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Saturday, July 26, 2008: Morning Practice

The Chiefs and 63 fans enjoyed nice weather conditions this morning. A cool five mile per hour wind out of the west accompanied the cloudless sky above the practice fields, helping to make it a beautiful start to the day. The temperature was 73 degrees with a humidity of 65 percent. Word got around quickly that the Chiefs' first-round draft pick Glenn Dorsey had signed with the team last night. General Manager Carl Peterson is expected to hold a press conference on the signing later today.

Defense

Before practice got under way on Ramer Field, cornerback Dimitri Patterson took a few passes from the Juggs machine. He was catching them off routes from the left, the right and straight on.

Veteran safety Bernard Pollard spent some time on the sidelines working on catching and footwork. Both members of the coaching staff and their young children helped Pollard.

As the defense left Ramer Field, linebacker Demorrio Williams complained to Assistant Equipment Manager Allen Wright that his helmet didn’t feel right; he wasn’t getting enough air. Wright helped Williams fix the problem and sent him on his way.

After parting from Ramer Field, each defensive position stayed together as a collective group and ran a formation drill. A coach would mock the snap, and the group would sprint to either the northeast or northwest corners of practice field No. 2. This drill was ran until the coaching staff could tell each defensive man was putting his all into it. “Don’t be the last one back in the damn huddle,” Defensive Backs Coach David Gibbs hollered. “We ain’t listening to you, Gibbs. You too short,” an unidentified player said back. The comment sparked laughter from the whole group.

The positions split up correspondingly: the defensive backs headed toward the sleds. After the downpour the fields got yesterday, the players were having a rough time keeping their feet as they slid and slipped all over the muddy ground. Defensive Backs Coach David Gibbs told everyone to “play the nickel.” The players did just that, hitting only the first, third and fifth dummies on the sled. Rookie cornerback Brandon Flowers got the brunt of Gibbs’s scrutiny. “Come on Flowers, you ........ Punch the ....... mat. If Flowers don’t do it right, we’ll go down and back again,” he told the players. Knowing the importance of performing well at training camp and being aware of the open cornerback spot, Flowers followed Gibbs’s advice, and the defensive backs didn’t have to go down and back with the sleds again.

Near the defensive backs, Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach Gunther Cunningham had his men taking on a single tackle dummy. “You aim for the right shoulder,” he yelled. Linebacker Derrick Johnson encouraged his teammates, hollering, “kill him, kill him,” as they plowed through the dummy and threw it on the ground.

The defensive linemen were practicing their footwork as they ran around three stationary dummies Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie had set up. “Bust your (butt) for the ball. If you stop, I’ll personally find and kick yours,” he ranted. When veteran defensive tackle Alfonso Boone slipped on the wet ground, Krumrie yelled, “You gotta snap your head. You’re slow. Get outta the mud, baby!”

The defense worked on its basic 4-3 defense at the 10-yard line on the south end of the field. Cornerback Brandon Flowers was the rookie who lined up with the first string. Rookie safety DaJuan Morgan saw time with both the first and second strings. Rookie defensive tackle Maurice Murray and defensive end Brian Johnston also booked spots practicing with the second string. Promising cornerback Brandon Carr and newly acquired free agent linebacker LeRue Rumph also rotated in during the second string’s practice time.

Ten minutes were put on the scoreboard on Ramer Field, and the team ran 9-on-7. Nine defenders (including two safeties) took on seven offensive players. Following the 9-on-7 drill, the team moved to an 11-on-11 drill. Ten more minutes were issued on the clock. Defensive tackle Alfonso Boone head butted the football back to the coach. When the coach gave him a look, Boone said, “What? That’s my pass.” Another highlight of the 11-on-11 scrimmage was linebacker Donnie Edwards’s near interception of a Brodie Croyle pass. Edwards picked off the pass, but lost the handle as he fell to the ground. Gasps and cheers from the crowd in the stands followed. As the 11-on-11 drill was winding down, Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie was getting frustrated with his line. “Win one-on-one blocks. Win them!”

Running back Larry Johnson made a solid run when cornerback Tyron Brackenridge tried to make the tackle. After the play was blown dead by the officials, Brackenridge didn’t seem to lighten up so Johnson made gave him a shove with his forearm. Nothing escalated.

