Matt Fulks - 100 Things Chiefs Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die

To Libby. A lot of authors dedicate their first or second book to their significant other. This is my 20th book, and we celebrated our 20th anniversary as I was finishing it. Those numbers arent coincidences. Although I dedicated an earlier book to you, theres no way I couldve written a first book, let alone a 20th, without your constant love and support.

Contents

Foreword by Trent Green

Theres no greater place to play in the NFL than Arrowhead Stadium. For the home team at least. There are great stadiums with terrific fans, but theres something unique, something magical about coming out of that tunnel and running onto the fieldthrough the Red Coatersto a stadium of 75,000 fans, clad in red, making a deafening sound. Im getting chills thinking about it.

Arrowhead is one of the things that pops into my head immediately when I look back on my time with the Chiefs, along with my teammates and coaches, a few games, and the city overall.

First, I think about my teammates and coaches. A lot of my former teammates still live in the Kansas City area, and I stay in contact with many of those guys. The relationships that players build in the locker room are special. Those relationships and camaraderie in the locker room helped us succeed on the field while I was with the Chiefsand what a great group of guys! During my time on the team from 200106, on defense we had Eric Hicks, Scott Fujita, Mike Maslowski, Shawn Barber, Jerome Woods, Jared Allen, Derrick Johnson, Kawika Mitchell, and Tamba Hali to name a few. On the offensive line, we had the best group in the NFL in Willie Roaf, Brian Waters, Casey Wiegmann, Will Shields, and John Tait. As youll read later in this book, I think that was a Hall of Fame-caliber line. Speaking of offense, any quarterback would love to have the weapons we had with Priest Holmes, Tony Richardson, Tony Gonzalez, Dante Hall, and Eddie Kennison. We were truly a multiple-personnel offense with a lot of versatilitymultiple guys who could catch the ball and multiple guys who could run the ballwhich put a strain on defenses. The success of our offense made that a special time to be a member of the Kansas City Chiefs.

The bulk of that success can be attributed directly to coach Dick Vermeil and offensive coordinator Al Saunders. I cant say enough positive things about each of these gentlemen. I talk with Coach Vermeil every couple weeks at least and more frequently during the season. Thats a valuable relationship to me because, though we talk a lot about football, we also talk about each others families and just about life. Ive learned incredible lessons about dealing with people and handling adversity from Coach Vermeil. We share an appreciation for what each of us went through when we were together in St. Louis. So when he traded for me in Kansas City prior to the 2001 season, wed already developed a strong bond.

Under Saunders our offense was complex, so it took some time to get everyone on the same page. Things began clicking, though, in 2002 as we led the NFL in scoring with 467 points. Defensively, we struggled with consistency that year. All three aspects of the gameoffense, defense, and special teamscame around in 2003. We again led the league in scoring (484 points), but instead of finishing 88, we went 133, which was the second-best record in the AFCand the NFLbehind New England. That year we were confident that wed find a way to win every game. We believed that anybody on offense, defense, or special teams would make a big play. Thats how it came together. A prime example of that is the Green Bay game at Lambeau Field. We were down by 17 points, 3114, in the fourth quarter. Thanks to two big defensive playsa Pick-6 by Woods and a fumble recovery by Maslowskia field goal by Morten Andersen, a running touchdown by Holmes, and a receiving touchdown by Kennison, we tied the game and won it in overtime. You can read more about that game later in the book.

Unfortunately, we didnt get the job done against Indianapolis in the playoffs. The way things went for us that season, I felt good about our chances at New England the following week. Thats not to say we overlooked Indy because we definitely were focused. But as Ive replayed the scenario countless times, if we capitalize on at least one of two missed possessions offensively, and our defense makes a stop, were at New England with a good chance of going to the Super Bowl. Needless to say, that loss to Indianapolis was hard to swallow in January 2004, and its hard to swallow 10 years later. If theres one regret from my time with the Chiefs, its that we didnt make a postseason run in 03 or any other year. The Hunt family, the fans, and Kansas City all deserve it.

I look forward to seeing that in the upcoming years because I know this city will be electric when that happens. Kansas City is a wonderful place. I grew up in St. Louis, but Kansas City has become our home. As a quarterback I always felt it was important to be around for all workouts and to be part of the community where youre playing. My wife and I have been active in the Kansas City community since 2001 through the Trent Green Family Foundation, and well continue to be.

One of the great things about this city, besides the people, is the experience of gameday at Arrowhead Stadium. There is an incredible energy that I didnt expect when I arrived. At that time I was coming off my fourth knee surgery, so I didnt participate in any of the Chiefs offseason workouts. Before my first Chiefs gameRaiders Week on Opening Day 2001the team was supposed to meet for a pregame meal at a restaurant on the Plaza.

Since we drove separately to breakfast and I was still new to the city, I wanted to drive on my own from the Plaza to the stadium. I was stubborn enough that I didnt want to follow anyone. Guys tried telling me where exactly to go, how to maneuver the traffic, and then to pull up to the gate, and tell the person who I was. I listened to part of what they were saying, but I missed most of it. As a result, I made the mistake of going to the gate near the practice facilityand I was stuck. There was no type of shoulder, and I was pinned with countless other carsall fans waiting to get into the parking lot. Players were supposed to be there no later than 10:00 for a noon game. At this point its almost 9:00. I called the head of security to let the coaches know that I was at the stadium but I was stuck in traffic and then I pulled out my playbook and started listening to the pregame show on radio for nearly an hour and a half . Luckily, I was only about 15 minutes late. Of course the guys started laughing and busting my chops. Needless to say, that didnt happen again.

Funny stories aside, gameday at Arrowhead is unlike any other stadium in the NFL. You want to play in stadiums where theyre passionate about football because it makes it more fun. That was every day at Arrowhead. From the quarterback warm-ups to running out of the tunnel and through the Red Coaters for the introductions, its an indescribable and incredible experience. When I go to games now, whether Im broadcasting or simply there as a spectator, I want to be back on the field.

Because of the offense we had with the Chiefs, my name is in the teams record books alongside guys like Len Dawson and Joe Montana. Thats very humbling. I was a guy who was the third-to-the-last draft pick and got my first start in the NFL when I was 28 years old. And then I had the hurdle with my knee. For me, 81 consecutive starts for the Chiefs is one of the things Im most proud of after four knee surgeries. I started every game until I got the concussion in 2006 against Cincinnati. To sit here now and say that I played 15 years in the NFL, including six really productive years with the Chiefs, a franchise with such a long and rich history, is very cool. This is a special organization with some of the most passionate fans in the league. Throughout 100 Things Chiefs Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die , youll read more about the people and moments that have helped shape this organizationand why its such a special place to play.