**UPDATE SAT. 5 PM** Final cuts have been made. Head here.

Of course, the 53 players on the team after 5 PM central time tonight won't be the exact roster for opening day. After the NFL roster deadline hits this evening, expect the Kansas City Chiefs to pick up one or two players off of the waiver wire.

I've run through the roster and made my decisions on who I think will be cut. Interestingly enough, while researching this and reading others cut lists, most of them are in agreement about 95% of the time.

The only differences I've seen in people's cut lists are the tail ends of the linebacker and line rotations. A little LeRue Rumph here. A little Anthony Alabi there. Maybe throw in some Sippio. (Update: Sippio apparently has been cut)

There isn't anything groundbreaking in this post because it's pretty easy to pick about 90% of this roster with about that same certainty.

QB: Brodie Croyle, Tyler Thigpen and Damon Huard

No surprises here. The Chiefs will carry three quarterbacks on the final roster no matter what and these are almost assuredly the three they will keep.

Cut: None

RB: Larry Johnson, Kolby Smith, Jamaal Charles, Jackie Battle and Dantrell Savage

Dantrell Savage hopefully makes this team as a kick returner but I've included him in the running backs section. LJ, Kolby and Jamaal Charles are all 100% safe. Battle may not make it because of roster numbers but he's probably safe too.

Cut: None

WR: Dwayne Bowe, Devard Darling, Will Franklin, Maurice Price and Jeff Webb

Despite not catching a pass this preseason, Devard Darling is still accomplished enough to get the nod over Arthur, Joachim, McMahan and Sippio. If you make an argument against Darling, you have to make an argument for one of those guys making the team and I don't think you can. Maybe you can make an argument for Bobby Sippio but I think you're splitting hairs at that point.(Update: Sippio has apparently been cut)

Cut: Jabari Arthur, Sergio Joachim, Kevin McMahan and Bobby Sippio

FB:Mike Cox and Chris Manderino

Word on the street is that the Chiefs like Manderino's special teams play, which is great for him because Mike Cox has the starting fullback spot nailed.

Cut: None

TE: Tony Gonzalez, Brad Cottam and J.P. Foschi

TG and Cottam are locks to make the roster and we'll give Foschi and his GA Tech roots the nod over the injured Mike Merritt and Michael "What happened to people being excited about me?" Allan. Allan may spend his final year on the practice squad before permanently falling off into obscurity. My future money says this is another D3 experiment that will not succeed.

Cut: Michael Allan and Mike Merritt

O-Line: Branden Albert, Brian Waters, Rudy Niswanger, Adrian Jones, Damion McIntosh, Herb Taylor, Barry Richardson and Wade Smith

I think those first eight offensive linemen I listed are definitely going to make the team. Beyond that, I think we could see another player dropped at a different position in favor of another offensive linemen. That linemen may not even be on the team right now and there is no way the Chiefs are satisfied with the depth they have on the offensive line.

Cut: Travis Leffew, Tre Stallings, Will Svitek, Anthony Alabi, Edwin Harrison and Rob Smith

D-Line: Turk McBride, Tank Tyler, Glenn Dorsey, Tamba Hali, Alfonso Boone, Ron Edwards. T.J. Jackson and Brian Johnston

After Ron Edwards, you're entering a pretty blurry area on the defensive line. TJ Jackson and Brian Johnston both had their names called more than a few times last Thursday against the Rams and that may be enough to distinguish themselves from the other defensive linemen.

Cut: Johnny Dingle, Jason Parker and Derek Lokey

LB: Derrick Johnson, Pat Thomas, Donnie Edwards, Demorrio Williams, Weston Dacus and Nap Harris (Int'l player Aden Durde will be on the practice squad but not count for a spot)

Nap Harris seems to be on everyone else's cut list and he certainly is a possible roster casualty. One of the cuts listed below could out value Harris on special teams, making the decision to keep him even more difficult. Donnie Edwards of course makes the final cut but how durable will he be in his 13th season? He's already tweaked a hamstring.

