The best Kansas City Chiefs to ever wear the uniform: No. 38

In this special offseason series, we analyze the best players in Kansas City Chiefs history to wear every single uniform number. Here’s No. 38.

Fullback isn’t as sexy as Tim Riggins makes it look.

On the television series Friday Night Lights, Riggins is the fullback for the Dillon Panthers and highlighted in the offense as a major cog. In real life, a fullback in most offenses is an ignored position or at least a rarely used commodity only in specialized situations. Consider it the long snapper of the offense.

But the bygone days of the NFL produced some fullbacks who were more well-rounded, who were used much more than they are today. IN those days, they were visible pieces, important ones, and today we pay tribute as we look at the best Kansas City Chiefs players who have ever worn the No. 38.

The Others

Unless you remember very forgettable options like Neiko Thorpe, Ricky Odom, DuJuan Morgan, Michael Bragg, Carlton Thomas, Solomon Brannan or Clint Finley, then it’s likely that Wendell Hayes is the only other player you’d recognize, if that, of those who have worn the No. 38.

Hayes was a four-year starter and seven-year pro at fullback for the Chiefs in the late ’60s, including the team’s Super Bowl win, after coming over from the Denver Broncos in an inter-division trade. In Hayes seven seasons with the Chiefs, he rushed 668 times for 2,560 yards and 18 touchdowns, and his career rushing total is No. 11 all-time for the franchise. He also caught 116 passes for 993 yards and 5 receiving touchdowns. He finished in the top 10 in rushing yards in the AFL a total of four seasons.

The Runner-up: Ron Parker

It’s possible that older fans will want to slate Hayes here instead of relegate him to the “others” category but Ron Parker is such a great story, so we’ll let recency bias play into our rankings since it doesn’t affect the real winner here.

Maybe Parker would have reached veteran starter status with another team—maybe—if John Dorsey had not claimed him on waivers on the eve of the 2013 NFL season, but there’s no way of knowing for sure. Here’s what we do know: the Seattle Seahawks had already given up on Parker on three separate occasions, as did the Carolina Panthers and Oakland Raiders. Parker was becoming a journeyman roster hopeful, a former undrafted free agent who would likely never earn a real chance.

But here’s the thing about Ron Parker: the odds were always stacked against him. He went to Newberry College, which isn’t exactly a powerhouse, so it’s not surprising that he was a bit of a late bloomer in the NFL. Dorsey was the general manager of the worst team from the previous year which meant he got to claim players aplenty on the waiver wire, and Parker was a last-second grab before the regular season.

From there, Parker would make sure to find a semi-permanent home in Kansas City, making the most of the opportunity afforded him on a team devoid of talent. Parker immediately became a valuable performer on special teams and in the secondary, largely due to his versatility. He would line up at either safety or nickel corner slot over time and became a full-time starter at the beginning of his second season with the Chiefs.

This year, the Chiefs released Parker for the sake of a youth movement, but Parker gave five good years to K.C. He started 64 games over the last four seasons and had 318 tackles, 43 passes defended, 9 interceptions, 7 sacks, 5 forced fumbles and 5 fumble recoveries in that time. While it will help the Chiefs to get younger and cheaper, there’s no doubt they will miss Parker’s veteran presence, leadership and adaptability. That’s a story worth telling and it’s why we chose Parker as the second best to wear the number

The Winner: Kimble Anders

If you watched the Chiefs in the 1990s then I’m gearing up to mention one of your favorite players of all time: Kimble Anders.

Here’s what you might not know. Kimble Anders was 25 years old when he was a rookie for the Chiefs. The reason is that he had failed to sign on with any team coming out of college the previous year, meaning when he signed for a chance to tryout with the Chiefs in 1991, his rookie year, he’d already sat out an entire year just waiting for someone to call.

Once he joined the Chiefs, Anders did what he now encourages of all of his own football players as a head coach at Ball High School in Galveston, Texas: took full advantage of the opportunity. With hard work, Anders showed the Chiefs coaching staff what he could do.

Ten years later, he finally hung up his cleats with 125 career games of NFL experience under his belt. He finished his career with 5,090 career yards from scrimmage and 18 touchdowns. Anders was named to three consecutive Pro Bowls from 1995 to 1997. Whether showing off his incredible hands out of the backfield or forging ahead between the tackles, Anders was a solid two-way threat recognized by his peers as one of the best. Too bad he just needed someone to call.

Next: The Best to Wear It: No. 37

Congratulations to Kimble Anders for being the greatest Chiefs player to ever wear the No. 38 on his uniform!