The Kansas City Chiefs recently agreed to terms with punter Tyler Newsome on a one-year deal. Newsome might be considered a longshot to make the team because of Dustin Colquitt, the longest-tenured player on the Chiefs’ roster. Still, Newsome is an interesting player and worthy of getting to know. Here are three things the Chiefs Kingdom should know about their newest player:
A car accident in 2012 left Newsome severely injured
Newsome is not only lucky to be a professional athlete, but he’s lucky to be alive after a brutal car accident in 2012. Here is the description from his 2019 NFL Draft player biography:
“Roger Tyler Newsome is lucky to be alive. He spent 17 days in the hospital after a car accident in May 2012, where he suffered several injuries including a fractured tailbone and ruptured spleen. He spent many months rehabbing those injuries, however, and eventually became an all-state kicker in Georgia. Notre Dame offered him a punting scholarship before he took over that position as a senior”
Apparently, Newsome also suffered a broken pelvis, fractures to multiple ribs and a concussion during the accident. The outlook was grim, but Newsome worked his way back. Sure enough, he’d find an opportunity with the Fighting Irish and become one of the top punters in the illustrious history of the school.
Newsome has a signature hairstyle
No that is not a picture of David Spade in the 2001 film “Joe Dirt.” That’s Newsome, sporting his signature hairstyle back at Notre Dame. Apparently, the hairstyle first showed up during the 2017 bowl season. Newsome spoke to ESPN’s Marty Smith about the hairstyle in 2018. Former Notre Dame linebacker Greer Martini joined Newsome in getting a mullet ahead of the Citrus Bowl and it just kind of stuck.
“I would like to think of it as a pretty gritty haircut,” Newsome told Smith. “We’re here in the gritty midwest, so honestly I think it fits in well.”
Newsome has cut his mullet off before, like when he played for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2019. However, now that he’s coming back to the “gritty midwest” we could see the return of this hairstyle.
He’ll fit right in with the Chiefs’ mentality
Chiefs punter Dustin Colquitt always gives Patrick Mahomes a hard time for not allowing him opportunities to punt. It’s obviously in jest, but with this offense, you’re not going to get many opportunities to punt the football. Newsome won’t have a problem with the offense doing their job.
“Punting is something I love to do, but if I’m not on the field, that’s a good thing,” Newsome told Irish Illustrated in 2016. “I love seeing first downs a little more than I love punting.”
I think the Chiefs Kingdom will agree with Newsome that punting can take a back seat to a first down. At the same time, Newsome knows that flipping the field position is important too.
“I know fourth down is technically an offensive play, but I look at it as the first play of the defense,” Newsome said, per Irish Illustrated. “If we put the ball on the five-yard-line, the defense is going out there confident, knowing they’re about to stop those guys and hit ‘em right in the mouth.”
Really, he’s an equal opportunist punter — loving a first down by the offense, but ready for a fourth down to help the defense.