Cut: EJ Kuale, Steve Octavien and LeRue Rumph

CB: Patrick Surtain, Brandon Flowers, Brandon Carr, Dimitri Patterson, Tyron Brackenridge and Maurice Leggett

The first four CB spots are taken with Brackenridge, Barksdale and Leggett battling for the final one or even two spots. Can't say I've seen much of any of those three this preseason, making my analysis a bit strained. Brackenridge will probably get the nod because the Chiefs liked him enough last year as an UDFA to play him a bit and neither Barksdale nor Leggett has distinguished themselves.

Cut: Rashard Barksdale

S: Jarrad Page, Bernard Pollard, Jon McGraw and DaJuan Morgan

The safety position isn't difficult to figure out. Page and Pollard will start with McGraw and Morgan rotating in and out. The Chiefs don't need five safeties on the team.

Cut: Khayyam Burns

Special Teams: Nick Novak, Dustin Colquitt and J.P. Darche

Again, no surprises here. The Sams v. Savage competition is pretty much even but I'll throw my support behind the younger, less Drummond-like Dantrell Savage. My gut says Sams makes the team though but I can't bring myself to post that.

Cut: BJ Sams and Connor Barth (he's still on the roster so we'll include him for good measure)

We've already had a few threads about the roster cuts so use this spot to make any last minute predictions. I'll update you on the cuts as soon as I hear about them.

Of course, the 53 players on the team after 5 PM central time tonight won't be the exact roster for opening day. After the NFL roster deadline hits this evening, expect the Chiefs to pick up one or two players off of the waiver wire.

I've run through the roster and made my decisions on who I think will be cut. Interestingly enough, while researching this and reading others cut lists, most of them are in agreement about 95% of the time.

The only differences I've seen in people's cut lists are the tail ends of the linebacker and line rotations. A little LeRue Rumph here. A little Anthony Alabi there. Maybe throw in some Sippio.

QB: Brodie Croyle, Tyler Thigpen and Damon Huard

No surprises here. The Chiefs will carry three quarterbacks on the final roster no matter what and these are almost assuredly the three they will keep.

Cut: None

RB: Larry Johnson, Kolby Smith, Jamaal Charles, Jackie Battle and Dantrell Savage

Dantrell Savage hopefully makes this team as a kick returner but I've included him in the running backs section. LJ, Kolby and Jamaal Charles are all 100% safe. Battle may not make it because of roster numbers but he's probably safe too.

Cut: None

WR: Dwayne Bowe, Devard Darling, Will Franklin, Maurice Price and Jeff Webb

Despite not catching a pass this preseason, Devard Darling is still accomplished enough to get the nod over Arthur, Joachim, McMahan and Sippio. If you make an argument against Darling, you have to make an argument for one of those guys making the team and I don't think you can. Maybe you can make an argument for Bobby Sippio but I think you're splitting hairs at that point.

Cut: Jabari Arthur, Sergio Joachim, Kevin McMahan and Bobby Sippio

FB:Mike Cox and Chris Manderino

Word on the street is that the Chiefs like Manderino's special teams play, which is great for him because Mike Cox has the starting fullback spot nailed.

Cut: None

TE: Tony Gonzalez, Brad Cottam and J.P. Foschi

TG and Cottam are locks to make the roster and we'll give Foschi and his GA Tech roots the nod over the injured Mike Merritt and Michael "What happened to people being excited about me?" Allan. Allan may spend his final year on the practice squad before permanently falling off into obscurity. My future money says this is another D3 experiment that will not succeed.

Cut: Michael Allan and Mike Merritt

O-Line: Branden Albert, Brian Waters, Rudy Niswanger, Adrian Jones, Damion McIntosh, Herb Taylor, Barry Richardson and Wade Smith

I think those first eight offensive linemen I listed are definitely going to make the team. Beyond that, I think we could see another player dropped at a different position in favor of another offensive linemen. That linemen may not even be on the team right now and there is no way the Chiefs are satisfied with the depth they have on the offensive line.

