Tierschutz aktuell /Nachrichten » Dee Ford: “I think we’re going to shock

a lot of people” On May 8 Kansas City Chiefs Jerseys 2019 , 2014, Kansas City Chiefs fans were looking for a wide receiver in the 2014 NFL Draft.Or a safety.Or an offensive lineman.Or a cornerback.The Chiefs already had Justin Houston and Tamba Hali.No fans were thinking about the Chiefs drafting a pass rusher — and if they were, there was one name that wasn’t passing their lips.But “Dee Ford” was the name the commissioner spoke that night, as the Chiefs picked Ford — a defensive end from Auburn — with the 23rd selection in the first round.I remember seeing video from the Chiefs draft party at Arrowhead Stadium.The room went completely quiet when Ford’s name was announced.Few fans understood the move, and fewer still had even heard of Ford.But Chiefs GM John Dorsey was convinced, telling reporters that he believed the Chiefs had drafted the second-best pass rusher available — after Jadeveon Clowney, whom the Houston Texans had picked with the first overall pick.“If you watch the national championship game against Florida State, if you watch him against Texas A&M, even if you watch him in the Senior Bowl, the way he dominated people in the Senior Bowl, he’s got a unique trait,” Dorsey said that night. “Not only is it speed, but what the great pass rushers have is they have this strong interior hip, when they start leaning to the quarterback, he doesn’t lose his balance and he continues to drive forward and that, to me, is a very rare trait.”Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty ImagesWith Justin Houston and Tamba Hali on the team, there was little opportunity for Ford to see the field.And when he did, sometimes things didn’t go well.There was that viral video of Ford appearing to run away from San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore — one that now, years later, still seems to define him in the eyes of some Chiefs fans.But hey... Ford got national exposure for it.Unfortunately, it was on a C’Mon, Man! segment on ESPN.None of that was fair to the rookie linebacker.But NFL players aren’t always treated fairly, and there was nothing to do but keep going forward.Late in 2015, Ford got the chance to start.In his second game as a starter — a pivotal game against the San Diego Chargers at Arrowhead — Ford exploded for three sacks and seven tackles 2019 Mecole Hardman Kansas City Chiefs , and he broke up a pass from Philip Rivers to Danny Woodhead in the end zone on the last play of the game.The play saved the game — and possibly the entire Chiefs season.In case you don’t remember, this was the season the Chiefs started 1-5, and needed to win 10 straight games to make the playoffs.If Ford hadn’t made that play, the Chiefs’ first playoff victory since 1993 probably wouldn’t have happened.The following season, Ford started 14 games and began to make an impact, recording 10 sacks.It gave fans some hope that Ford might finally be maturing into the player they would expect to get from the draft’s first round.But six games into the 2017 season, Ford had to step off the field, as a nagging — and painful — back injury required surgery to correct.Even worse, the circumstances of the situation required that the Chiefs pick up the fifth year of Ford’s contract.So now, the pressure is on for Ford.And through two games, he has been one of the bright spots of a Chiefs defense that could use some.In an analysis of the Chiefs victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, Pro Football Focus laid out the case.Speaking to reporters on Monday, a clearly relaxed and confident Ford said that he’s excited to return to Arrowhead Stadium to play the San Francisco 49ers this Sunday.“I’m really looking forward to it,” he said. ”It’ll be pretty emotional to me because the last home game that I was at, I was on the sideline because I had just gotten the second back surgery. To be here now — healthy once again — will be very emotional for me. I’m excited.”Head coach Andy Reid said Ford is completely ready to go this season.“He has a full grasp of the defense, and he’s healthy. He’s been nicked up here and there in years past. He feels good right now, and he’s moving fast. We saw that during camp. He’s in phenomenal shape. He’s done a good job with that. His strength is up. Most of all, he’s healthy. He’s able to get out there every day.”Ford said it had been a difficult trip back from the injury.“It feels good. It was a long road to get back — and I’m still getting better — but for the human being part, the wellness part, it’s good to be out there healthy. And now it’s good to get out there and sharpen the iron and get better each week.”Ford is aware that his defensive unit is under intense scrutiny after giving up so many yards (and points) in the season’s first two games, but he remains confident.“We can be very good. It’s funny to hear people talk about the yardage we’re giving up and all that. We’re a very new defense, and we’re making some really big plays out on the field, and we understand we’re not even scratching the surface of how good we can be. It’s very early. “We’re just going to continue to get better, and I think we’re going to shock a lot of people.