Jody Fortson has finally made the Kansas City Chiefs’ roster. Here’s how he found out
The morning began like most others, with Jody Fortson strolling into the Chiefs practice facility before making a stop in the weight room. For 48 hours, he had anxiously awaited a phone call, a text message, a meeting with a coach— anything — to find out if he had finally made the Chiefs’ initial 53-man roster.
The news arrived differently than unexpected — unorthodox enough that he didn’t really get it.
As Fortson sat in the weight room, quarterback Patrick Mahomes approached him with a smile and a handshake.
“Congratulations,” Mahomes said, as Fortson recalled. “All your hard work, I’m proud of you.”
And this is where it took Fortson a second.
“What are you talking about?” he replied.
“You’re on the team. You’re here,” Mahomes emphasized, in Fortson’s re-telling of the story.
At long last.
After two seasons toggling positions trying but failing to make the Chiefs’ active roster, Fortson has his spot. He will be part of the initial 53-man roster, set Tuesday afternoon, coach Andy Reid confirmed.
As he spoke to reporters through a Zoom call Tuesday, Fortson wore a noticeable mix of excitement and relief. As he would acknowledge, he needed the confirmation that he had made the right decision to keep trying. To not quit. Even as he felt like it might never happen.
“There were a lot of days I thought this wouldn’t come, but I just stayed true to it,” Fortson said. “I just kept working, and here we are. I know there’s so much more work to do, but I was told to take my small victories as well and cherish them. It’s been a long road, dog. It’s been a long road.”
When he signed as an undrafted free agent in the summer of 2019 out of Division II Valdosta State, the Chiefs moved him to tight end. He hadn’t played the position in a decade. A three-point stance had faded from his memory. He lined up incorrectly. Didn’t know whom to block. “I’m just doing everything wrong,” he thought.
A year later, he tried to make the team as a receiver, his more natural position. Thought he’d earned the spot, too, but absent a contribution on special teams, the Chiefs cut him again.
One more time.
This offseason, he agreed to switch back to tight end, where his proximity to safeties and linebackers could create some mismatches. He added 20 pounds. He worked in the offseason with former NFL tight end Delanie Walker, hoping to become a better blocker.
He walked into special teams coordinator Dave Toub’s office during minicamp and asked for specific instruction on how to become a factor on special teams.
“He busted his tail,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “He’s earned the right to make that cut.”
His teammates felt that. Mahomes greeted Fortson first Tuesday, but it only started a long line of handshakes. His coaches joined in, too.
“It was just a collective family effort,” Fortson said. “Everybody involved just came up to me, one by one.”
The past couple of weeks had offered Fortson a clue he might finally receive good news on cut down day. He has been more frequently rotating with the first-team unit, and on Friday was part of a four tight end personnel package that, suffice to say, drew approval from Mahomes.
He’s also been rotating with the special teams, and Toub singled him out as his most improved asset. He can play multiple spots on the punt team. He previously didn’t have a spot.
Reid had complimented his run blocking, calling him a more complete player.
It’s all the result of a journey three years in the making.
Well, and counting.
“This is a step in the right direction, but this isn’t the dream,” Fortson said. “This is not my end goal. I have plans. I have dreams. I plan to see them through. I’m not going to get on here and tell ya’ll what (they are) — you’re just going to have to see it. But this is just the beginning. I’m just getting started.”
This story was originally published August 31, 2021 at 4:31 PM.