2017 NFL Draft interview: Georgia Southern HC Tyson Summers on Ukeme Eligwe’s potential
By Matt Conner
Georgia Southern head coach Tyson Summers sat down with us to discuss the pro potential of Ukeme Eligwe, the Chiefs fifth round choice.
When the Kansas City Chiefs turned in the official draft card, it read Ukeme Eligwe, but he’s just “Marcus” to the folks at Georgia Southern. No matter what you call him, you can now say he’s a member of the Kansas City Chiefs after having made a positive enough impression on scouts and general manager John Dorsey to pull the trigger in the fifth round.
Last year, Eligwe had 97 total tackles in the Sun Belt, 7.5 of those for a loss. He had 2.5 sacks, 1 interception, 3 passes defended and 2 forced fumbles. If that sounds like an all-around player, his head coach, Tyson Summers, says that’s exactly what the Chiefs are getting, a very intelligent player who he believes will provide a good playmaker for the Chiefs once he adjusts to the pro level.
For the Chiefs, he’s the only rookie addition at a position that’s largely been a point of concern or a position of need. Is it enough? We recently sat down with Coach Summers to talk about the selection of Ukeme, or “Marcus” as coach likes to call him, and how interested the Chiefs seemed before the draft.
How was it for you that Marcus had been taken?
We were in the backyard sitting by our pool. About every five or ten minutes, I tried to see where things were. I had checked and just saw he was drafted, and then I was able to give him a call from there and touch base. That was it.
How aware were you of the Chiefs interest in him?
I knew they were certainly one of the teams that had been through here during the year. They’d asked questions about him and they’d been here at his Pro Day and those sorts of things. But to say that I felt more strongly about them than another team… there were a lot of teams interested in him, but I was not surprised by the Chiefs taking him by any stretch.
Was he taken around where you thought he would go?
I thought he went in a good place. I knew going into whichever organization drafted him or whenever they drafted him, it would be a good situation for them to have him.
Most Chiefs fans will have never seen Marcus play before. What should fans be most excited about?
The thing you’re going to see with him is that he brings a wide range of skills. He’s a very intelligent football player. He very much understands concepts when it comes to coverage and pressure as well. I think he’s an intelligent guy and works very hard at learning the game. He spends a lot of time with it.
He’s a dynamic guy with a bunch of length that gives him the ability to take up space, but also the ability to run with receivers through the middle of the field in a lot of the coverages we played and in a lot of the coverages the Chiefs will play next year. I think he has that ability to do those things and he’s certainly a guy who can be a pass rusher, particularly off the edge. He understands space and knows how to push the pocket at the same time.
What are the growing edges for him?
Certainly there are some normal things he’ll have to work through. He was on the scout team two years ago as a transfer and then was able to play this last year. I thought he played really, realy well the last six games of the season for us. I thought he improved each week from a playmaker standpoint. I think he just needs to continue playing the game as much as he can, and he’ll be where he needs to be for the Chiefs.
What about the sort of locker room or off the field presence does he provide?
He’s a very smart, very articulate guy. He’s very intentional in everything he does and says. He’s a big family guy and certainly cares about each piece of his family and being respectful of everything they do. He’s certainly a guy who’s prideful about opportunities and earning those and the work ethic that comes with it. I’ve got a tremendous amount of respect for him as a football player and I’m excited to see how well he’s able to do with the Chiefs organization.