Offense

The Chiefs morning practice picked up right where the previous afternoon’s practice left off before the rainout. The offensive line worked on one-on-one drills in two groups. The quarterbacks warmed up by throwing passes to wide receivers, tight ends, running backs and fullbacks running go routes.

After the team split up into positions, receivers ran 5-yard curls with assistant coaches throwing to them. The running backs and tight ends ran 5-yard curls with the quarterbacks throwing to them.

The tight ends then joined the offensive line on the practice field while the quarterbacks made pitches to running backs with the fullbacks working on blocking.

The quarterbacks then headed over to work with the wide receivers throwing 10 and 15-yard curl routes and 30-yard flag routes.

The running backs went and worked on the agility ropes as Running Backs Coach Curtis Modkins yelled, “Ain’t no shortcuts, the only way to get there is in these ropes!”

The defense joined the offense on Ramer field at 9:45 and did a 9-on-7 drill for 10 minutes. Defensive Coordinator Gunther Cunningham yelled to the players, “Everybody have your chinstrap snapped, or it’s $25,000!”

Running backs Larry Johnson, Kolby Smith, and Jamaal Charles all ran with the first string during the 9-on-7 drill, with Johnson taking the bulk of the carries. Smith, Charles and running back Jackie Battle split carries with the second string.

The team finished the practice with an 11-on-11 drill. Quarterback Brodie Croyle completed 6-8 passes. Tight end Tony Gonzalez dropped the first pass of the drill but came back towards the end of the drill and showed why he is one of the elite tight ends in the league by making a diving catch that brought on a roar from the crowd.

Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe only caught one pass in the drill but broke two tackles to get into space, making a couple of great moves.

Special Teams

The special teams kickoff unit took 20 minutes after the team stretch on Ramer Field to practice coverage. Kickers Nick Novak and Connor Barth simulated kicks from the 45-yard line. The players worked on plugging the lanes and pinning the ball carrier to a spot. “Find the return man when you drop,” shouted Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer, “Don’t stop show team, get your hands on the ball.” Players who went out with the first squad: cornerback Dimitri Patterson, tight end John Paul Foschi, linebacker Steve Octavien, safety Jon McGraw, E.J. Kuale and running back Jackie Battle were instructed to no let their man make a play. Cornerback Tryon Brackenridge received praise from Priefer. “Good job, 34. He fought his tail off and put his hands inside,” said Priefer to the other players.

Press Conference

Head coach Herm Edwards addressed the media after practice, but did not comment on the recent signing of draft pick defensive tackle, Glenn Dorsey. Edwards observed about the first day of practice with pads on: “As usual you play high the first day with pads on. We got to go a lot faster this afternoon. No one’s gonna practice their best on the first day and I understand that.”

Edwards also talked about rookie cornerback Brandon Flowers coming into the league with the potential to make an impact. “Flowers is gonna get a lot of chances to make plays because the ball is going to come his way a lot. You better be mentally tough when you go outside the numbers because it’s a tough position to play, and he’s a mentally tough kid.”

Extra, Extra...

Chairman of the Board Clark Hunt and Executive Vice President Denny Thum were both on the field once again for morning practice. They seemed to be a little more impressed with today’s weather. They talked throughout practice while looking over several sheets of paper and glanced up to watch the players practice every so often. Once the team all got together on Ramer Field, General Manager Carl Peterson was headed out to join Hunt, Thum, and the rest of Chiefs’ personnel on the field.

Rookie wide receiver Kevin Robinson spent a good chunk of his morning on the stationary bikes under the training tent nursing his knee. Yesterday, Head Coach Herm Edwards said Robinson had surgery on his knee to “clean it out.” Edwards said he expects Robinson will be ready to go for the first preseason game at Chicago.

Sports Field Manager Andre Bruce and another Chiefs’ staff member noticed the shape of the field and discussed what could be done to make the north-northwest corners of the field better. Talk of how players would fare on the sleds—near the most damaged parts of the field—was the main priority as the two made arrangements.

As members of both the offense and the defense headed back into Ramer Field at 9:33 a.m., Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie’s voice could be heard following his defensive linemen: “You need to be sure you hit the man. Attitude. Attitude. We’re too damn nice!” As practice continued inside the Ramer Field stadium, sweat could be seen rolling off the forehead of defensive end Tamba Hali.