“ Golditch was injured during the 2012 Aurora, Colorado shooting." />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesHorizontal - WhiteArrowhead PrideArrowhead Pride | Kansas City Chiefs Schedule Mecole Hardman Jersey Cheap , News, Roster and StatsLog In or Sign UpLog InSign UpSeriesLatest NewsFanpostsFanshotsCommunityAboutStubHubMoreAll 322 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteSeries Stagner ThingsLottery Tickets ’19Summer of SpagsDixon’s MailbagLatest News Fanposts Most recentMost activeFanshots Community Community GuidelinesContactAbout StubHub ✕New Chiefs offensive lineman Zack Golditch was part of a story you may already knowNew,6commentsGolditch was injured during the 2012 Aurora, Colorado shooting.CDTShareTweetShareShareNew Chiefs offensive lineman Zack Golditch was part of a story you may already knowMark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY SportsIt’s that time of year.We’re sifting through the names of the prospects the Kansas City Chiefs have put on their 90-man roster, and we find many unfamiliar ones.Many of these unheralded players will be off the roster before the season begins, and we’ll never hear their names again.But that might not be the case with Zack Golditch, a 24-year-old offensive lineman whom the Chiefs signed off waivers from the Arizona Cardinals on Friday.An undrafted free agent first signed by the Los Angeles Chargers a year ago, Golditch was released by the Chargers just before the season began.Then he landed on the practice squad of the San Francisco 49ers.Released by the 49ers in October, Golditch spent three weeks on the practice squad of the Indianapolis Colts before being signed to the Cardinals in early November — and while there, was on the active roster for the last eight weeks of the season, playing in their Week 11 and Week 12 games.It’s not the kind of résumé that would tend to get a Chiefs fan terribly excited that he’s on the team — even though Golditch, 6 feet 5 and 295 pounds, was a 2017 first-team All-Conference selection at left tackle as a Colorado State redshirt senior, starting 38 games over his four-year career with the Rams.That said, we should also remember that his résumé is quite similar to the one offered by Chiefs lineman Andrew Wylie when he joined the team last season.All Wylie did was win the Chiefs’ Mack Lee Hill award that is given annually to the best rookie on the team.But whether or not Golditch ever plays another snap in the NFL, he already has a place in history. It’s just not the kind anyone would want.On July 20, 2012, Golditch — then a 17-year-old high school student enjoying the summer between his junior and senior years at Gateway High School in Aurora, Colorado — was attending a screening of The Dark Knight Rises at the Aurora Mall when a gunman opened fire in an adjacent theater.12 people died and 58 others were injured — including Golditch, who was struck in the neck by a bullet that came through the wall.In an article in the Rocky Mountain Collegian published a week later, Golditch told the story.“Next thing I know I hear a BANG! right beside my ear,” Golditch told the Collegian. “My ears are ringing, I just kind of like fall into my friend’s lap and let out like a yell or something cause it was hurting a lot.”The bullet that struck Golditch broke into two pieces and made two holes in the back of his neck.He was bleeding profusely, but didn’t understand what had happened to him; only the theatergoers on the other side of the wall had fully understood what was happening as it took place.But after being rushed to the hospital and seeing dozens of others who had been wounded in the shooting — many in far worse condition than himself — he realized not only what had happened, but how lucky he’d been.“The surgeon told us that had (the bullet) been a sixteenth of an inch in another location Mecole Hardman Jersey Womens , he could have become paralyzed because it would have hit his spine,” Golditch’s father Stewart told The Denver Post the following June. “If it was a sixteenth of an inch in another direction, it would have hit his carotid artery and he could have bled to death in a couple of minutes.”Fortunately for Golditch, his wound was not that serious.While it needed a heavy bandage, no surgery was needed before his release from the hospital just hours later.But even before his release, Golditch had started turning his attention to the thing that mattered most to him: playing football again.He started worrying about missing summer weightlifting practice with his fellow Gateway High Olympians, and whether he’d miss preseason practices.But in an open letter he wrote for The Post the following year, Golditch said he made up his mind to move forward.“You can’t even explain how strong Zack has become,” Gateway football coach Justin Hoffman told The Post. “It takes a really strong person to do what he has done. I get goosebumps just thinking about how he has handled himself.”“Zack did not miss a practice, and that included after being shot in the neck,” Hoffman told USA Today before the 2018 NFL Draft. “He showed up the next day, and he wanted to work. He told me, ‘Coach I want this to be a lesson you can use for the rest of your life. If there’s an excuse any other kid can give that’s worse than mine, I’d like to hear it.’ Of course, we cried about it. But that’s what he did, and that’s going to be his life. He’s going to show up, and he’s going to work.”“I hope when teams watch my film they see a guy who’s a competitor, someone who is not afraid and won’t back down from a challenge,” Golditch told USA Today. “Doesn’t matter if you’re bigger than me or better than me, I’m going to come back every single play and give my best effort and try to be better the next play.”Golditch also recalled a meeting with an NFL scout before the draft — one who had apparently failed to Google his name before the interview — who asked him to tell a story about a time he had dealt with adversity.“I was a 17-year-old kid going to see a movie, next thing you know I might not have come home that night,” Golditch recalled saying. “For me to still be able to play football, to be able to be a normal person and an able-bodied person is great.I take nothing for granted. This opportunity to continue to live my life today is amazing.”