Smell the Popcorn? It must be time!

“When the lights come on and you smell the popcorn and you see the people in the stands you play football.“
— Coach Herm Edwards, Kansas City Chiefs
on Saturday night’s preseason opener at Houston.


Toughness.
It's said it is Coach Herm Edward’s credo. Toughness.
Coach wanted Ty Law because he is tough – mentally as well as physically, unyielding.
Training camp is where you see the tough guys. Coach said. "Lots of guys can look great in shorts", he says. "Put the pads on, turn up the heat in the Wisconsin farmland, feed them cafeteria food and make them sleep in dormitory beds. We’ll see how tough they are".
There is improvement at every position defensively,
there a few standouts this week.

Despite the reports by my beloved ESPN on draft day, who said that Bernard Pollard was a reach in the second round. He is showing strong and it looks like they’re wrong. Strong Safety Bernard at 6'2 223 from Purdue seems to pulled into camp with his hat turned around waiting for a fight. During his first week of camp. Pollard has lived up to his nickname “Bonecrusher”. Friday night in the scrimmage he blitzed RB McKezie Smith and turned his head, and everyone elses. Pollard brings to this defense hitting and voracious speed. He can drop back with the best, and he can bring that speed not seen too often from the safety position.

Another SS standout rookie, this one from UCLA Jarrad Page is 6'2 220. He too hass been taking turns in the first team defensive drills. He has made very positive impressions on the coaches and gained the respect of his teamates in this first week. He too turned heads when he made an impressive play when blitzing and destroying one running play after turning back the attempted block of the fullback.

The newest addition DT Shane Burton 9yr veteran with four NFL clubs has met up again with his old coach from the Jets. Edwards had him in New York during the 2001 season.
“He’s a very, very tough guy, smart guy,” Edwards said of Burton. “He plays well with his hands. The year I was with him he had about six batted balls. It was kind of amazing. He does a great job of getting his hands up and knocking balls down". It is no coincidence then that the next morning in practice, Burton knocked down a QB Damon Huard pass attempt stopping a key drive. You could see the excitement. “I used to
be a scout,” yelled Edwards jumping in the air, as He unnabashedly turned to face members of the Chiefs personnel department standing on the sidelines. He was having fun!

Earlier this week first-round draft pick DE Tamba Hali hurt his ribs and left the PM practice prematurely. “He got kicked in the ribs,” Edwards explained after practice. “He got the wind knocked out of him, that’s all. He’ll be fine.” Now this morning he reports that the strained rib injury will keep him from playing in Houston on Saturday to open the regular season. It has now been said what happened was that TE Tony Gonzalez gave him a little knee when he landed on the prospect Hali during a blocking assignment. OOPS! That was NOT a big play Tony!!!