Chiefs Training Camp day one: The new and returning faces
ST JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- The Kansas City Chiefs Training Camp kicked off on Tuesday, July 22, at Missouri Western State University.
Nobody is happier than the fans of St Joseph to have the red and gold back in town for the 15th straight year.
Chiefs President Mark Donovan emphasized the impact that the Chiefs have on the town, saying the impact has "exceeded expectations."
"If you're sitting in these seats in 2009 and 2010, you could ask some fair questions about what kind of impact this could have on St. Joe," Donovan said. "You look at today, 15 years in, it's measurable, and it's exceeded expectations."
Each player reported to camp; however, it was most notably third-year wide receiver Rashee Rice, whose participation in camp was up in the air after his official ruling was made in Dallas, Texas, early last week.
Despite all the news around him, Rice was welcomed to St Joseph with loud cheers from Chiefs Kingdom.
Each rookie was getting favorable reps as well. Josh Simmons, the Chiefs' first-round draft pick, looked healthy and was a full participant on day one of the camp.
After a patellar tendon injury ended his season early at Ohio State, the rookie tackle hit rehab head-on and was able to be a full participant in camp.
Omar Norman-Lott, Ashton Gillotte and Nohl Williams were also present for camp and were full participants, with Gillotte and Williams getting second-string reps towards the end of practice.
Let's not forget about the Chiefs' extensions- George Karlaftis and Trey Smith both received new deals in the offseason, keeping them in Kansas City for years to come.
Trey Smith signed a four-year extension worth $94 million, making him the highest-paid guard in NFL history.
In a post-camp press conference, Smith choked up, talking about how much this new deal meant for him and his family. It was the fulfilment of a promise Smith made to his late mother, whom he lost when he was 15.
"I made two promises to her, that I'll get my degree and play in the NFL... And I promised her I'll be the highest paid," Smith said to the media. "My parents sacrificed so much for me to be here, so much. And to have that moment with them... It's special, bro, it's special, and it's something I won't take for granted."
His teammate on the other side of the ball, George Karlaftis, also received a four-year extension worth $93 million.
Known by fans as 'Furious George,' Karlaftis said he was vocal about how much he wanted to stay in Kansas City and his excitement to get the deal done.
"I've been vocal about how much I love it here, I want to be here and I'm going to be," Karlaftis said.
The Chiefs are looking to rebound from their Super Bowl loss last year, and it all starts in St. Joseph. Known as the hardest training camp in the league, the Chiefs are looking to use the motivation from the fans to push themselves back to the Super Bowl.