Cut: Travis Leffew, Tre Stallings, Will Svitek, Anthony Alabi, Edwin Harrison and Rob Smith

D-Line: Turk McBride, Tank Tyler, Glenn Dorsey, Tamba Hali, Alfonso Boone, Ron Edwards. T.J. Jackson and Brian Johnston

After Ron Edwards, you're entering a pretty blurry area on the defensive line. TJ Jackson and Brian Johnston both had their names called more than a few times last Thursday against the Rams and that may be enough to distinguish themselves from the other defensive linemen.

Cut: Johnny Dingle, Jason Parker and Derek Lokey

LB: Derrick Johnson, Pat Thomas, Donnie Edwards, Demorrio Williams, Weston Dacus and Nap Harris (Int'l player Aden Durde will be on the practice squad but not count for a spot)

Nap Harris seems to be on everyone else's cut list and he certainly is a possible roster casualty. One of the cuts listed below could out value Harris on special teams, making the decision to keep him even more difficult. Donnie Edwards of course makes the final cut but how durable will he be in his 13th season? He's already tweaked a hamstring.

Cut: EJ Kuale, Steve Octavien and LeRue Rumph

CB: Patrick Surtain, Brandon Flowers, Brandon Carr, Dimitri Patterson, Tyron Brackenridge and Maurice Leggett

The first four CB spots are taken with Brackenridge, Barksdale and Leggett battling for the final one or even two spots. Can't say I've seen much of any of those three this preseason, making my analysis a bit strained. Brackenridge will probably get the nod because the Chiefs liked him enough last year as an UDFA to play him a bit and neither Barksdale nor Leggett has distinguished themselves.

Cut: Rashard Barksdale

S: Jarrad Page, Bernard Pollard, Jon McGraw and DaJuan Morgan

The safety position isn't difficult to figure out. Page and Pollard will start with McGraw and Morgan rotating in and out. The Chiefs don't need five safeties on the team.

Cut: Khayyam Burns

Special Teams: Nick Novak, Dustin Colquitt and J.P. Darche

Again, no surprises here. The Sams v. Savage competition is pretty much even but I'll throw my support behind the younger, less Drummond-like Dantrell Savage.

Cut: BJ Sams and Connor Barth (he's still on the roster so we'll include him for good measure)

We've already had a few threads about the roster cuts today so use this spot to make any last minute predictions. I'll update you on the cuts as soon as I hear about them.

Smells like...training camp!

The Kansas City Chiefs currently have 86 players on their roster, meaning they'll have to cut six by the time training camp starts on Thursday. Until this season, the minimum used to be higher than 80 players but with the folding of NFL Europe, teams now have on average eight players less to take to camp. Before, teams could take those extra eight players and ship them off to NFL Europe before the regular season roster deadlines would hit.

By August 26th, teams will have to trim their roster to 75 players and by August 30th the roster has to be down to the regular season maximum of 53 players.

So, six need to go. Who are they? Who knows, really. Here's a rundown by position, using a blogger's best friend - a list! I've also put the number of cuts next to each position. Predicting cuts is a terribly inexact science, so I'm hoping for a lively debate. In fact, you can make solid arguments against some of my choices below.

Quarterback (0) - The Chiefs only have three quarterbacks on the roster now, which means they're almost assuredly taking all three currently on the roster to camp with them. You'd even like to have four QBs but it doesn't appear that's going to happen before camp. No cuts from this group.

Potential pre-training camp cuts: None

Fullback (0) - I think the Chiefs will take all four fullbacks to camp but only one will be on the regular season starting roster. They're all safe for now.

Potential pre-training camp cuts: None

Offensive line (1) - Of the fourteen offensive linemen on the roster, five of them will be starters and we know who they are - McIntosh, Albert, Jones, Niswanger and Waters. That leaves nine and we'll need at least one backup in each spot for the regular season. That leaves four guys out and here's a guess on who they are - Tre Stallings, Ken Shackleford, Travis Leffew and LJ Anderson. Stallings has been on a couple of practice squads before so maybe he has a chance to make it but I don't think so. The Chiefs probably take almost all of these guys to camp but four will likely have to go for the regular season. One possible cut here but I doubt it.

