Kansas City Chiefs area scout Willie Davis has spent 13 years scouting players in the state of Louisiana and things haven’t much changed in those 13 years.
“They practice hard, they prepare and they understand how to be professionals before game time,” Davis told reporters after the 2020 NFL draft.
In a way that helped the Chiefs know what they were getting in Clyde Edwards-Helaire before they selected him in the draft this past year. But no one knew better what Kansas City was getting than Edwards-Helaire’s former LSU teammate Darrel Williams, who had been with the Chiefs for two seasons already prior to Edwards-Helaire’s arrival. Williams joined the team as an undrafted free agent in 2018 and persisted when many others didn’t. Even heading into the 2020 season, his roster spot wasn’t a given. But his role as a mentor to Edwards-Helaire flew under-the-radar.
Williams and Edwards-Helaire have shared a brotherly bond since 2017, Edwards-Helaire’s freshman season at LSU, where Williams had a chance to help a high-school-aged Edwards-Helaire learn how to do things at the collegiate level.
“I mean Darrel (Williams) is somebody that I’ve always, always looked up to,” Edwards-Helaire said. “Since the first day I met him, he was always a guy who not only was telling me the right thing to do, but was inspiring with the fact of his entire story. I feel like we’re one and the same. Darrel has always been a guy who has just been there for me. I owe a lot to him because he’s kind of molded me into the guy— from the get-go. To understand plays and to look at things differently and that’s what he told me coming into college. Darrel is like a real, legit older brother to me and he’s been guiding me the whole way. It was special for me to know that he was going to be in the room with me.”
When Edwards-Helaire arrived in Kansas City, the feeling for Williams was mutual. He was excited and happy to have a chance to work alongside Edwards-Helaire again. He basically got another chance to show him how things were done, but this time in an NFL setting.
“That’s like a younger brother to me,” Williams said of Edwards-Helaire. “Clyde, freshman year when he came to LSU, you know I helped him. I showed him the ins and outs and how to approach the game. Just being able to have that same opportunity for the NFL— being able to play with him and show him the ins and outs of the game in the NFL. It means a lot because that’s somebody that’s like a younger brother to me. Being able to show him, to help him out and help him succeed and help him become the running back that he’s becoming today is a lot. I just hope for the most success for him and that he’s making the most out of his opportunities.”
And Edwards-Helaire did make the most of his opportunities, leading the backfield for Kansas City from the start of the season. He recorded the 20th most rushing yards in the league as a rookie, which is no easy feat. He certainly saw his success, but the season didn’t come without its adversity.
When Edwards-Helaire went down with ankle and hip injuries in Week 15 against the New Orleans Saints, it was tough knowing that he wouldn’t be out there with his teammates as they made the final push for the playoffs. At the same time, Edwards-Helaire was excited to see Williams pick up the mantle and have a chance to show out with the rest of the offense.
“I would say it was the same way I felt when Darrel got his opportunity to start against Alabama my freshman year at LSU,” Edwards-Helaire explained. “He completely went off, it was probably the first time that I actually seen a running back get positive yards in a game against Alabama for us within the last couple of years. It just makes me smile. It made me happy, it was the same way watching tote the pill for us recently.”
For Williams, this opportunity was a long time coming. Andy Reid even said that Williams always had the ability, he just struggled to stay healthy in his first two seasons with the team. Still, it was up to Williams to answer the call.
“When the opportunity does come, you gotta seize the moment,” Williams said. “It’s not easy at all. I guess I’ve been through it already, I know how to handle the situation.”
Williams had been through it already, back in that same Alabama game that Edwards-Helaire recalled. This time around he got the start against the Cleveland Browns in the divisional round, recording 94 yards from scrimmage, providing a physical presence in both the ground and passing game. He bought in and because of that, he reaped the benefits.
Now, these two brothers are both healthy and leading the backfield together in Kansas City as they head into the most important game of the season. An opportunity of a lifetime awaits and they’ll look to seize that moment together in Super Bowl LV.
[listicle id=87032]