Ranking the top 25 Kansas City Chiefs players this decade

5. S Eric Berry

Eric Berry’s story is one filled with a roller coaster of emotions. His terrific play on the field inspired many people and made him a fan-favorite.

Berry wasted little time trying to help the Chiefs turn their defense around. As a rookie in 2010, Berry collected four interceptions, had one pick-six and a forced fumble. Putting statistics aside, Berry was one of the elite cover safeties in the league, always challenging wide receivers and tight ends. Even during seasons where Berry did not force many turnovers, such as 2012 and 2015, his presence and leadership skills were always noticed.

Berry’s most impressive season came in 2016, where he came through in the clutch. After trailing 17-0 at halftime against the Carolina Panthers, Berry ran an interception back for a touchdown to help the Chiefs rally in a comeback, getting the team’s only touchdown that day. Three weeks later, Berry saw the end zone twice against the Falcons in his hometown. His first touchdown came on a normal pick-six. After the Falcons scored a go-ahead touchdown late in the game, owning a one-point lead, Falcons coach Mike Smith elected to go for two. It was a call that benefited the Chiefs after Berry intercepted Matt Ryan’s pass and ran it back for a game-winning pick-two, scoring eight total points on defense that day.

The unfortunate part about is the amount of games he missed due to his health. He missed 54 games in total due to a torn ACL, a ruptured Achilles and being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. When Berry was declared clear of cancer nine months after his initial diagnosis, Berry came back in 2015 and earned the AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year award.

Berry may have missed a lot of games in his nine-year career. However, labeled as a hard-hitter, a ball-hawker and an inspirational leader, Berry still made enough of an impact to be remembered and is likely to be part of Kansas City’s Ring of Honor in the future.