Potential pre-training camp cuts: Travis Leffew, Ken Shackleford, Tre Stallings, Edwin Harrison, L.J. Anderson or Rob Smith.

Tight End (0) - Of the five tight ends on the roster, Tony Gonzalez is a definite yes, followed by Brad Cottam and maybe Michael Allan to make the final roster. The Chiefs will have at least two tight ends on the active roster and may keep another one on the practice squad. In fact, we'll likely end up with three on the final roster, with the last spot going to a big time blocking tight end. For now, I think all of them make it to training camp because of the uncertainty surrounding who will be our blocking tight end.

Potential pre-training camp cuts: None

Wide Receiver (2) - We have a glut of wide receivers now (nine total) and I think two of these guys are definitely gone. This is an expendable position because of the preference of defensive players over offensive ones to play on special teams. A couple of these guys won't be able to hang on as a special teamer. I think Kevin McMahan and Jabari Arthur bite it from this group because of their "Who the hell am I?" status. You can also throw Bobby Sippio in there as well. The guy didn't catch a pass last year and sat on the practice squad for a little over a week with no interest from other NFL teams who were allowed to sign him at any point during that time.

Potential pre-training camp cuts: Jabari Arthur, Kevin McMahan or Bobby Sippio.

Running back (0) - Johnson, Battle, Smith, Charles, Savage and McCrae all make the training camp squad but only three make it to the regular season. Savage, Battle and McCrae will be the odd men out come September. The Chiefs have solid #1 and #2 backs with Charles and Johnson but I think they're unsure beyond that. That explains the glut of solid backups.

Potential pre-training camp cuts: None but leaning toward one of these guys being let go this week. That's a lot of running backs.

Corner back (1) - There are nine CBs on the squad now and a lot of uncertainty after Surtain, Flowers and Carr on the depth chart. Herm and co. will probably take all but one of these guys to River Falls, with a few others being cut by September. Expect some to stick around strictly as special teamers.

Potential pre-training camp cuts: Will Poole, Jason Horton or Maurice Legget.

Linebacker (1) - There are ten linebackers on the roster and two tiers have clearly developed. The top tier is Derrick Johnson, Donnie Edwards, Demorrio Williams and Nap Harris. Below that are a half dozen special teams/backup types, almost all of whom will be on the practice squad or strictly special teams. The numbers don't require the Chiefs to cut many here, so just one probably goes from this group.

Potential pre-training camp cuts: Steve Octavien, E.J. Kuale, Nate Harris, Weston Dacus or LeRue Rumph.

Defensive Ends (1) - The Chiefs haven't settled on their Jared Allen replacement because they have seven defensive ends currently on the roster. Because of the large number of players at this position, I think one of these guys doesn't make it to River Falls. Turk McBride, Tamba Hali and Alfonso Boone are locks to make the team, with UDFAs rounding out the rest of the crop.

Potential pre-training camp cuts: Trevor Johnson, Johnny Dingle or Jason Parker.

Defensive Tackles (0) - All six d-tackles will be going to River Falls, considering that six isn't really that many to have on the roster at this point. The rotational nature of the position means you'll always have a few extra around, making it easier to slip into camp as an UDFA. Dorsey, Edwards and Tank likely make up the starting three.

Potential pre-training camp cuts: None

Kicker (0) - Do you think Herm Edwards will ever go into camp with less than two kickers after the disappointment Justin Medlock was last year? Novak and Barth both go and I'm not sure which one makes it out as the starter.

Potential pre-training camp cuts: None

Safety (0) - Safety is another good position for filling special teams. Page and Pollard are the starters and Herm's boy John McGraw is also a lock to make the team. DaJuan Morgan is another lock and a future starting contender.

Potential pre-training camp cuts: None

Those are my general positions that I think the cuts will come from. They're based on a mixture of number at that position, stability of the starters and historical precedent.

Your thoughts on who stays and who goes this week before camp starts?

John Paul Foschi (That's FAH-she), signed by the Kansas City Chiefs in mid April, is the prototype of the off season signings of Herm and Chan Gailey.

