The Kansas City Chiefs added speedy linebacker Willie Gay Jr. in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Entering the draft, Gay didn’t know exactly when he would be drafted. A myriad of past off-field issues left teams with mixed opinions of him. He was told that he could be drafted in the range of anywhere from the second to the fourth round. Gay had a feeling he’d be getting a call from the Chiefs, and when he did finally get that call, all he could think about was starting to get to work with his new coaches and teammates.
“Honestly, I was telling my family that my phone interviews with the Chiefs went so well the past few weeks that I said, ‘They can’t pass on me twice’. They could have,” Gay explained to reporters on Friday.” They took a chance on me and right when they called me, I was in shock. I was like, ‘It’s time. I’m ready to work’. So, I’m ready.”
Gay began playing football when he was six years old, and he claims to have always been the fastest player on the field. He didn’t always play the linebacker position, he was just an all-around athlete. When he got into high school football, that’s when he finally started to face competition with an equal skill set. It’s also when he really started to understand the brotherhood that is football.
“. . .When I got to high school, I was able to compete with guys that were just as good as me, it made me fall in love with competing,” Gay said. “When I can hit a guy and he gets up, he hits me, I get up, just the rough part of the game is what I love and the brotherhood. It makes you a better man outside of football. It teaches you life lessons that you never thought football could teach you. That’s really something that helps me a lot.”
Now, in Kansas City, Gay will find a new set of brothers. He’s eager to work and learn from all of his new defensive teammates like Tyrann Mathieu, who is also a fan of Gay, and Chris Jones, who is a Mississippi State Alumnus.
“I know for a fact they play a lot of man,” Gay said of the Chiefs’ defense. “They do a lot of everything. I feel like I’m more speed with Tyrann (Mathieu) on the defense. A great defense all around, around him and Chris Jones and those great linebackers. I feel like it’s perfect for me. I can get better from those guys. I can learn a lot. They can teach me a lot. I’m just a sponge out there taking in every detail. Whether it’s something at practice, something at games, something with film room study. I feel like I’m in a great position, and the defense is awesome, so I’m ready.”
Gay’s eagerness to put in the work and learn from the veterans won’t go unnoticed by his new teammates. As we’ve seen with starting QB Patrick Mahomes, putting in the work is the first step toward walking the path to greatness.
