Just days after he was drafted by his hometown team, Felix Anudike-Uzomah shared the stage at the 2023 NFL draft with a Kansas City Chiefs legend, who shared with the rookie some simple, yet valuable advice.
Dante Hall was announced as the Chiefs’ Ring of Honor and Hall of Fame selection, which comes every year around the draft ahead of the team’s draft festival. With Kansas City hosting the draft this past year, the event was a little different, but Hall still had an opportunity to mingle with some draft picks, including Anudike-Uzomah.
“I remember I was on the float (at the 2023 NFL Draft) with (future Chiefs Hall of Famer) Dante Hall,” Anudike-Uzomah told reporters on Wednesday. “Basically, he said it really simple, ‘Honestly, you play football for a reason, just go out and play. There’s no thought into it, there’s no overthinking it, just go out there and play because at the end of the day, this is just a game. So, once you just play literally just a game like how you did in little league, and just play, do everything right, do everything possible, eat right, do everything, work on your body, everything will just play in place.’”
Sometimes the best advice doesn’t have to be the most profound. Anudike-Uzomah said those words from Hall will stick with him forever. It’s not just because it came from a player that was a part of his favorite team and provided some of his earliest football memories. Though, I’m sure that’s part of it. Really, the advice Hall provided just makes a lot of sense.
Sometimes as a rookie, you can let things get bigger than they are. It’s important to remember that you’re playing a game and one that you’ve played for a long time at a high level. If you prepare the right way and keep that in the back of your mind, everything else will fall into place.
