Our path from No. 1 to 99 in Kansas City Chiefs history stops here at No. 24 overall, bringing us to a key point in the series. That's because it's a chance to highlight some team heroes who are easily forgotten from points in time when the franchise wasn't at its best. Of course, there's also the man who invented Super Bowl trash talk. And of course, we can't forget Brashard Smith, the current wearer of No. 24 and a player who is just trying to hold on to it for another season.
The complete history of Chiefs players to wear No. 24
The Best: Gary Green
One anecdote says it best: Cliff Branch, a Hall of Fame wideout for the Raiders, once admitted the team's game plan against the Chiefs was simple: Don't throw to Gary Green. The Chiefs selected Green in the first round in 1977 in the hopes he'd reach that height, and he reached true lockdown status over the course of his seven-year career in Kansas City. With 24 interceptions and three Pro Bowl seasons, Green was the team's best pass defender and would have showed more production if teams would have dared to challenge him more. But he was a lone ray of hope on a team that never once made the postseason during his career. He was inducted the team's Ring of Honor in 2015.
The Favre Display: Brandon Flowers
The Chiefs inserted Brandon Flowers into the starting lineup the moment they submitted his name on a draft card in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. After learning the ropes for seven weeks, Flowers came out of the bye with a vengeance—a two-interception effort against Brett Favre that not only gave him his first professional turnovers but also his first pick-six that he took 91 yards for the score. Quite a display for a rookie. Flowers would go on to start 87 games with 17 INTs over six seasons in K.C., and his 3 defensive scores tie him for No. 7 in franchise history. He'd make the Pro Bowl in his final season for the Chiefs in 2013 before signing with the Chargers after being released due to cap constraints.
The Brief HOF Stint: Ty Law
The most decorated player ever to wear No. 24 for the Chiefs unfortunately earned most of that acclaim with other teams. Ty Law signed a five-year deal worth $30M in 2006 to reunite with Herm Edwards and help lift the Chiefs' defense to the next level. Law had just led the NFL with 10 INTs for Edwards and the New York Jets, and he came through with a team-leading 4 picks in his first season. Those Chiefs snuck into the wild card round, but things fell apart quickly after that with a four-win season that ruined a defense that also included Jared Allen, Derrick Johnson, Tamba Hali, and more. The Chiefs would release Law just two years into that deal. He's enshrined in Canton now, mostly on the strength of his five Pro Bowl seasons playing everywhere but K.C.
The Hammer: Fred Williamson
Fred Williamson was his own publicist, a facet of his career he later admitted was to elevate his profile for the sake of making a bit more money. He made up his own nickname of "The Hammer", but it felt applicable as a hard-hitting All-AFL defensive back for the Raiders. Williamson came to K.C. in '66 and played in Super Bowl I, and was the first player to talk title-game trash, saying that he played to knock out two of Green Bay's receivers (Boyd Dowler and Carroll Dale): "Two hammers to Dowler, one to Dale should be enough." An unfortunate twist came in the fourth quarter when Williamson was knocked out of the game and taken out on a stretcher after hitting his head on the knee of Packers RB Donny Anderson. Amazingly, he's enjoyed a stellar acting career for decades, with appearances in plenty of film and TV roles, from Starsky & Hutch to From Dusk Till Dawn.
From Nickel to Network: J.C. Pearson
Any player who makes an NFL roster as an undrafted rookie deserves a tip of the cap, but Pearson is a true survivor in Chiefs history. Not only did he make the team in '86, but he staved off yearly competitors for his job while climbing the depth chart. That's 103 games over 7 seasons with 28 starts to his credit. Not only that, but he turned to broadcasting after retiring and climbed the ranks there as well, with gigs for ESPN and FOX as well as local 610 Sports. He remains a Chiefs Ambassador to this day.
Et Cetera
- Jordan Lucas, S - Savvy Brett Veach waiver claim in 2018 from Dolphins who became a rotational safety and important special-teamer on championship roster.
- Melvin Ingram, DE - A short stint as a pass rusher for hire in 2021 and a rare defensive end to wear No. 24.
- Doug Terry, S - Marty Schottenheimer appreciated the special teams work and physical nature of Terry's tenure in the early nineties.
- Willie Ellison, RB - Former Rams star who was a Pro Bowl running back but faded quickly after joining the Chiefs in 1972.
- Darrelle Revis, CB - A late-career flyer that didn't work out as hoped. An all-time talent who made his last stop in K.C. in 2019.
- William Bartee, CB - Was the Chiefs' second-round pick in 2000 who played all 87 of his career games in K.C, mostly on special teams. Surrendered No. 24 to Ty Law in 2006 and switched to No. 21, only to get injured and never play another down.
- Skyy Moore, WR - The only miss in the famed '22 draft class. Has found a way forward as a returner in San Francisco after years of hearing "bust" talk in K.C. Now trying to carve out further value in Green Bay.
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