We're still mired in the twenties of our journey through Kansas City Chiefs history at each number, 1 to 99, but we've already come across some uniforms where the choices for best player to ever wear it are a little thing. Then there are others, like No. 29, where somehow one legend has stepped in front of another one, which feels very unfair the player left in second place (or lower).
The Chiefs history at No. 29 is loaded at the top, with two defensive backs who will forever be remembered among the best to ever suit up in the secondary.
The complete history of Chiefs players to wear No. 29
The Best: Eric Berry
Only one safety in NFL history had ever been drafted as high as the Chiefs took Eric Berry in 2010 (Sean Taylor), which spoke volumes about the confidence everyone at Arrowhead had that the Tennessee product would be an instant hit in the NFL. They were right.
Berry earned his first Pro Bowl mention for his rookie campaign before suffering a torn ACL on the second drive of his sophomore season. It was an early indicator of what was to come for both player and team: an elite, game-changing enforcer when on the field whose health history made him a wild card for long-term roster planning. Berry would return from that ACL injury to make the Pro Bowl in the next two seasons and was a first-team All-Pro in 2013.
In 2014, a high-ankle sprain would sideline him for several weeks before chest pains would lead to the discovery of Hodgkin's lymphoma late that season. Nine months later, he was cleared of cancer and ready for training camp, which quickly became one of the single most inspiring stories in Chiefs history. Berry's comeback was the stuff of legend. Not only would he win Comeback Player of the Year, but he was a first-team All-Pro in each of the next two seasons. Unfortunately, an Achilles injury and further foot injuries would limit him to 3 starts in 2017-18, and Berry ultimately faded from view after that.
The Other Deserving Legend: Albert Lewis
This feels unfair to bury Albert Lewis like this.
Jerry Rice called him the "toughest" cornerback he ever played. Tony Dungy says he belongs in the Hall. Tim Brown was thrilled when he joined the Raiders after playing against him for years in the AFC West. The qualifications are overwhelming for Lewis to be considered the best to ever play No. 29, if only Berry'd never been drafted.
If you're not old enough to remember Lewis' game, you should know he was a unicorn at cornerback. He was long (6-2, 35-inch arms) before cornerback length was an emphasis. He ran a 4.3-second 40-yard dash. He was an excellent blitzer with 12.5 career sacks. Blocked 12 kicks/punts on special teams. Was a lockdown defender that opposing quarterbacks avoided as much as possible.
Lewis would play 11 seasons in K.C. and another five in Oakland. That's longevity to go with the production and respect. Four Pro Bowls. Two first-team All-Pro honors. 38 interceptions. 12 fumble recoveries. Even a safety for good measure. Lewis was a force to be reckoned with in every aspect of the game.
Mighty Mouse: Mark McMillian
Mark McMillian stood 5-7 and weighed 154 pounds. Somehow, for one season in 1997, "Mighty Mouse" was also the most dangerous ballhawk in the NFL. The Chiefs signed McMillian off the street shortly before training camp after New Orleans cut him loose, and the cornerback went on to intercept 8 passes for a 13-3 team. His 274 interception return yards led the NFL, as McMillian returned three of them for scores. McMillian gave the Chiefs a quieter follow-up season in 1998 and was gone, but that 1997 campaign remains one of the great one-year steals in franchise history.
The Declining Ballhawk: Sammy Knight
Carl Peterson overpaid for this one. Coming into free agency in 2005, the Chiefs GM went shopping for safety help and paid handsomely for it to lure Sammy Knight on a five-year deal. Knight had 35 picks in the previous 8 seasons and the Chiefs were hoping for similar results despite the longtime Saints defender hitting the age 30 wall. Knight was fine for the Chiefs. Two durable seasons with 3 INTs, 4 sacks, and 17 pass deflections, but there's a reason K.C. asked him to restructure two years in. After he refused, Knight was released by 2007 and moved on to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Et Cetera
- Kareem Hunt, RB - Worth noting that we've already covered Kareem Hunt in our look back at No. 27, the original number of Hunt when he first joined the Chiefs in 2017.
- Jason Belser, S - Closed out a long career with two seasons in Kansas City, and the last name should ring a bell, since his father, Caesar, played in the Chiefs' secondary during the franchise's early glory years, including Super Bowl IV.
- Brian Washington, DB - Longtime Jets ballhawk who finished his career reunited with Marty Schottenheimer in KC (1995-96), the coach with the Browns when he was drafted in 1988.
- Chris Lammons, CB - Found a long-term home in K.C. for four seasons (2019-22) after bouncing around the league for a few years. Special teams favorite of coach Dave Toub.
- Dantrell Savage, RB - UDFA signing in 2008 who latched on for two seasons.
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