Columbia’s Trey Millard looks to make impression at fullback for Chiefs

When they were teammates at Oklahoma, offensive lineman Donald Stephenson told fullback Trey Millard that he had a screw loose.

“Or two screws loose,” Millard said. “But, he said, that’s true of all good fullbacks.”

Compliment accepted, from the former Chiefs player to the current one. Millard plays the position that has been up-tempoed and no-huddled out of many NFL offenses. But the Chiefs find use for the fullback, and Millard, who signed a futures contract with the team after last season, is looking for a place on the team.

“My goal is to stay here, and be this close to home,” Millard said.

Home originally is Columbia, where Millard played at Rock Bridge High. Then it was off to Oklahoma and a career that earned him All-Big 12 honors.

Mizzou offered Millard a scholarship but wanted him to play tight end. The Tigers had a successful run at that position with tall tight ends, and Millard stands 6 feet 2.

“I really didn’t fit their mold,” he said.

In four years at Oklahoma, Millard rushed for six touchdowns and had seven scoring receptions in addition to his hard-hitting approach. One of his highlights came during his sophomore year, when he rolled to a 61-yard touchdown run at Kansas State.

Sooners coach Bob Stoops called Millard the most important player on the roster during his final couple of seasons because of his leadership and ability on special teams.

In 2014, Millard felt fortunate to be selected in the draft, in the seventh round by the 49ers. He had torn an ACL in the seventh game of the 2013 season against Texas Tech on kickoff coverage.

“I had scouts project me as a third- or fourth-round pick before that,” Millard said. “Still, I was excited to be drafted, especially when not many fullbacks get drafted in general.”

Unless they played for Oklahoma. Over a 10-year stretch, Millard was one of three Sooners fullbacks drafted in the NFL, and now he’s competing with Anthony Sherman, the Chiefs’ primary fullback for the past three seasons.

Millard made his first training camp last year but didn’t survive the first round of cuts. He returned to his Norman home and worked out at Oklahoma, determined get his professional career started.

“I wasn’t finished playing,” Millard said. “I stayed in shape and got a call from the Chiefs late in the season. I worked out with them and it went well.”

Millard was happy to land with a team and he was thrilled it was the Chiefs.

“I’ve followed the team my whole life,” he said. “They have the most diehard fans. I saw that in Columbia. I’ve always liked the organization.”

This story was originally published August 5, 2016 at 4:58 PM with the headline "Columbia’s Trey Millard looks to make impression at fullback for Chiefs."