Practice ended at 10:25 a.m., 25 minutes later than originally scheduled. This is a rare occurrence for a clockwork team.

The In-Zone

Life is unpredictable. He knows. It has been over eight years since he lost his best friend, twin brother and teammate Devaughn on Feb. 26, 2001. Devaughn had been preparing for the upcoming football season at Florida State University—where he and his twin brother played on scholarship their freshmen year-—when he passed after a workout session due to complications from the sickle cell trait. With the death of his brother, wide receiver Devard Darling was threatened with the demise—he has the hereditary trait, too—of his dream of someday playing football in the NFL. The dream he shared with Devaughn.

Darling was pulled from clearance to play for the Seminoles. After multiple Division I schools turned him down, Darling would go through dozens of medical tests and doctors’ examinations before Washington State would clear him to play. Overcoming the odds and asserting his faith, he would become one of Cougars’ best wide receivers. In just two years, he recorded 16 touchdowns and over 1,500 yards.

In 2004, the Baltimore Ravens drafted Darling in the third round. Although he has yet to distinguish himself, he joins the Chiefs this year as a free agent with promising talent. He will compete for playing time alongside wide reciever Dwayne Bowe, and is also expected to contribute on special teams.

Today he continues to pursue his and Devaughn’s dreams while he helps underprivileged youth pursue theirs. In 2006 Darling founded the As One Foundation to provide underprivileged youth with educational and developmental opportunities through athletic endeavors, educational programming and spiritual enrichment. His goal is to bring the love of football to his birth place and home country, the Bahamas.

His life has been forever changed but his vision to make a difference in underprivileged youths’ lives through his passion for football will change the lives of others for the good.

Darling and his wife Cicely reside with their son Devard Jr. in Houston, Texas.

Darling's practice today:
Darling worked with the first string today, taking passes from quarterback Brodie Croyle. He looked energetic and poised on the field. Croyle threw Darling a low 15-yard pass to the right sideline during a warm-up drill between QBs and wide receivers. “Ah. That was my bad," said Croyle to Darling. Later on, Darling would complete a catch on another low pass from Croyle to score a touchdown. “Good job,” a coach told Darling.

Running routes with the wide receivers during position work, Darling was the first in line on the right side each time. His cuts were sharp and quick. Coaches noticed his effort and Darling received pats on the back. Some of the routes he ran were curls to the sideline for an outlet pass, up the middle with a change in direction to the sideline for a cross-field pass and straight up the sideline for 20- to 30-yard passes.

When the team came together for a 11-on-11 drill, Darling worked primarily on the right side and switched with wide receiver Dwayne Bowe to work on the left side for a couple of takes. He came out with the first string every time. The team worked primarily on the run game so Darling didn’t receive too many passes.

After practice concluded Darling stayed on the practice fields to work on his technique and take passes from a Juggs machine for 10 minutes. The five-yard passes were fed to Darling at different angles and heights.

After Practice Comments:
Q: How was your practice this morning?
A: “It went well. It felt good to put the pads on and get out on the field and catch the ball.”

Q: “What is going to get you through camp?”
A: “Consistency. Coming out and being consistent every day. For me it’s catching the ball and running the right routes. That’s the way you last in this league.”

Fans

Chris and Dan Hollis of Elk Falls, Kan., and Ron Davis of Wichita, Kan., drove 10 hours through the night to be at morning practice. They’re staying for a week. The group said they’re most excited to see all the new players. “We’re very, very pleased with the draft,” said Dan.

Todd Moore of Parkersburg, Iowa, and Jeff Lawhon of Blue Springs, Mo., are enjoying their eighth training camp. They’re looking forward to seeing a better rebuilt team and all the friends they’ve made over the years. They enjoy going to Coach’s Sports Bar & Grill downtown.

John Leach of Olathe, Kan., has driven to camp for weekend practices for the past six years. He’s excited to see how the draft choices are going to help the team. His favorite player is Tony Gonzalez because he’s been with the team all the way. “You always see different coaches come and go,” said Leach.

Scott Bryant, a native of Kansas City currently living in Woodbury, Minn., is a Chiefs season-ticket holder. This is his sixth training camp. He’s excited to see what Dwayne Bowe does because he said Bowe looks like he’s going to have a good season.

