The many notable players who have worn the Kansas City Chiefs’ uniform in their careers all carry fond memories of their tenure with the team, regardless of whether it ended with a Super Bowl title.
This week, Ed Easton Jr. spoke to former Chiefs defensive back Mark McMillian about his upcoming appearance at the Chiefs Kingdom Tailgate at Flanker Kitchen + Sports Bar on October 26 and 27 in Las Vegas, his tenure in Kansas City, and his eventual broadcasting career after retirement.
“It means the world as players, we don’t get a chance to interact with the fans or tailgate with the fans, so being able to be still appreciated for the work that you put in and be able to mingle with the fans that paid their hard-earned money to come out and watch us play and run around and do the good and the bad,” said McMillian. “Those fans were through tough times, weather, storms, snow. So it’s just… I’m just always appreciative, especially [for] people that follow my career.
“Knowing my status and my story of not even supposed to be in that position, and to be able to have a nice little eight-year career and finish it off—playing under Marty Schottenheimer and playing with Derrick Thomas. Those names stick out: Marcus Allen and Andre Rison. The list goes on with the guys that have the opportunity to play for and play with, and being able to come back to Vegas and Raider country and host the Kingdom Tailgate is pretty special.”
McMillian played two seasons in Kansas City. In 1997, he led the NFL in interception return yards and was tied for second place with eight interceptions. He continued to reflect on his time with the Chiefs.
“Running out of the tunnel, hearing the fans, seeing how passionate they are about their football playing with Rich Gannon, I was a kid that wasn’t even supposed to be in that position,” said McMillian. “Here I am, running out of the tunnel with the likes of Dale Carter and James Hasty, some really good names, and so many memories there.
“Breaking Emmett Thomas’s record for interception yardage was a little highlight, and it tied for the league and the NFL with interceptions, leading the league with touchdown returns. There are just so many great memories of playing in Kansas City. Man, I can’t mention just one.”
After eight seasons in the NFL, McMillian took his talents to the broadcasting world. He currently serves as a pregame host for CBS, covering the rival Las Vegas Raiders.
“I went to school for broadcasting, so that was my major,” McMillian explained. “So, many people are like, ‘Hey, how did you get into it? How are you so good?’ I’ve been broadcasting in Alabama since 1991-1992. In my rookie year in Philadelphia, we had a show called ‘The Little Big Man Show,’ for which I won an Emmy Award. So I’ve been, I’ve been doing TV for a while, but the transition is great, obviously, you know, here with CBS doing a Raiders Pregame Live show, it’s a little difficult.
“It’s not like being a radio or TV host in Kansas City, where you’re winning. It’s a little tougher, but I love it. I love to break down about the game. Give the fans an insight into what I see as to what they see on TV. And it justifies what I talked about because I played the game at a high level.”
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For more information on the Chiefs Kingdom Tailgate at Flanker Kitchen + Sports Bar, log on to flankerlv.com