‘Surreal’ and ‘jitters’: What Kansas City Chiefs’ rookies said about their NFL debuts
Wanya Morris, the Kansas City Chiefs’ rookie offensive lineman from Oklahoma, stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 307 pounds.
But he wasn’t too big for this occasion: his first NFL game.
“Man, it was surreal,” Morris said. “I had to calm myself down for a minute. Those nerves when you first get out there ... You do this so long, but you still get those nerves. It was exhilarating to get out there and finally get a feel for the speed of the game.”
Members of the Chiefs’ most recent draft class and other rookies across the league won’t soon forget their first NFL experience. After several weeks of butting heads at training camp at Missouri Western, the Chiefs and their first-year players opened the preseason with a 26-24 walk-off loss to the Saints.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid had said everybody on the roster would play in the preseason opener and, sure enough, the starters were out after one series on offense and two on defense.
The young players lamented the loss, set up by a late interception, but getting through their first-game anxieties was the bigger takeaway.
“Anytime you start a new journey, there will be jitters,” said defensive lineman Felix Anudike-Uzomah, the Chiefs’ first-round draft pick from Kansas State. “But it all went away on my first play.”
No Chiefs rookie started the game at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, and Anudike-Uzomah played mostly with the second team. He said he’s been playing catch-up after missing offseason action while recovering from thumb surgery.
“I still have a lot of stuff I can improve on,” Anudike-Uzomah said.
Wide receiver Rashee Rice, a second-round selection out of SMU, dropped a pass and was penalized for a false start. He later hauled in 13-yard dart from Shane Buechele for a first down.
“A little bit of nerves,” Rice said. “When I knew a specific play when I was getting the ball, my adrenaline started rushing.”
His first game as a pro behind him, Rice was wearing a smile and expressing confidence in the post-game locker room.
“I’m ready to dominate,” he said. “I can’t lie.”
Reid also mentioned the importance of the newcomers getting acclimated to the pace of the NFL.
“It’s so valuable for them,” Reid said when asked specifically about Anudike-Uzomah and Rice. “They’re two guys that need that, the speed of this, live. And not just a handful of reps, but putting a series together. It was good for both of them ... I thought for the most part they held their own.”
One of the Chiefs’ biggest plays by a rookie was provided by safety Charmarri Conner, the fourth-round pick from Virginia Tech. The Chiefs trailed 17-0 in the second quarter when Conner blitzed and sacked Saints QB Jameis Winston.
One of the Chiefs’ first positive plays in the game, the sack forced a punt. The Chiefs would proceed to drive for the first of their 24 consecutive points.
Another rookie who made an impact while playing against the Saints’ reserves was wide receiver Nikko Remigio. The undrafted free agent who played at California and Fresno State led the Chiefs with four receptions for 71 yards and made an athletic grab in the fourth quarter.
One of the Chiefs’ recently drafted players was listed on the injury report. Cornerback Nic Jones, a seventh-round pick from Ball State, had fractured fingers, Reid said.