The legacy of No. 44 in Kansas City Chiefs mostly belongs to a player who never took the field for a single snap on offense or defense. Specialists sometimes live up to the word and become truly special players within the tapestry of a franchise's history. That's certainly true for No. 44 overall. Of course, Jerrel Wilson is not alone here. We've got an emerging linebacker, some impressive cornerbacks, and more. But in our latest stop in our series of Who Wore It Best?, No. 44 starts with Thunderfoot.
The complete history of Chiefs players to wear No. 44
The Best: Jerrel Wilson
Before Dustin Colquitt, there was Jerrel Wilson. From the moment Colquitt took the field for the Chiefs in 2005, he was chasing Wilson's all-time numbers as the greatest punter in franchise history.
Wilson teamed with placekicker Jan Stenerud to form the first truly elite special teams unit in NFL history. The Chiefs somehow employed an all-time legendary kicker and a truly elite punter together for 11 seasons, with Wilson lasting a full 15 years and over 200 games with the franchise. By the time he called it a career, he'd led the league in punting four times. made 3 consecutive Pro Bowls from 1970-72, played in two Super Bowls (I, IV), and established every meaningful mark for his position in Chiefs history.
When it comes to Chiefs history, there are only two punters who really matter. The first legend was an All-AFL performer and a member of the NFL's second-team All-70s roster, and then Colquitt. The man nicknamed Thunderfoot is undoubtedly the best to ever wear No. 44.
The Surprising Seventh-Rounder: Eric Warfield
After watching Eric Warfield block three punts and disrupt plenty of passes in Nebraska's secondary over two national championship runs, the Chiefs took a flyer on him in the 1998 NFL Draft's seventh round. Warfield would slowly climb the depth chart in his first three seasons to become a full-time starter in the Chiefs' secondary for the next five seasons. The metronomic production was uncanny, with four consecutive seasons of 4 interceptions, giving him 20 total picks to go with 78 career deflections over 8 seasons in K.C. Unfortunately, the same steady rhythm was evident in his DUI habits, which ultimately left him suspended and then unemployed.
The Overshadowed RB: Herman Heard
Herman Heard was drafted out of tiny Southern Colorado (now Colorado-Pueblo) in the third round in 1984 and became a steady presence in the Chiefs backfield for six seasons. He rushed for 684 yards as a rookie, the highest single-season total of his career, and finished his time in Kansas City with 2,694 rushing yards and 16 total touchdowns. Heard’s run with the team would be overshadowed by the arrivals of Christian Okoye and Barry Word, but Heard was a nice two-way weapon who did as much damage catching the ball as running it, pulling in 132 receptions for over 1,100 yards. After six years in K.C., Heard found work for a year in the CFL before calling it a career.Â
The CFL Detour: Eric Harris
Eric Harris took a rather circuitous route to Kansas City. The Chiefs drafted him in the fourth round in the 1977 NFL Draft, but the cornerback was convinced by Toronto Argonauts head coach Leo Cahill to join the CFL instead. After three years north of the border, the Chiefs finally got Harris to sign in 1980. It turns out he was worth the wait. Harris settled into a starting role as a rookie by Week 3 and hauled in a whopping 7 interceptions in his first season, which earned him the Mack Lee Hill Award. He intercepted another 7 passes in 1981 and 3 more in his third NFL season before he signed with the L.A. Rams. Harris would go on to play six total seasons in the NFL after his three years in Canada.
The Current Wearer: Cooper McDonald
The Chiefs would be thrilled if Cooper McDonald made No. 44 a more impactful number overall, because that means that the second-year linebacker rewarded the team's clear belief in him. McDonald not only showed enough potential to make the roster as an undrafted free agent, but the Chiefs essentially stashed him on the active roster for a full year rather than leaving him available on the practice squad for someone else to poach. Now he's competing with Jeffrey Bassa for more playing time in a linebacking corps that features the void of Leo Chenal's departure and an aging Drue Tranquill.
Et Cetera
- Tim Collier, CB - Former 9th-round choice in 1978 who became an important piece in the secondary for four seasons.
- Harvey Williams, RB - The Raiders unlocked what the Chiefs could not, as the former LSU back couldn't find a way to meaningful playing time in the backfield even as a first-round pick in 1991. Thirty years later, the Chiefs would repeat the script with Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
- Jarrad Page, S - Former seventh-round choice out of UCLA in 2006 became a multi-year starter for Gunther Cunningham's defenses but a contract impasse forced a trade to the Patriots in 2010.
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