The Hackel family came down to camp from Rice Lake, Wis., to enjoy the beautiful weather and watch great football. Rick and Callie—along with their three children Bradley, Tyler and Izzy—are waiting to see first-round draft pick, Glenn Dorsey. The Hackels have been coming to the Kansas City Chiefs Summer Training Camp since 1998.

Pete Richie and son Nick from the small town of Smithville, Mo., traveled to River Falls. Pete has been attending camp since the first camp in 1991. The Richie’s favorite player is Will Franklin. They said their favorite hangout in town is Bo’s ‘N Mine. They will be watching camp for a couple of days before heading back south.

Second-year visitor of the Chiefs summer training camp Kevin Droll and first-year visitor Nichole Droll enjoyed a nice summer day in the Ramer Field bleachers. The Droll family plans on staying the day to watch both the morning and afternoon practices. Kevin mentioned he’s here to see the big names like Tony Gonzalez and Dwayne Bowe. The last time he was here Dante Hall was the starting kick returner.

Twins Cities native Huy Tran was also at training camp this morning. Tran has seen the Chiefs play at Arrowhead Stadium and said it was “crazy” to see the Packer fans when the Packers are down in Kansas City. He also said he was at the game against Jacksonville in 2006 when running back Larry Johnson broke the record for all-time rushing attempts (416) in a season.

Saturday, July 26, 2008: Afternoon Practice
Editor's Note: Chiefs fans who may be trying to access the training camp photo gallery may have difficulty doing so due to the power outage caused by the storm yesterday. We are working to fix any inconveniences. We appreciate your patience as we try to solve this problem.

It was a beautiful evening practice. The sky was mostly clear with an 11 mile per hour breeze that was coming out of the northwest. The humidity was 35 percent with a temperature of 83 degrees. This weather was reflected in the moods of fans who were cheerful and energetic during practice. There were 236 fans in attendance. Defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey was also in attendance for his first practice with the team.

Offense/Defense
Before practice officially began, veteran cornerback Patrick Surtain was under the training tent spending time on the stationary bike. Surtain later put his pads on and joined his team, contributing immensely to drills.
The big news this afternoon was the arrival of first-round draft pick, defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey. At the start of practice, following stretches, Dorsey stood on the sidelines having casual conversation with Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie. While the two spoke, a trainer taped Dorsey’s right calf below a knee brace that was already in place.
While special teams worked, Dorsey chatted with tackle Alfonso Boone, end Tamba Hali and tackle Tank Tyler.

Later, tackle Ron Edwards joined the group. “Wherever you go, man, there’re journalists,” Boone said to Dorsey as he walked across the field, followed by a crowd of reporters. Eventually, a talk of college competition sprouted among the men, and Dorsey commented: “I’m a champion.” After his quip, the others just chuckled as they delivered some innocent shoves to the No. 5 overall draft pick.

The defensive line worked on the sleds as they always do at the start of practice. With the arrival of Dorsey, however, 12 videographers and print photographers swarmed the sleds today. Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie shouted at rookie defensive end Johnny Dingle, “Dingle! Hit the damn boards!” After hitting the drills for several reps, the defensive linemen moved to the agility ropes. On his second set, defensive tackle Ron Edwards lost his footing, tripped and fell on the last square, taking the set of ropes with him. After laughing a bit and helping their teammate up, the men moved to the single sled to work on busting the blocker. Repeatedly Krumrie shouted, “Tattoo his (butt) and throw him!”

Both the linebackers and defensive linemen worked with dummies. They were maneuvering between sets of three and five dummies to perfect their footwork and get around blockers. Both Krumrie and Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach Gunther Cunningham could be heard yelling, “Keep your head up!”

Working with the offensive line, the defensive line practiced getting by the block to rush the mock quarterback. Defensive end Turk McBride juked out offensive tackle Damion McIntosh. His teammates ooh’d and ahh’d for the impressive show. To settle the team down, Krumrie wanted a stronger finish from McBride and a better performance from McIntosh: “It’s not OK to get dropped. And ‘Close enough’ is not OK. Get there!”

During standard drills as well as 11-on-11 and 7-on-7, Dorsey practiced with the first string repeatedly. Also seeing time with the first string were rookies Brandon Flowers, cornerback; Brandon Carr, cornerback; and DaJuan Morgan, safety. Seeing second string time were defensive end Brian Johnston, safety Morgan, and cornerback Maurice Leggett. Also during the 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 drills, Dorsey split two blockers (Branden Albert and Will Svitek) and pressured the quarterback, drawing praise from Krumrie. Linebacker Donnie Edwards made a great play, stripping the ball from an offensive played and recovering the fumble.