Completely under the radar signing. Check.

New York Jet under Herm. Check.

Yellow Jacket under Chan Gailey. Check.

It makes a lot of sense that coaches prefer players they're at least remotely familiar with. I count three Tech guys who played under Chan Gailey and I think at least five connections to Herm's Jets.

Foschi was picked up by the Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He bounced around on the practice squads of the Jets, Broncos and Vikings in '04, before playing in ten games and starting five for the Oakland Raiders in 2005.

Foschi blurs the line a bit between tight end, fullback and probably even a sub on the offensive line because of his size - 6'4", 270 pounds. Playing that many positions means you're on the field a lot, with Foschi playing virtually every snap during his senior season at Georgia Tech. He's played mainly at fullback while in the NFL but like his bio says, Foschi is expected to work at the tight end position.

The signing of Foschi is more evidence pointing towards the Chiefs looking to use multiple tight end formations this year, which has been reported elsewhere. 7th round draft pick Michael Merritt is 6'4", 263 pounds. Second year guy Michael Allan is quite big too, 6'6" and weighing 254 pounds. Brad Cottam is 6'7" and 269 pounds. So we have some massive players at the tight end position and none of them are particularly known for their receiving ability.

If you ask me, even without even seeing Foschi play a down, I'm betting he won't make the team. We already have Gailey favorite Mike Cox at the full time fullback position, and there's enough competition for the next Jason Dunn (Geez, how quickly did you forget that guy?) that you can't say really anything definitive at this point.

We wish him the best of luck of course. There needs to be a mini documentary done on these practice squad guys. It has to be an interesting life while it lasts. You could be signed by another team thousands of miles away literally in an instant. No warning. Just go.

Since we're talking about fullbacks and that sort of unstable free agent life, I might as well bring up my favorite of the two Chris Manderino Q&As, which was the first one.

Also, as a practice squad player, you know that you are available to become activated by any of the other teams in the league. It is mentally tough to be thinking about whether you will be activated the next week with either your own team or another one throughout the league. You have to try to keep from getting distracted because it is your job to perform your role in helping the team prepare to win. It is mentally tough to be watching on the sidelines on game day when you prepare all week long and do not get to play.

You could at least get one of those cheesy pre-game mini documentaries out of this idea. It helps that Chris was so descriptive and wrote well enough to let you really get into his head. A practice squad player has to have huge amounts of energy to constantly deal with moving, learning near offenses and the general toll that physical football takes on you. And it sounds like Chris adjusts well and has a good attitude about it.

Okay, back to JP Foschi. There's really not much out there about Foschi now that I'm winding this post down and realizing what I've written. He injured his knee against the Chiefs actually in September 2005 that didn't really keep him out long. He's a basketball player as well. Can't get enough of those.

The blocking tight end may be the ultimate symbol of a Herm Edwards offense. You know he loves these guys. Especially the ones that play fullback too. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the actual action of blocking is Herm's favorite part of the game of football.

That's it for this morning. I'll do my best to get another community projection up later today but I'm not making any promises. This would be a good time for the, ahem, editor at the bottom of this page to come up with a post to add to the pile.

Also, if you're a new reader coming from SI.com. welcome to the community. Create a user name at the top of this page so you can comment. Also, if you register (it only requires an email address and takes a second), when you visit the site and you're logged in, you'll be shown how many comments are in a post and how many of those comments are new. So, it keeps track of what you've read, which is always nice instead of scrolling through the same comments in a long comment thread. Definitely my favorite SBN site feature.

Keep it respectful, intelligent and interesting and you'll be rewarded with a thriving Chiefs community.

I am pleased to be able to give you another fantastic look into the NFL by Kansas City Chiefs fullback Chris Manderino. Chris has been kind enough to stop by again and give us an insider's view of the NFL off-season. Many, many thanks to Chris for answering our questions and for his hard work on the field. Herm, we've found our fullback!

Run us through a typical day of off-season training with the team.

