An interview with Kansas City Chiefs WR Tony Stevens

Former Auburn wide receiver Tony Stevens talks about his childhood idol, Terrell Owens, and the chance the Chiefs have given him this summer.

Somewhere there’s a Baltimore Ravens coach who didn’t get the guy he wanted.

Tony Stevens, a senior wide receiver who led the Auburn Tigers in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns last year, had been courted by a Ravens coach throughout the pre-draft process in the hopes of bringing him in to camp as an undrafted free agent. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, the Kansas City Chiefs entered the picture with his agent and extended an invite instead.

Now the Chiefs are enjoying the fruits of having Stevens in camp, a long, physical wideout at nearly 6’4 who has excellent speed. The foundation is there to build on, which is what John Dorsey and the Chiefs staff likely pictured when they brought him in. Stevens, who didn’t play football until his junior year of high school, is a bit of a late bloomer. However, the Chiefs have proven time and again their ability to get the best out of a player.

We recently sat down with Tony to hear more about his journey to the NFL and how he’s feeling in camp with the Chiefs.

Where did the NFL dream start for you?

In the first grade, I remember my teacher gave us a sheet of paper asking us what we wanted to do when we grew up. I said, “I want to go to the NFL.” At that time, there was an ESPN game out with Terrell Owens on the cover and the [Philadelphia] Eagles were the team I always used to play with. I always wanted to be like Terrell. That was really the start of me wanting to go to the NFL.

When did you know you could really make it?

I didn’t play high school football until my junior year. Then when I played that first season, I played really good. My head coach came up to me and said he’d make me a highlight tape and asked me for a list of five colleges that I liked and he’d send them the tape. From there I did everything he said, and then the next week my first offer was from Florida State. I was like, “Man, I’ve got interest from colleges!” That let me know that I really had a shot to maybe go to the NFL.

How did you decide on Auburn, then?

When I went to Auburn, it was a fun experience. I didn’t get to a game because it was the springtime, but I enjoyed the facilities and coach [Dameyune] Craig was there also. I met him at Florida State and he’d always recruited me. I liked him as a person and he was always trustworthy. If he gave you his word, he would always stick to it. Pretty much coach Craig was the one who convinced me to come to Auburn.

Last year was really a breakout year for you at Auburn after some quiet seasons. How do you look back on your career?

Even though I only had one year to establish myself, I enjoyed it. I would say there was pressure, but it didn’t feel like pressure because I was preparing for this moment my whole time I was there at Auburn. I was waiting for my opportunity and once it came, I just had to make the most of it. Then when I was out there on Saturdays, I did what I could. It wasn’t much, but I led in receptions and touchdowns and yards, so I’d say that’s a pretty big deal for your first year starting.

But then my agent called and said, “Hey we’ve got a deal with the Chiefs,” and there’s no way I’m going to say no.

Did you know coming to the Chiefs was in your future?

Honestly I didn’t know I was going to the Chiefs. I talked to the Ravens receiver coach at the All-Star game and he was talking to me before the draft. He was wanting me to come there as an undrafted free agent and he wanted to keep building on what we’d started at the all-star game. But then my agent called and said, “Hey we’ve got a deal with the Chiefs,” and there’s no way I’m going to say no. [Laughs]

Was there a moment of celebration once you signed or earned a spot?

I felt good. It didn’t hit me until I really got up here. It all felt like a dream, because as a kid, this is what you dream of. But now that you’re finally here, it’s hard to explain… it’s exciting, but it’s also time to get to work. So it’s not like you can celebrate it, but you can celebrate it. You have to keep progressing and working on your craft.

Any surreal moments so far?

I’ve seen Alex Smith out there throwing passes and then Travis Kelce out there. He’s normal. I try not to get too starstruck because I have to maintain my focus, but it’s also crazy that they’re just normal humans like us.

How are the Chiefs using you in these first couple weeks?

They’re just really throwing me out there in the water to see what I can do. They’re doing installs to see what they like and don’t like, so I’m just going out there and trying to show them what I can do.

Do you feel good about your progress so far?

I feel like I’m learning the plays and coming along. You have to really sit down and go over and over it, but it’s not that hard once you put your mind to it. I feel like the practices are okay. I’m in shape. I mean, I’ve ran track for high school and so this conditioning is not new to me. The competition is fine, also, since I’m a competitor. I love to compete. The most difficult part of it is just getting to know the area. Football is not difficult. Knowing the area is the hardest part.

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