Also, as a result of pressure on quarterback Brodie Croyle, rookie cornerback Brandon Carr almost picked off a pass of several yards. Coaches on the sidelines shouted, “Good coverage! Good coverage!”

Special Teams
The special teams unit worked on punt coverage immediately following warm-ups. Linebackers Thomas Pat, Derrick Johnson and Demorrio Williams along withsafety Jon McGraw came out with the first rush unit. Going half speed they worked up field for 15 yards from the 25-yard line on filling lanes.

The lanes were marked with short blue cones. Kicker Nick Novak was asked to simulate punts while the drill went on. Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer gave fullback Oliver Hoyte some guidance during the drill. “Oliver just stay a little lower. That was good,” he said. Defensive end Brian Johnston also received some Priefer-special advice. “Pull him close to you and he can’t get away,” exclaimed Priefer. During the drill Priefer was animated and told the players: “We’re in shoulder pads and helmets, stun his (butt).”

The unit also worked on its trail technique. The purpose of the one-on-one drill is to disrupt the route of the punt returner. Defenders in essence shadowed their returner’s every move. The drill was ran from the 25-yard lines for runs of 10 yards. “We will do this a lot men, you just have to understand the concept,” shared Priefer.

Kickers Nick Novak and Connor Barth got plenty of reps in at practice. They worked on their accuracy and technique while making attempts at field goals. Punter Justin Colquitt took on another role as the team’s holder while taking snaps from long snapper Jean-Philippe Darche. While positions were working on individual drills and skills, Novak and Barth warmed up attempting field goals from the 28, 33 and 37-yard lines. Novak made all of his with ease. Connor made all but one attempt. He missed his first kick—which was from the 28-yard line—from the left hash; it went wide to the right of the right field goal post.

Post the warm-up kicks, the defense and the offense gathered on the first field to replicate field goal attempts. After kickers Novak and Barth both missed their first attempts from the 28-yard line at the left hash, Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer told them they were starting the drill over. Novak and Barth kicked two from the 28 and 37-yard lines and one each from the 30, 32 and 33-yard lines. Novak hit all of his kicks. Barth missed one kick from the 32-yard line on the left hash. It went low and right of the up rights.

Kickers Connor Barth and Nick Novak, along with Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer, headed to the third field to take more kicks at a narrowed field goal post. They kicked from the 22, 27 and 32-yard lines from the left hash for a warm-up. They then took attempts while Priefer timed how long it took the football to go through the posts from the time it was kicked. Priefer’s son logged the times in a binder as Priefer told them to him. Both Barth and Novak had a couple of misses. Barth took what he thought was his last attempt from the 22-yard line until Priefer told him to take another one. Barth looked back at Priefer as if he wasn’t sure if he was serious.

Extra, Extra...
Defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, first-round pick from Louisiana State University, walked out of the Hunt Arena with defensive end Johnny Dingle. He seemed relaxed and was seen laughing with the staff. Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie met Dorsey on the edge of the field and walked him to the rest of the guys waiting on the practice field. Dorsey didn’t waste any time chit-chatting before practice began. Executive Vice President Denny Thum said of Dorsey’s signing, “We had two picks in the first-round. A person of his ability is amazing. It’s a good thing to get him started and have him with the team right away. He’s not going to a miss a thing.”

Chairman of the Board Clark Hunt, General Manage Carl Peterson and Thum all turned up at this afternoon’s practice. Hunt spent time observing the offense and defense.

Defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey faced media after practice. He said the first day of camp went well; it was fun. He says he knows he’s got a long way to go. When asked if he preferred training camp to working out alone, he said “training camp is many times better than doing it alone. Working with your teammates is always better.” Dorsey also addressed working with guard Brian Waters, and said Waters is good, and if he had to choose whom he wanted to go up against, it would be Waters. Dorsey is aware that working against an athlete as elite Waters is very beneficial to his career. “(River Falls) is a great atmosphere, and the weather is great,” Dorsey said. When asked about whether wide receiver Dwayne Bowe would get the opportunity to stick Dorsey to the poles on the field or not, Dorsey laughed and said, “He won’t get me. I’ll run. Sure, he’ll catch me, but I’ll fight…”

Cornerback Maurice Leggett was was spotted limping off the field into Hunt Arena shortly before practice endedwith a personal trainer at his side. It looked like he was having a little trouble putting pressure on his right ankle. It didn’t appear to be a serious injury.

