New Chiefs Lineman Survived Being Run Over By A Car…Twice

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

New Kansas City Chief and former Cal offensive lineman Mike Tepper, has survived being run over by a car.

Twice.

The first incident happened in 2005 when Tepper was walking with a female friend in Berkley when a car drove up and some men tried to pull the woman into their car. Tepper attempted to stop them and that is where things went wrong.

From a 2010 LA Times article:

"“The guy in the driver’s seat punched the gas in reverse,” he said. “The front end swung out and clipped me, got my [right] leg caught in the wheel well. I was dragged for about 30 feet and got run over going forward.”The result was gruesome. Tepper suffered four breaks of his lower leg, with the shattered fibula protruding from his skin, as well as a torn shoulder muscle.When Tepper tried to stand, he was looking down his leg at the sole of his right shoe.Just a block away was an off-duty Berkeley police officer. She called for help and the suspects were chased by police before eventually crashing into a parked car. The driver, John Ray Smith, who was out on parole, was returned to prison. A year later, he plea-bargained for a six-year sentence, but, Tepper said, was a third-strike offender and is now serving a life term."

The article goes on to say that doctors actually considered amputating Tepper’s foot and that there were some doctors that weren’t sure if Tepper would be able to walk again, let alone run or play football.

Earlier today I said Tepper was a long-shot to make the CHiefs’ roster. While that may still be true, this is clearly a guy we shouldn’t count out. He ended up getting signed into the NFL as an undrafted free agent and in 2011, he actually played over 200 snaps for the Colts.

Pro Football Focus graded him at a -3.6. He gave up six QB hurries, one QB hit and two sacks in 229 snaps.

Geeze. So Tepper got hit, dragged for 30 feet and then run over again and still made it to the NFL?

That is my kind of Chief. I hope he plays well enough this preseason to make the team.