I usually wake up at 6:30, not by choice, but simply because my biological clock typically wakes me up at that time every morning. I usually check my phone to see what time it is and realize that I still have time to catch some ZZZ’s, so I’ll get up to use the restroom and then go back to bed until 7:25. This may seem like a strange time to wake up, but I have a routine that allows me enough time to do what I need to do in the mornings to get me ready for the work day. After I wake, I have my personal hygiene routine that I go through before leaving the house.

I usually leave the condo around 7:45 and the drive takes me approximately 12 minutes, which puts me in the locker room right around 8:00 a.m. As I approach the locker room, there is the fresh aroma of breakfast in the air so I get myself a plate that usually consists of scrambled eggs with cheese, potatoes, orange juice, and a fruit bowl…occasionally I’ll have a piece of bacon or two or a bagel with cream cheese in addition to the eggs and potatoes.

After taking about 15 minutes or so to enjoy my breakfast I head into the training room to get my ankles taped for practice. Then I go to the auditorium and watch specials team film before the meeting starts at 8:45 sharp. "DON’T BE LATE!" is a huge rule of Coach Edwards, so I always try to be early, plus it gives me a good 15 minutes to watch film from the previous day’s practice or other relative film. We have a 30 min special teams meeting followed by a team meeting lead by Coach Edwards which usually lasts around 5 min. We then break up into offense/defense groups and have a short meeting led by our respective coordinators.

After the offensive/defensive group meetings we break up by position and separate into our designated position rooms. This is where we spend the bulk of our meeting time which is led by Coach Modkins, the running backs coach. We will watch the film from the previous day’s practice then install the plays and schemes for the day and then use the remainder of the time for review and to test our classroom knowledge of the offense. We break from meetings around 10:45 to give us time to prepare for practice which begins at 11:30. I use this time to relax for a bit in my locker, put my jersey on, and gather my helmet, cleats, gloves, and car keys to go down to the practice field. I walk back up the tunnel to my car around 11:00 then drive over to the practice field and facility.

I take the remainder of the time before practice to switch from my running shoes to my cleats then stretch a bit and catch some balls. We go through a team stretch at 11:30 for about 10 min or so then begin practice. Practice begins with a special teams period for 15 minutes, after which we break up into different position groups and go through the various periods of practice. Practice usually ends at 1:15. After practice, I go to the weight room to get a lift. We alternate days between lifting upper body and lower body. We typically lift four days per week. The lift usually lasts about 45 minutes, after which I grab a protein shake, walk back up to my car and drive back up to the stadium. The driving back and forth from practice is a minor inconvenience we must endure due to all the construction going on. Soon enough, we will have a nice, new facility where everything is centrally located.

I walk down the tunnel once again, head in to my locker and sit down. I cut off my tape change out of my practice clothes then hit the shower. I change back into what I wore to the stadium that day then go get lunch...I’m usually pretty hungry at this point. I usually take my time eating and joking around with the guys. As long as we don’t have any post practice meetings, it is time to call it a day around 2:30 p.m. Most days I have had to do something after lunch which takes about another hour but usually done by 3:30 at the latest…all in a day’s work.

Have you heard any observations by the coaching staff or older players that you found especially compelling?

I try to learn something new and get better each and every day. Here in KC, I am actually one of the more experienced guys at my specific position. I feel I learn a lot from film study more so than any one thing somebody has said.

My first couple years in the league I learned a ton! I am always trying to improve my game and sometimes some of the best things I learn are the things and ways not to do something. When I see a guy on film who tries to do things his own way rather than what he is coached to do…it usually results in him getting beat. I learn from this and focus on the fundamentals of my game to improve.

One thing that I have heard Coach Edwards say is that playing professional football is not a right, it is a privilege and that each and every one of us will lose that privilege at some point. This has taught me to take advantage of my opportunities and enjoy every moment of having the privilege to play in the NFL.

Has the team started to gel, at all?

I definitely think the team has started to gel. I know that Coach Edwards is stressing the importance of TEAM and that he is looking for guys who are willing to buy into what they are trying to teach. I feel that we are starting to form that bond as a team and are learning to work together.

