This week, Chiefs Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. spoke to former NFL wide receiver Steve Sanders about youth mentorship, Patrick Mahomes’ rise to dominance, and one bold move that Kansas City’s front office could make in the future.
Sanders, who serves as a camp director for US Sports Camps, began by recalling how one early interaction with a professional football player changed the trajectory of his career.
“I grew up in the inner city of Cleveland, a pretty rough environment, so we didn’t have a lot of professional athletes around our programs,” said Sanders. “I remember this one time where a former Browns player came out and talked to us, and he told us the statistics behind making it to the pros, and at that particular time, he was, like, ‘Out of 100 kids, only one of you guys is gonna make it. So, who’s gonna be the one?’ When he said that, it just sparked something within me to work extra hard, to stay after practice, to get more film time in, and work harder in the weight room.”
Sanders continues to give back to his community through mentorship and support off the field. As such, he believes that the value of continuity and consistency in NFL franchises — similar to that which the Chiefs have achieved in recent years — is key to long-term success.
“You gotta figure out how to pick the right person and put the right pieces in place,” Sanders explained. “I don’t just mean the weapons on the offensive side. I mean coaching. I mean mentorship. You’ve got to make sure that you can develop young talent in the NFL. If you look at Patrick Mahomes, [that is] what the successful teams do. Mahomes sat behind Alex Smith. He didn’t go out there and start right away. He learned, he observed. He saw the dynamic between the head coach and offensive coordinator, the quarterback and the quarterback coaches. There’s a lot that goes into it than just being thrown out there in the fire.”
A former Cleveland Brown, Sanders remains an avid fan of the NFL. While watching Cleveland play last season, Sanders saw the struggles of Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, whom he sees as an ideal candidate to be Mahomes’ second-stringer someday soon.
“I think Deshaun Watson goes to a team where he can probably sit behind the starter [and] learn a little bit, similar to let’s say, what Geno Smith did with Russell Wilson,” Sanders said. “Eventually, the talent you develop and his confidence will return. Because I think his confidence was shaken a lot. He’s overcoming some injuries, but I could see Andy Reid taking a flyer on Watson and bringing him in as a backup quarterback. Maybe he won’t take over for Mahomes. Still, with the experience and confidence he gets in playing with, developing, and being in meetings with Andy Reid and Mahomes, he’ll be ready to go to another team after a year or two and succeed.”
For more information, visit the US Sports Camps website and Steve Sanders’ NIKE Football training sessions profile.
