Kansas City Chiefs’ Clyde Edwards-Helaire says his rookie year was a ‘fire-starter’
Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire was headed toward a 1,000-yard rushing season as a rookie last year when he was injured during a December game in New Orleans.
Sidelined by hip/ankle injuries after a scary play against the Saints, it appeared that Edwards-Helaire’s season would be over after he rushed for 833 yards and added 297 receiving yards in 13 games.
He worked hard to return and played briefly in the AFC Championship Game, then averaged 7.1 yards per carry in Super Bowl LV. But Edwards-Helaire’s hopes of winning the Super Bowl a year after helping LSU win the national championship came up short as the Buccaneers won 31-9.
It was a outstanding rookie season for Edwards-Helaire, but in a conference call last week with reporters in the United Kingdom, he said the Super Bowl loss left a bad taste in his mouth and he is eager to build on his success.
“That’s my last memory and you can think about the highs and the lows, but for me that was like the ultimate gut-punch,” Edwards-Helaire said, per the Daily Mail.
“You feel like you’re doing everything right. I was thinking my season was over with, then I did everything I could to get back on the field, be out there and win a Super Bowl.
“I was fortunate enough to be out on the field, but we couldn’t get the job done. So for me, my rookie season is in my mind as like a fire-starter.
“It’s something that’s already given me a bit of edge, so I’m ready to compete.”
