On Monday night, 80,000 pairs of eardrums will become martyrs. Twenty-four hours later, Kansas City Chiefs fans—win or lose—will be glued to ESPN again, as local superhuman Jamaal Charles (and Richard Sherman) launches the new season of E:60.
Chances are, if No. 25 is on your flat screen, he’s snapping ankles like wishbones. (That was originally meant to be a metaphor, then I remembered that he actually did it. “If you play with fire…”)
Outside of Kansas City and his hometown of Port Arthur, Texas, people know little about the NFL’s (current) all-time leader in yards per carry, though. He’s not only the face of his franchise, he’s arguably its most likable figure; a selfless, part-time D.J. who cracks smiles faster than his 40 time.
However, per ESPN MediaZone, Jeffri Chadiha dives deeper than the surface, reopening Pandora’s box along the way:
"Three-time Pro Bowl running back Charles is the heartbeat of the Kansas City offense and one of the top performers in the league. E:60’s Jeffri Chadiha helps unveil a different side of Charles, one who holds a heavy heart as he talks in-depth, for the first time, about one of the NFL’s most tragic cases of domestic violence. His wife’s cousin Kasandra Perkins was murdered by her husband – his teammate – Jovan Belcher, who subsequently killed himself. Chadiha tells the story of an athlete few people know, a kid from a large Texas family who fought through obstacles and pain to become one of the best backs in the NFL."
Obviously, Charles was close with both Perkins and Belcher—particularly the former, as he notes in this E:60 preview:
The season premiere will air this Tuesday at 7 p.m. (CT) on ESPN.