Fans
Adam Endel and son Austin made the journey over to River Falls for the Chiefs training camp. The Endels traveled from Nevada. Adam grew up in Missouri and has been a Chiefs fan his whole life. They came to watch their second Chiefs summer training camp practice in the last five years. Between the morning and afternoon practices, the duo made a trip to the Mall of America. They will be watching practices for a few more days while visiting Adam’s brother in Rochester, Minn. They are very interested to see how the young team will do this year.

Residence of River Falls Bill Hischke was in attendance for the evening practice. Hischke has been coming to the Chiefs practices since 1995. He admits that he likes to come and have fun. He was wearing a Tampa Bay Buccaneers jersey and was yelling that he couldn’t find former Chiefs Defensive End Jared Allen out on the field.

The mother-daughter team of Ruth and Carissa Bach from Eau Claire, Wis., was out in the sun having fun today at Chiefs camp. Their dog Cheyenne accompanied them to the practice fields. It is the second year in a row that the three of them have made the hour journey west to River Falls. They said they like to come and watch the players run around all over the place.

Dan Dufrene and son Jacob of River Falls said the weather was too nice to stay inside so they made the short trip over to the practice fields. They have been to every camp for the last four years. Dan had to teach Jacob that the players wearing the red and the white practice jerseys were all on the same team. Dan said his son has a little more to learn about football.

Steve, Cole and Carrie Haefner of Ankeny, Iowa participated in their fifth training camp. They were psyched to see Tony Gonzalez, Glenn Dorsey and the offensive line.

Les and Chris Mason drove from Central Kansas to enjoy their first training camp experience for the weekend. They were looking forward to seeing Gunther Cunningham and hear him yell at the defense. “This is a very nice practice facility,” they said while commenting on the city.
A group of guys, Bob Gallery, Crystal, Minn.; Larry Marquardt, Plymouth, Minn.;

Dennis Averbeck, Minnetonka, Minn.; Joshua Steele, Hudson, Wis.; came out for their first Chiefs training camp. They had a good time, but wouldn’t have minded seeing a little more hitting.

Owen and Judy Gahagan of Parkville, Mo., participated in their 15th training camp. They’re here through Tuesday and are proud to be season ticket holders. They’re excited to see the first-round picks and follow the draft choices. They were very thrilled about Defensive Tackle Glenn Dorsey signing with the team.

Pat and David Solfest, of Eau Claire Wis., were two of many fans happy to see that Defensive Tackle Glenn Dorsey has joined the team. “For a school this size and community this size, it’s great,” Pat said enthusiastically about the Ramer Field Sports Complex facility.
After an eventful day at the punt, pass, and kick competition father John and son Ryan Cotter sat at the top of the bleachers to witnesses this evening’s live contact practice. The Cotters caught both practices today and will be departing tomorrow morning, wrapping up there fourth season at camp. As practice went on the Cotters watched the progressive kick competition between Barth Connor and Nick Novak. Connor and Novak split the uprights as young fans tried to catch the sailing field goals on the back pathway.

UWRF alumnus Barry Eggerts caught this evening’s practice, which is just across the street from his apartment behind Dick’s Market. Barry, a long-time Green Bay Packer fan, has never made it out to St. Norbert’s College in Green Bay for the Packers’ camp, but does enjoy the up close contact that can be viewed from the south fence here in RF.

The Chiefs fan line is strong in the Mersman-Ostrowski family as grandfather Bob, grandmother Jan, father Kevin, Mother Amanda, and little ones Andrew and Allie. Andrew was able to get six autographs this morning on a pennant and four on a mini-helmet. One of the autographs included Andrew’s favorite player, Larry Johnson.

Leaning on the south gate, family season ticket holder of 29 years Ken Betterton rode his Harley to River Falls to witness the practice this afternoon. Betterton has confidences in his team, commenting on how he thought it was Brodie Croyle’s breakout season and that he was due. He also mentioned how it was a young offensive line, but that Branden Albert should help out.