Dreamlike.
That’s how Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce described the Super Bowl LIV championship. But it wasn’t because Kelce was living out a dream, it was because he was stuck in self-isolation, unable to celebrate his grand achievement with family and friends.
This is just one of the many challenges Chiefs players have had to endure this offseason. From keeping your body right to a shift to an offseason program, the day-to-day in the life of an NFL player, like most of us, is to “roll with the punches” as Kelce would say.
As the 2020 NFL offseason progresses, players like Kelce truly don’t know what to expect out of the season. Will it be delayed? Will there be fans allowed in the stadiums? Kelce is preparing himself for any possible scenario as it relates to the 2020 NFL season.
“You have to be ready for anything at this point,“ Kelce told reporters on Wednesday. “ I mean who would have thought that this virus would have taken us to the point of not being able to enjoy our daily lives. You’ve just got to be ready for anything at this point. That’s why everybody is taking care of their mind and their bodies at home right now. And the help is out there if you’re struggling with going through all of this . . .”
While Kelce and his teammates try to maintain their daily routines and keep their bodies in peak physical condition, it’s admittedly not the same training they’d be getting were they in the facility working with strength and conditioning coach Barry Rubin. It’s really up to the players to ensure their bodies are where they need to be in order to handle the rigors of a 16-game NFL season.
“It’s definitely something that you have to be aware of,” Kelce said. “It’s something you have to be cognizant of. Mentally, you’re not getting that same training. Being in the office with Barry Rubin getting one more rep, we’re not getting that right now. You have to take it upon yourself to go that extra mile and take care of your body making sure you’re in top physical form. But at the same time, you’re doing all of the prehab stuff and rehab stuff and physical therapy stuff that really makes the body safe to go out there and play.”
As for the virtual classroom work that is going on, Kelce notes that it hasn’t been perfect. Just working in a virtual space alone is not the same when it comes to the type of hands-on coaching that the Chiefs’ staff is used to. It’s taken a new level of patience and respect from everyone involved.
“It’s difficult,” Kelce said. “The coaches are trying to give everyone respect when they have the floor instead of chiming in when there’s an opportunity to teach. It’s hard to just cut someone off virtually than it is to come in and speak your piece when you’re in a regular room. It’s definitely a different way of learning. It’s a different way of teaching. Guys are kind of having to deal with it. I think everything has been as smooth as it can be with all the technical difficulties we’ve been having. At the same time, I would say we do have a veteran group at this point. We grew a lot over the course of the season last year and with that comes a lot of responsibility and a lot of accountability. I think we’re all going into it with the right mindset because we’re all motivated to run this thing back.”
Kelce and his teammates are prepared to meet all of the challenges they face head-on. He’s confident that the leaders on the team from Andy Reid down to the guys in the locker room will have the team ready to go for the season. He feels that the growth this team endured during their Super Bowl-winning season allows them the right mindset and motivation to attack this unique situation and come out on the other side as victors.
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