Three names who become prominent as the real games begin may not be that familiar to Chiefs fans. One is DICK CURL, Assistant Head Coach and Quarterbacks coach. Curl is Herm Edwards trusted adjutant...he is what Beetle Smith was to General Dwight Eisenhower during the D-Day invasion.
However, his role increased this past offseason when the quarterbacks were put under his authority. It appeared that Mike Shula, the fired Alabama coach, and another of the Tampa Bay "96-00 Band of Brothers" might be the new Chiefs Quarterback Coach but Jacksonville hired Shula. Edwards turned to his trusted aide-de-camp to handle a tough job. This week he tutors Damon Huard to win an AFC road game in Houston. Huard is 10-4 as an NFL starter, but is only 2-4 in AFC road games as a starter. Curl is also the scout in 2001 who "stood on the table" to sign Priest Holmes when everyone else was coveting Charlie Garner. Curl is a good man with a big job.
DAVID PRICE is the next name on the list. Price is in his 24th year as an NFL athletic trainer. He has the ability to find the "fine line" between
protecting a players health interest and understanding the intense competition of the NFL. He is a winner. His work with Damion McIntosh, the injured Chiefs left offensive tackle has been nothing short of remarkable. Price has worked in conjunction with Cedric Smith, the Chiefs strength and conditioning coach, to get McIntosh in a position to return to the lineup well before the original return time. If McIntosh returns before the Minnesota game, you can thank Price.
JIMMY WILKERSON may have had the best training camp of any player on the Chiefs roster. J-Wilk has to play like an NFL starter this week. Jared Allen is serving a two game suspension, and the Chiefs are playing a scheme this week that mirrors the Denver Broncos. J-Wilk is smart and tough, a requirement when playing the "Houston Broncos" or "Denver Texans". Gary Kubiak is the Texans coach and was the offensive coordinator of the Broncos for 10 seasons. J-Wilk will have to defend the zone run, cut back run, bootleg and still pressure the quarterback. He showed this summer that he can do all three.
IT'S ON NOW!
