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New Chief Brandon Kinnie comes full circle

  • By Adam Teicher/McClatchy Newspapers (MCT)
  • Originally published April 30, 2012 at 8:45 p.m., updated April 30, 2012 at 9:50 p.m.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. _ In a sense, getting his chance to play in the NFL won't be anything new for wide receiver Brandon Kinnie. He's already played with a pro quarterback, Tampa Bay's Josh Freeman, for two years when they were together at Grandview (Mo.) High School.

Kinnie, who went on to play wide receiver at Nebraska, wasn't selected in the NFL Draft. But he is one of 15 undrafted free agents to sign with the Chiefs, and he will begin play for them at next week's rookie camp.

"High school is probably where I started really dreaming about playing in the NFL, and maybe because that was because I was playing with Josh," Kinnie said. "Playing with him was great. My coaches sat me down and said, 'Dude, you've got a chance to do something, so make the most of it.' "

Kinnie grew up in Fort Wayne, Ind., and didn't move to Grandview until he was in high school. So he wasn't a Chiefs fan and has never been to a game at Arrowhead Stadium.

"I wasn't a fan of any team," he said. "I just watched football and that was it."

After high school, he went to Fort Scott Community College, where Kinnie played two seasons of basketball and one of football. Then it was on to Nebraska, where he caught 81 passes and scored six touchdowns in his three seasons.

"It was the greatest time of my life," Kinnie said. "I'm glad coach Bo (Pelini) gave me the opportunity to play here. My ultimate goal was to graduate, and I did that."

The Chiefs drafted two receivers, Devon Wylie in the fourth round and Junior Hemingway in the seventh. They also signed another undrafted receiver, but Kinnie is still eager for his chance.

"Kansas City called me during the draft and told me to be ready when the draft was over," Kinnie said. "I was still hoping to go late-round. When it was over, I got calls from Oakland, New Orleans, New England, Washington, But my agent said Kansas City was really pressing, that they really wanted me and then they called me to say the same thing. So I took their opportunity, and I'm ready to make the best of it."

Kansas tight end Tim Biere and Kansas State safety Tysyn Hartman were among the other signings.

The Chiefs hit the secondary hard. Five of the 15 are defensive backs.

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NEWEST CHIEFS

Here's a breakdown by position of the undrafted free agents the Chiefs signed:

Defensive back (5): Tysyn Hartman, Kansas State; Jean Fanor, Bethune-Cookman; Chandler Fenner, Holy Cross; Terrance Parks, Florida State; Neiko Thorpe, Auburn.

Wide receiver (2): Brandon Kinnie, Nebraska; Josh Bellamy, Louisville.

Offensive line (2): Justin Cheadle, California; Cam Holland, North Carolina. Cheadle was a guard in college, Holland a center.

Tight end (1): Tim Biere, Kansas, who caught 66 passes in four seasons for the Jayhawks.

Running back (1): Nate Eachus, Colgate. He rushed for almost 4,500 yards in four collegiate seasons.

Fullback (1): Taylor Gentry, North Carolina State. The Chiefs don't have much at his position, so he could win a roster spot with an impressive camp.

Linebacker (1): Dexter Heyman, Louisville. At 238 pounds, he will line up inside for Chiefs.

Defensive end (1): Ethan Johnson, Notre Dame. Johnson had 12{ sacks in four seasons at Notre Dame.

Kicker (1): Matt Syzmanski, SMU. Started at Texas A&M before transferring. He made just 60 percent of his collegiate field-goal attempts.

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(c)2012 The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Mo.)

Visit The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Mo.) at www.kansascity.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services

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