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The star of Kansas City Chiefs training camp to this point has been second-year WR Jody Fortson.
It’s hard to miss him, as the 6-6 and 230-pound Fortson towers over his teammates in the wide receiver room. His size has Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo joking with him about playing defensive end. Fortson started with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent, playing tight end, out of Division II Valdosta State in 2019. The coaching staff in Kansas City eventually sought to move him to the receiver position, recognizing they may have a special talent on their hands. He’d spend the entire 2019 season on the practice squad, where he worked on the scout team, providing a challenge for Chiefs defenders in practice.
“Yeah, we got to see Jody on the scout team last year,” Chiefs DB Daniel Sorensen said. “He’s a big body, physical, athletic, and can go up and challenge the ball. He gave us really good looks last year on the scout team. He’s doing the same thing this year in practice. It’s a great challenge for the guys that match up on him because he is a big, athletic wide receiver that you have to deal with.”
Now, Fortson is taking the spotlight at training camp, making daily highlight-reel plays. They’re not coming against roster bubble players either. He’s had opportunities to match up against Chiefs’ starting corners Bashaud Breeland and Charvarius Ward, each time coming down with acrobatic catches.
He’s even worked across from the most vocal and competitive player on the defensive side of the ball, Tyrann Mathieu. The matchup left Mathieu singing his praises on Twitter.
Me & Jody Went at it yesterday. He caught a one hander on me then looked at me… he know me, he know I’m trying one up him. Proud of that kid! He getting better & Tougher!
— Tyrann Mathieu (@Mathieu_Era) August 24, 2020
It was a moment that meant a lot to Fortson, who wore the No. 7 jersey at South Park High in Buffalo, New York because of Mathieu. He’s earned the praise, however, not only with his performances in practice but for constantly taking advice from veterans in the locker room.
“To be honest with you the only thing I did was take the advice of the great vets that we have on the team,” Fortson said. “From Sammy (Watkins), Mecole (Hardman), D-Rob (Demarcus Robinson), even Chris Jones and Tyrann (Mathieu) on the defensive side. I just took everything they gave me throughout the last season and tried to implement it into this offseason protocol for myself. I just come out every day ready to attack and just get better.”
And Fortson has improved each and every day. He feels comfortable in the offensive scheme in Kansas City, so he can focus on the little details that will make him better in the long run.
Fortson has also proven to be different. He’s not a 5-10 speedster like Tyreek Hill or Mecole Hardman. His game, the way he plays it and finds success, is different from the way signature receivers in the Chiefs offense find success. He wins in jump-ball scenarios and uses his body to box out smaller defenders. He’s said to model his game after Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver Randy Moss. That’s the type of impact he hopes to have in Kansas City one day, soon.
“Randy’s just an athletic freak,” Fortson said. “I feel like he can out-jump anyone, he can just run past anyone. I might not be able to run past everybody, but I feel like any ball that’s in the air, I feel like I have a great chance of coming down with it. Randy just did a lot of things different from anybody else. He kind of played his own way. He’s just a freak and I want to be able to implement that into my game.”
Living up to all the accolades of the Hall of Fame career of Moss seems out of reach for any NFL receiver. But up to this point, Fortson’s journey has been anything but ordinary. From Division II to landing on the roster of the eventual Super Bowl champions. Now, he’s making his case to make the team. Should he make the 53-man roster in Kansas City, he could be well on his way to becoming that Randy Moss-like player for the Chiefs Kingdom.
“It’s been an emotional rollercoaster; I’ll tell you that, but it’s definitely been well worth the journey,” Fortson said. “I wouldn’t trade anything I’ve been through right now to be where I am. I’m definitely grateful for it all. It’s been a journey.”
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