Watch: Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu passes out turkeys to Kansas City families
By the time Shirley pulled her car forward, she had whipped out her cell phone and rolled down the driver’s window for a clearer picture. There stood a smiling Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu, waiting on his first visitor, tucking a turkey in his hands like a football.
“Oh, my, God!” Shirley said, with more than a hint of disbelief. “I love you!”
“Aw, I love you, too,” Mathieu replied.
Mathieu propped open the back door of the car — in her excitement, Shirley had forgotten to unlock it — and placed the turkey on the floorboard. Pies, sweet potatoes and stuffing, too.
On Monday night, a day after the Chiefs held firm in first place in the AFC West with a victory against the Cowboys, Mathieu spent his evening handing out a few hundred Thanksgiving meals to Kansas City area families.
Same as years past. It’s the sixth annual “Tyrann’s Turkeys” through the Tyrann Mathieu Foundation, which received contributions from the Giving Hope KC Food Pantry and Harvesters, an event that pre-dates his arrival in Kansas City. A year ago, he could not make an appearance due to the NFL’s COVID-19 protocols in place for players. He returned Monday to applause from a waiting crowd.
“This is one of the many things me and my foundation, we love to do, especially during this holiday season. Just trying to brighten people’s spirits and just trying to help these people any way that we can,” Mathieu said, adding, “As cliche as it sounds, it’s one of the many reasons why I play the game — to be able to have this platform, to not only be able to inspire kids but to help families, too.”
This story was originally published November 23, 2021 at 8:56 AM.