PA Season Ticket Holder
04-30-2003, 08:27 PM
APR 30 (morning)--Here are insights offered by team bigwigs at this year’s annual Chiefs Club dinner. Team president Carl Peterson, head coach Dick Vermeil, and VP of player personnel Lynn Stiles recap what they thought of this year’s top draft picks in the first coming out party of the new season.
“Little did we know that this guy would our first round draft choice.”
CARL PETERSON: “Specific to our first round pick, it’s ironic in February in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, I gave the Maxwell Football Club Award – a 75-year old football club that Dick and I have been members of for years and years – to the finest college player in America. A little bit later in Dallas, Texas, Lamar (Hunt) gave the Doak Walker Award for the best running back in America. This guy also won the Walter Camp Award for the finest college player in America. Little did we know at that time that this guy would be our first round draft choice. I’m talking about Larry Johnson, running back from Penn State.”
“Kawika is Hawaiian for David.”
DICK VERMEIL: “Kawika Mitchell was our second round pick. Kawika is Hawaiian for David. He is a 251-pound middle linebacker, a bright young man who is a very, very solid football player with a great future.
“He is a heavy, heavy hitter. When he hits you he knocks you back. When you try to block him he knocks the lineman back. He demonstrates the same kind of power at the point of contact that Pierce did at Kansas State but with more speed.
“The game today as it’s played you have to play the linebacker position equally well away from the ball. Kawika continues to play well a further distance away from the ball. He’s very, very good right up close to the ball but can get to the perimeter and starts playing fast. In time, I think he will demonstrate why we drafted him in the second round.
“On Tuesday of last week, we flew Joe Vitt, our linebacker coach, to Florida to spend some time with this guy. Look him right in the eye and visit with him, we told him. This guy’s wife was in labor and he was so dedicated he gave us four hours of intense interview time to talk football. He would check every once in a while to see
http://www.kcchiefs.com/news_article.asp?ID=RGZAERD5CEI7RB6IAC2PARX84W
“Little did we know that this guy would our first round draft choice.”
CARL PETERSON: “Specific to our first round pick, it’s ironic in February in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, I gave the Maxwell Football Club Award – a 75-year old football club that Dick and I have been members of for years and years – to the finest college player in America. A little bit later in Dallas, Texas, Lamar (Hunt) gave the Doak Walker Award for the best running back in America. This guy also won the Walter Camp Award for the finest college player in America. Little did we know at that time that this guy would be our first round draft choice. I’m talking about Larry Johnson, running back from Penn State.”
“Kawika is Hawaiian for David.”
DICK VERMEIL: “Kawika Mitchell was our second round pick. Kawika is Hawaiian for David. He is a 251-pound middle linebacker, a bright young man who is a very, very solid football player with a great future.
“He is a heavy, heavy hitter. When he hits you he knocks you back. When you try to block him he knocks the lineman back. He demonstrates the same kind of power at the point of contact that Pierce did at Kansas State but with more speed.
“The game today as it’s played you have to play the linebacker position equally well away from the ball. Kawika continues to play well a further distance away from the ball. He’s very, very good right up close to the ball but can get to the perimeter and starts playing fast. In time, I think he will demonstrate why we drafted him in the second round.
“On Tuesday of last week, we flew Joe Vitt, our linebacker coach, to Florida to spend some time with this guy. Look him right in the eye and visit with him, we told him. This guy’s wife was in labor and he was so dedicated he gave us four hours of intense interview time to talk football. He would check every once in a while to see
http://www.kcchiefs.com/news_article.asp?ID=RGZAERD5CEI7RB6IAC2PARX84W