The Kansas City Chiefs have chosen a drum leader for the AFC divisional-round game against the Cleveland Browns.
Beloved former Chiefs LB Derrick Johnson is set to return to Arrowhead Stadium to bang the drum ahead of the Chiefs’ divisional playoff game against the Browns. Johnson spent 13 seasons in Kansas City after being selected with pick No. 15 in the 2005 NFL draft. He’s still the Chiefs’ all-time tackle leader with 1,154 total tackles during his career in Kansas City. He was twice named to the NFL’s All-Pro teams and selected to four Pro Bowls throughout his career.
Johnson was part of the Chiefs’ first playoff victory of the Andy Reid era during the wild-card round of the 2015 playoffs. He recorded six total tackles in the 30-0 victory over the Houston Texans. He last played with the Chiefs in the wild-card round of the playoffs against the Tennessee Titans in the 2017-18 season— a game remembered for a controversial forward progress call on a sack-fumble of Titans QB Marcus Mariota by Johnson.
Last year, Johnson’s longtime teammate, Tamba Hali was the drum leader against the Texans in the divisional round. This appears to be carrying on a tradition of having former players as the drum leader in the divisional round of the playoffs. He’ll be tasked with getting the crowd of 17,000 or so fans pumped up ahead of kickoff, banging the drum on the GEHA Drum Deck.
The Chiefs have a few other events planned ahead of kickoff on Sunday as well. Weather permitting, the Chiefs will have a B-2 Stealth bomber from Whiteman Air Force Base to do a flyover at Arrowhead Stadium.
Retired Navy Petty Officer 1st Class, Generald Wilson, has pre-recorded a rendition of the National Anthem from the National WWI Museum and Memorial. He also sang the National Anthem at the Chiefs’ AFC Championship Game against the Titans last year.