As an offense, we are definitely starting to gel. It takes time when everyone is learning a new system, but I think we are putting it all together quite nicely and making some important strides in the off-season.

A couple of weeks ago, we wondered who the leaders were on this Chiefs team. What players do you consider leaders in the locker room?

There are the obvious leaders such as Tony G, Brian Waters, Donny Edwards, and most of the seasoned veterans, but I think what’s going to be important on this team is leadership starting to surface from the younger players. The older guys are great role models on what it takes to be a pro and succeed in this league individually, but if we want to grow and succeed as a team, it’s going to take young guys standing up and taking on leadership roles. I believe that everyone has the ability to lead, it just depends whether you choose to lead in a positive or negative way. We need everyone to become a leader toward accomplishing the goals of the team.

We can't thank Chris enough for stopping by. Make sure you read his blog, Live the Dream!

The Kansas City Chiefs have not filled the void created by fullback Tony Richardson after he left in 2005 and current Chief Chris Manderino intends to change that in 2008. Chris signed with the Chiefs back in April and he was kind enough to come by and answer a few questions for us. I can't thank him enough for not only giving up his valuable time for this interview but also for giving us such fantastic and insightful answers.

You graduated from California in 2006 and spent some time on the Cincinnati Bengals practice squad before making your way to Kansas City. What's the day to day life of an NFL practice squad player like?

Day to day life as a practice squad player can be very challenging both physically and mentally. It is physically challenging because you must give great physical effort all the time and make sure that you are putting your best effort forward because the guys on the other side of the ball are relying on you to give a good simulation as to what to expect on game day. Also, because you are practicing another team’s plays, you don’t have the same chemistry and execution as a unit as you do with your own offense. It seems to be most challenging for the offensive linemen to correctly execute the schemes. This can lead to breakdowns on the line of scrimmage and thus mismatches in the backfield (i.e. a running back on a defensive tackle) which can take a toll on the body and become frustrating because it doesn’t allow you to completely execute your responsibility.

Outside the physical aspects is the mental and emotional roller coaster you go through as a practice squad player. In Cincinnati, although I was the back-up fullback, I was still on the practice squad. Simply because of the "numbers game" they had there, as far as roster spots were concerned, they kept an additional TE instead of two deep at FB. So although I was a practice squad player, I had to remain keyed in to what the offensive game plan was each week because if something were to happen to the guy in front of me, I would be activated for the game and expected to step in and perform.

Also, as a practice squad player, you know that you are available to become activated by any of the other teams in the league. It is mentally tough to be thinking about whether you will be activated the next week with either your own team or another one throughout the league. You have to try to keep from getting distracted because it is your job to perform your role in helping the team prepare to win. It is mentally tough to be watching on the sidelines on game day when you prepare all week long and do not get to play. All in all however, you have to remind yourself of the many talented players out there who are not with a team at all and be thankful for your opportunity take full advantage of it.

As a four-year college starter who walked on to the team, what were your expectations when you initially tried out to be a Golden Bear?

Coming out of high school I was labeled a "Tweener." I had started at QB and LB my junior year and then started the season as QB and LB my senior year but then got moved to Tailback because that is where my coaches felt they needed me to play in order to put the team in the best position to win. I had tremendous success and accolades both as a team and as an individual by the end of my high school career; however the scholarship offers were not coming the way I thought they would.

I got a lot of attention from some smaller schools, but it was always a dream of mine to play big-time Division 1 football. I grew up hearing stories of my dad’s playing days at Michigan State and had desired to one day play at that level. Outside the interest I was receiving from the smaller schools, I had other options to either go to a junior college for a year or two or be a "preferred" or "recruited" walk-on at several different major college programs.

My final decision was between Cal, UCLA, and USC. I chose to walk on at Cal because it just seemed right. Despite being a walk-on, I felt that they really wanted me there and felt that I could make a contribution to the program. I remember that once I was at Cal as a red-shirt freshman, I would look down at the stadium from the practice field above each and every day. I would look down at the stadium and think to myself that all my hard work would be worth it if I just get the opportunity to be on that field and play in front of the thousands of people that would be there on game day. I achieved my dream much sooner than I had imagined and found myself starting my first collegiate football game as a red-shirt freshman for the University of California, Berkeley.

