Eric Berry: Chiefs cornerstone or replaceable?

1 of 3

Nov 15, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs free safety Eric Berry (29) following his interception avoids a tackle of Denver Broncos wide receiver Bennie Fowler (16) in the fourth quarter at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /

When the Super Bowl ended last night the best story in football was still the NFL Comeback Player of the Year in Eric Berry. I won’t recap the all of the obstacles that he overcame and the odds that he faced in his fight to come back and play in the NFL. Instead my focus will be on what Berry means to the Kansas City Chiefs and how big of a part he plays on and off the field.

Berry’s impact on the Chiefs organization goes much deeper than his play on the field. Since he was drafted into the NFL he has been a key to the Chiefs defense. He was a day one starter and has made four Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams. He plays with passion, discipline, speed, instincts that are second to none, and his leadership on the field is unquestioned. Berry is a game-changer for the Chiefs defense and gives them the ability to make adjustments elsewhere to limit offensive opportunities.

To hear more about other game changers in the college ranks and get an inside look on prospects in the upcoming draft check out this weeks episode of the Check With Me podcast.

Headed into the 2014 season the Chiefs were on a upward trend. They had gone from league joke to a playoff team in just a single season. The defense had shown that they had the ability to dominate games and things were looking very bright for their future. For the first 10 weeks of the 2014 season the outlook was mostly positive. The Chiefs even went on a five-game winning streak that included beating the eventual world champion Seattle Seahawks. Kansas City was riding a hot streak into Oakland for a game most Chiefs fans chalked up as a victory.

Obviously what happened next couldn’t be foreseen. The Chiefs lost a game that they should have never lost but in that same night Eric Berry found out something wasn’t quite right with himself. Over the next couple days Chiefs fans found out that not only would they lose one of their best players for the rest of the season, but Berry would be fighting for his life.

Next: What Berry means to the team

Home/Kansas City Chiefs News