“I was Just Excited to Get to Prove Myself” – Kansas City Chiefs’ Tackle on His Rookie Year

Khalen Saunders was picked by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019 NFL Draft. Since then, the defensive tackle has worked hard to become an effective component of the team’s defense. In the 12 games he played last season, Saunders made 11 solo tackles and 9 assisted tackles. He also made a sack (his only sack) against Green Bay Packers quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. These are very impressive numbers, especially considering that he was inactive during the first quarter of the 2019 season.

Khalen’s journey with the Kansas City Chiefs so far

In just a year’s time, Khalen Saunders went from being a ‘not-so-popular’ recruit to a Super Bowl Champion. While he’s achieved so much already, Khalen’s journey to the top wasn’t the easiest. “For me, to go from this small school to get to where I wanted to be at, playing professional football, you know, you are gonna have to do a little bit more than the guy that goes to Alabama... I think that helped me [get] motivated early on,” Saunders said in a recent video by the Chiefs.

From his interview, Saunders appears to be a grounded man, who is simply excited to be able to play professional football. Upon being drafted by Kansas, the tackle remembers thinking, “man, I finally get to play against these, you know, these top guys. I was just excited to get to prove myself.” And what a great job he has done so far!

During the mid-season, Khalen played over 40% of the Kansas City Chiefs’ snaps. And he got even better as the season progressed.

“I was just kind of trying to figure out my role and figure out what I can do because I knew, like, they have a good chance whether I’m on the team or not. So, let me see what I can do to help our chances… and I figured out that role, figured out trying to just be a key rotational player and when I get in, trying to do my role to the best of my abilities.”

Will his game improve next season?

It wouldn’t be surprising to see Saunders perform better in the 2020 season, especially given how motivated he is. “I really want to be saying that I am an actual veteran in the NFL. I think that motivates me… Being her old man and dad and husband, those [types] of things, you know, that drives me every day to just go out and, you know, be the best version of myself.”