My expectations at first were to hopefully be playing on special teams my first and second year and then be in a position to compete for the starting job by my junior and senior year. I was playing a new position- fullback, so I thought it would take me a little while to adjust to the new role and to also put on the necessary size and strength to be a starter. It turns out I far exceeded all the expectations I had and achieved want I initially desired much sooner than I dreamed I would. I earned a full athletic scholarship after just one year at Cal and was also the starter at fullback. This inspired me to make new expectations and goals and is part of the reason why I now have the opportunity and privilege to be a player in the NFL.

Fullback isn't a stat heavy or limelight intense position. What motivates you as a fullback to better yourself?

As a fullback you must take a lot of pride in what you do. You have to be physically and mentally tough and you have to find joy in doing your part to contribute to the ultimate goal of WINNING. As a fullback, I am motivated by seeing my running backs excel. When they have great games and seasons, it usually means that I have done a good job in helping them attain good statistics. Also, as a fullback, you encounter many one on one matchups. I am motivated by competition. Each play, I am motivated to compete against my opponent and to dominate him so that he does not make a play on the ball. Mostly I am self-motivated. As a fullback, I have a job to do just like everyone else on the field.

It is not personal accolades that I seek but rather the respect of my teammates and coaches and knowing that I did a job well done and thus proving my worth as an essential part to the team as a whole.

What football moment are you most proud of?

The football moment that I am most proud of is earning a scholarship as a walk on. I had many people stacking the chips against me and telling me how difficult it was to walk on and try to play let alone earn a scholarship. I made it my personal vendetta to prove them all wrong. I felt that it wasn’t up for anyone else to determine what I could or could not do, but rather was up to me to decide.

Needless to say, achieving this goal did not come without hardship and turmoil. Several times throughout my first year at Cal, before achieving this goal, I felt like giving up and that all the hard work may not be worth it. I was working my butt off with no guarantees of what the future held. Fortunately, I pushed through the tough times and it turned out to be the best decision I ever made. It reminds me of something that someone once told me, "Anything worth having in life, is worth working hard for and worth waiting for." We all want results NOW, NOW, NOW, but it is not the end result that makes it all worth while but rather the journey in getting there.

How has your experience in Kansas City been? Have you done anything quintessentially Kansas City yet?

I’ve had a great experience in Kansas City thus far. I have only been here about a month or so, but I immediately had a good vibe about the city. Most people seem to be very friendly, the city has a lot to offer as far as things to do, and the guys on the team were all very receptive and welcoming. I found a great place to live on the Plaza which is nice because when I’m bored I can get out and walk around because there are a ton of places just a few blocks away.

As far as doing anything quintessentially Kansas City, I have had KC barbeque from a few different places, tailgated and watched a Royals game, walked around statue park at the Nelson Museum, been to Power and Light District, and checked out the Harrah’s Casino. I still have many things that I want to do and see including checking out the Body’s Revealed exhibit, going to the river market to get groceries, finding a nice Kansas City Girl to go on a horse buggy ride through the plaza with (haha) and whatever else KC has to offer…I’m open for suggestions.

If you weren't playing in the NFL, what would you be doing right now?

If I wasn’t playing in the NFL, I’m not sure EXACTLY what I’d be doing right now. Some options may include getting my MBA, traveling the world and maybe even playing football abroad, working in real estate or in investment banking, growing and running the company that a friend of mine and I have started, or a combination of some of these things. Not to sound that I don’t have a plan or outside options because I know I do. I have a great education, have done many things outside of football to continue building my resume to which I credit the Chiefs for the emphasis they put into their Player Development sector. I have taken advantage of several of the programs they have to offer and they have proven to be extremely beneficial.

I don’t know what I’d be doing and I’m glad that as of right now I am fortunate enough to have the opportunity to play in the NFL so that I don’t have to make that decision right now.

Many, many thanks to Chris for taking the time to let us get to know him a bit better. AP wishes him the best of luck in his career.