Brandon Williams signing with Chiefs means a lot for one Missouri town

The Kansas City Chiefs’ signing defensive tackle Brandon Williams to their practice squad may not mean much to most people, but it does for Joplin, MO.

When news broke that NFL defensive tackle Brandon Williams had signed with the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad, it may not have meant much to everyone, but to one town in Missouri, it meant quite a bit.

Williams has spent most of his career with the Baltimore Ravens, but he hasn’t always lived on the east coast. He’s originally from Kirkwood, Missouri, and he went to college at Missouri Southern State University, located in Joplin.

If you don’t live in Joplin (or within 100 miles) and haven’t heard of the Missouri Southern football team, you probably aren’t alone. As an alumnus myself, the Lions aren’t necessarily known for their football prowess. This is why when the school produced an NFL-caliber talent, it was kind of a big deal. It didn’t matter that Williams played with Baltimore. Joplin, which is Chiefs Kingdom through and through, took pride in having their local university produce an NFL player.

Even the local BBQ and wings joint, Hackett’s Hot Wings, proudly sells “The Brandon Williams,” a delicious mix of hot and honey sauce with a lemon dry rub that’s said to be William’s favorite flavor at the joint.

It may sound silly, but for a town known more for tornados and Bonnie and Clyde, being able to say they know an NFL player is a pretty big deal. I’d imagine the same could be said for a lot of other small towns across the country. So when word got around that Williams had signed with the Chiefs (albeit their practice squad), the community lit up. As I mentioned, we are Chiefs Kingdom through and through down here in southwest Missouri so it’s really like coming full circle.

Joplin might be two and a half hours south of Kansas City, but you can be sure that there is going to be a lot of fans cheering him on, probably snacking on some Brandon Williams wings, and hoping to see him on the field one of these Sundays.