunther? They were actually good at what they did.

[Hammock Parties]

WHATEVER BITCHES

http://i.imgur.com/NC6L2.jpg

[OnTheWarpath15]

There are tons of people formerly with this organization who love the Chiefs and Kansas City. Len Dawson and Trent Green for starters.

Difference between those guys and Gunther? They were actually good at what they did.

And that's the key here.

In fairness to CoMo, he's right - Gunther loved his job, his defense and the Chiefs, and no one wanted to win more than he did.

He just wasn't all that great at his job after losing his star players.

[DaWolf]

Gunther was more about voodoo and exorcism:

“I think people are asking all the time ‘How do you coach defense, Gun?’ What I told Jim Schwartz (defensive coordinator) at Tennessee and what I told the players there I said ‘you got to take their heart’ that is the number one thing you got to do. You have to take the heart of the opponent and Jim Schwartz said ‘Well Gun how do you do that?’ I said, ‘You stop the run, that is their heart.’ I said ‘Once you stop the run you take their soul and that is the quarterback.’ To me those two approaches to playing football in the NFL is the way we want our defense. There are a lot of other things involved and what some people don’t understand is these guys play with their heart. You get the right chemistry going on defense and it doesn’t matter what you call. I think if you’ll ask Jerome Woods he plays with his eyes, you find the ball; you hunt it down and stop your opponent.

http://www2.kcchiefs.com/news/2004/01/20/petersoncunningham_press_conference__120/

[Frankie]

The statement is figurative, and about demoralizing the QB, not actually attempting to kill him, which the Saints evidently tried to do.

[ChiefsCountry]

Pretty much.

Watch some highlights from just the 70's let alone before that. The hits are vicious!

Some fans think it's worse now than ever. The truth is, the league is just trying to crack down on it recently and are tearing it apart hit by hit.

The hits looked more vicious then but the players today are so much bigger and stronger.

[DaWolf]

He just wasn't all that great at his job after losing his star players.

He wasn't all that great at his job, period. He never accomplished squat in terms of putting a good defense on the field without Marty around. Once Marty left, it was mediocre defense after mediocre defense. And his only response was to always throw someone else under the bus for his failures, be they the players, be they Vermeil's style of offense, or be they Herm's wanting to use the Tampa 2, which he only complained about after he left for Detroit. Hell, he gave Carl a laundry list of players he wanted, all of which Carl went out and got him, such as Sammy Knight, Pat Surtain, Kendrell Bell, etc, and he still failed. I still remember him threatening to beat up anyone who wanted to say something bad about Bell to his face, and yet the dude never played a productive down while here.

Scott Fujita said it all (http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2010/2/4/1292140/former-chief-scott-fujita-not-a):

What happened in KC?

"They brought in [defensive coordinator] Gunther Cunningham, who’s a [expletive]. And you can quote me on that."

I can think of about a half dozen words that would be perfectly appropriate to between those second brackets. Fujita wasn't completely soured on KC though. Silver writes, "Fujita is grateful to Vermeil for trading him to Dallas shortly before the start of the 2005 season after he had lost his starting job to free-agent signee Kendrell Bell and to Parcells for "helping to get my career back on track."

[OnTheWarpath15]

The hits looked more vicious then but the players today are so much bigger and stronger.

The protective equipment is way more advanced now though.

I don't think it was anymore of a treat to get hit by Butkus, Lambert or Deacon back in the day than it is to get hit by Patrick Willis now.

[ChiefsCountry]

The protective equipment is way more advanced now though.

I don't think it was anymore of a treat to get hit by Butkus, Lambert or Deacon back in the day than it is to get hit by Patrick Willis now.

Hell its not fun to get hit playing high school football but the rush of doing it to somebody else is one of the best experiecnes in the world.

[vailpass]

They should have just painted the visitor's locker room pink.

[Mr. Laz]

.
i hope they kill your head so we can watch your body die

[CoMoChief]

There are tons of people formerly with this organization who love the Chiefs and Kansas City. Len Dawson and Trent Green for starters.

Difference between those guys and Gunther? They were actually good at what they did.

Trent and Len didn't want to crush souls and rip hearts out of people CHuck Norris style like Gunther did.

[Marcellus]

I'm pretty sure it is well-established that if you get pressure on the quarterback, the rest of the passing game falls apart.

Yea I am amazed that people in media take this shit literally.

It means the QB is the head of the snake and shut him down and the entire offense (the body) goes down.

This is a great example of something being manipulated to mean something different than the intention so it can fit the agenda being driven.

Kind of like what happens on CP daily.

[DaFace]

I didn't care when it was the Saints, I don't care now.

The sport is nothing without violence.

Don't like it?

Don't watch or don't play.

Yup.

[whoman69]

It has to do with context. Williams included that little gem in a speech about hurting other players. That is a bounty program. The same cannot be said of the Chiefs.

[LOCOChief]

Classless. Gregg Williams needs to apologize on behalf of the entire organization.

[lcarus]

They should have just painted the visitor's locker room pink.

Dude thats uncalled for. Really. Gtfo with that crap. Keep it clean. There could be children around. You jive turkey

[HemiEd]

Gunther wants to rip the hearts and souls out of opposing players.

****in love that man. He had shit to work with and wasn't very successful his 2nd time around, but he loved the Chiefs and loved KC more than any coach that's been here.

Yep, he only needed about 5 more pro bowlers on D, and a couple HOFers, he would be set.

[lcarus]

Yea I am amazed that people in media take this shit literally.

It means the QB is the head of the snake and shut him down and the entire offense (the body) goes down.

This is a great example of something being manipulated to mean something different than the intention so it can fit the agenda being driven.

Kind of like what happens on CP daily.

No shit. Its like if a DC told his LB to "take the Rb out of the picture on such and such play" that "He's implying murder!! Ban him!!"

[boogblaster]

defense should be played wide-open .. if not .. go play some golf .....

[lcarus]

defense should be played wide-open .. if not .. go play some golf .....

Agreed. Coaches want their defenses to be vicious, relentless and feared. Doesnt necessarily mean they want an opponent mangled, but if it happens in the process of a big ass hit...part of the game.

[vailpass]

Dude thats uncalled for. Really. Gtfo with that crap. Keep it clean. There could be children around. You jive turkey

If it's good enough for Hayden Fry & Kirk Ferentz it's good enough for me.

[vailpass]

Classless. Gregg Williams needs to apologize on behalf of the entire organization.

They should have given the Saints the death penalty. Just eliminate the entire organization.

[thabear04]

The world has gone to be pussy these days... The NFL always try to dig up dirt on other Teams Who care if the Chiefs has this crap does it matter? no? will it show up on ESPN? maybe.

[WhiteWhale]

Yep, he only needed about 5 more pro bowlers on D, and a couple HOFers, he would be set.

As opposed to all of those great defenses that didn't have any probowlers or future hall of famers?

There are a lot of legit criticisms against Gun, but the whole "He needs good players to have a good defense!" is not one of them.

[milkman]

As opposed to all of those great defenses that didn't have any probowlers or future hall of famers?

There are a lot of legit criticisms against Gun, but the whole "He needs good players to have a good defense!" is not one of them.

When did Gunther have good defense without DT and Neal Smith, and some others?


Gunther is a moron, and I still contend that he did more to contain DT than any opposition OC ever did.