The Morning Fix

There are also some old-school thinkers in the NFL who believe the increased coaching staffs do more to complicate the game and a team’s preparation than helps. Many old-timers grouse on a regular basis about today’s player not being able to play the game with his head, because they are used to having multiple coaches tell them what to do.

When Herm Edwards took over as head coach of the Chiefs for the 2006 season, he inherited a coaching staff that under Dick Vermeil had 21 positions, with two coaches on both lines and in the secondary and a pair of special teams coaches. In Edwards first season, he had a staff of 17, with those extra coaches on the offensive line, defensive line, secondary and special teams gone.

At the time, Edwards explained the reason for the change was to streamline the operation and to put just one voice in the ear of players at their position. With two defensive backs coaches that made four different voices those cornerbacks and safeties would have to acknowledge and assimilate: head coach, defensive coordinator and a pair of secondary coaches.

“Too many voices,” Edwards said then. “As a player you can hear too many voices. There’s no need for that. We can get done what we need to get done with fewer bodies. It makes it easier for everyone to be on the same page, because there are fewer translations of the message.”

From The Coaching Ranks #3 … Wednesday Cup O’Chiefs-BobGretz.com

Christian Okoye, former Kansas City Chiefs Running Back, is partnering up with Kansas City Farmers Insurance agents to host the “Be a Hero For Babies” Community Bar-B-Que this Thursday, July 22, at the Farmers Insurance office at 17000 W. 119th Street in Olathe.

Okoye will be signing autographs and taking photos with anyone who stops by to help support “Be a Hero For Babies Day” – a national day of fundraising for the March of Dimes, an organization that helps mothers have healthier pregnancies and prevent birth defects.

The event is open to the public. Two Guys and a Grill will be serving lunch from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Okoye will be available for photos from noon-12:45 p.m. and will do an autograph signing from 1-1:30.

Former KC Chief to host community Bar-B-Que-DesotoExplorer.com

“Just keep working hard,” the former University of Virginia star said. “Don’t let anybody tell you you can’t do anything. I had a lot of people growing up who didn’t think I was going to be anything.

“It ended up working out for me being something. Everybody can be something. You don’t have to be a pro athlete to be something. As long as you are doing something positive with your life, you are somebody.”

While the kids were most excited about the free pizza and other treats, Albert’s talk about hard work was heard.

“I want to be just like him. I want to be a football player,” said Kyle Nevison, 14, an East eighth-grader. “It makes me want to play more, play harder. It makes me want to play football all day.”

NFL player Branden Albert encourages area children-democratandchronicle.com

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