Chiefs’ Creed Humphrey on ways he can improve in 2022, and that epic 13-second drive
By any measure, Kansas City Chiefs center Creed Humphrey had a sensational rookie season.
The Pro Football Writers of America chose Humphrey for its all-rookie team. And Pro Football Focus graded him as the best at his position in the NFL a year ago and already lists Humphrey as an elite center.
Humphrey talked about his breakout rookie season and making an immediate impact with the Chiefs during an interview last week with Steven St. John on WHB (810 AM).
“For me, it was all about just confidence coming in. I felt like I had something to prove,” Humphrey said. “So coming in right away from rookie minicamp, I was ready to come out and just prove what I can do. So they gave me a chance and I just took that chance and didn’t let it go. I felt ready from Day 1.
“It was one of those things that once I just got down the playbook and everything, I knew I could make an impact. So really just coming in Day 1, doing the drills, everything like that, building a relationship with the people by me, the different offensive linemen by me. I knew it would be a great fit and I knew that I could really make an impact on Day 1.”
That he did.
Humphrey, 22, was part of a rebuilt offensive line that helped the Chiefs clinch a sixth straight AFC West championship.
The Chiefs came up short of the Super Bowl, but Humphrey shared his remembrance of the playoff win over the Bills and the reaction from teammates ahead of the epic 13-second drive that sent the game to overtime.
“It was awesome, man,” Humphrey said. “We were all on the sideline, they scored, we knew we had 13 seconds and nobody had their head down. Everybody was ready to go back out there and get after it, and we knew we had the pieces to get it. And so we just went out there confident and we made it happen. We were really excited about it and it was such a fun game to play, and so it was awesome.”
‘Room for me to grow’
Although Humphrey already is considered one of the best at his position, he is not simply content to repeat what he did in 2021.
But how do you improve on elite?
“There’s always things you can get better at, and looking back last season, talking with coaches and everything, there’s still a lot of room for me to grow, no matter how well I played last year, so I’m excited about it,” Humphrey said. “I’ve worked a ton this offseason getting after it in the weight room, getting stronger, faster, studying the playbook, things like that, so I can really understand exactly what we’re trying to do at all points in the game.
“And when you do that, the game slows down for you a lot and you’re able to play a lot more free. So I’m really pumped about this season. I’m ready to get back out there.”
This story was originally published May 27, 2022 at 9:59 AM.
