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Kansas City Chiefs rookie linebacker Willie Gay Jr. is making an early impression on his defensive teammates.
He’s already earned a nickname, for his penchant for playing fast. Fans first got a look at Gay Jr. in action when he was mic’d up for practice at training camp. They saw his athleticism and colorful personality firsthand. Now, some of the rookies’ teammates are sharing their thoughts on what he brings to the table in Kansas City.
Fellow linebacker Ben Niemann has been impressed so far with what he’s seen.
“Willie’s doing a great job,” Niemann said. “He’s definitely a talented kid and he’s been fun to have in the room. He brings it every day and he’s a great teammate, got a fun personality. So excited for this year and what he can do to help the defense out, for sure.”
A fun person in the linebacker meeting room, but also a competitor in practice. That’s not a bad combination to have in the NFL. Niemann isn’t the only one who believes that Gay Jr. can help the Chiefs defense out.
Fellow Mississippi State Alumnus, Chris Jones, took things one step further when talking about Gay Jr., describing him as special.
“I mean, he’s a special kid,” Jones said. “He’s just got to keep it up. Keep it up, keep competing day in and day out and keep striving. He’s young. He’s a Mississippi State Bulldog, which I love. But he’s just got to keep at it you know.”
That’s the biggest thing for rookies in the NFL, it’s easy to see a little bit of success in training camp or the preseason and get complacent. We’ve seen rookies fall into this trap before. Just last year players like Khalen Saunders and Darwin Thompson each hit what is sometimes described as the rookie wall. Saunders eventually made his way out of it, but Thompson never really did.
Jones knows the type of special talent that Gay Jr. can be, but he needs to heed Jones’ advice and keep striving. Otherwise, Gay Jr. could be destined to hit the dreaded rookie wall himself.
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