The Kansas City Chiefs have brought in many undrafted free agents to fill out their 90-man offseason roster, but none are as intriguing as defensive end Tershawn Wharton. A record-setting performer at Division II Missouri S&T, Wharton’s stats jump off the page with 58 tackles for loss and 35.5 sacks in his career.
Meeting with the Chiefs’ media on Wednesday, Wharton admitted that he wasn’t always the player that he is today.
“I feel like coming out of high school I wasn’t overlooked; I was kind of undersized,” Wharton told reporters in a conference call. “Nobody knew the potential that I had. I feel like it was an opportunity that I just took and ran with.”
Even with his performance in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, Wharton making it to the NFL is a rarity. He credits his opportunity at the East-West Shrine Game for helping to put him on the map.
“I think it was very challenging coming from a small school,” Wharton said. “I was lucky enough that I was one of the players that got put into the East-West Shrine Game from a smaller school. Coming out of Division II you’ve got to dominate at that level to be seen. I was able to do that and then going to the East-West Shrine Game and just showing that I’m capable of playing with the upper-level guys at the Division I schools.”
Wharton was a bit surprised to get the invite to the All-Star Game, but in the end, he was very pleased with his experience.
“Very surprising,” Wharton said. “Coming from S&T not too many people have been in the bowl games like that. I wasn’t even aware of those types of games until my senior year and my coaches told me they were looking into me and asking about me. The coaching [at the East-West Shrine Bowl] was very well done, just hearing it from a different group. At S&T I was taught by the same coach for a long time, so I think it really helped out. I just wish I had more time with a coach at that level.”
The eagerness to learn is something that comes easily to Wharton. He’s a hard worker both on and off the field. He believes that work ethic is what helps him find such success on the field.
“I think as a player I like to work hard on the field as much as I like to work hard anywhere else,” Wharton said. “Those stats come from just grinding out and fighting through everything. As far as on the field, no one knows what is going to come. I feel like I have a lot of learning to do to become a better player at the next level.”
Wharton also prides himself on being a very coachable player. He’s not someone that you’ll find freelancing often, but instead, he sticks to the coaching plan and practices what his coaches preach. In the limited interactions that he’s had so far with Chiefs defensive line coach Brendan Daly thus far, Wharton has come away impressed with Daly’s coaching style.
“So far with what he’s been teaching me, I think I’m going to like him a lot,” Wharton said. “He’s very to the point and he’s willing to help you and teach you. So far I think it’ll be good and I’m ready to get on the field with him. I like his energy a lot.”
Wharton grew up just four hours away from Kansas City in University City, Missouri. He was a Rams fan growing up, but don’t hold that against him. The vicinity to home played a part in his decision to join the Chiefs, mainly because he wants his family to be able to witness his journey.
“Signing to a team that close to my hometown is good for my family,” Wharton said. “They’ll be able to see me play, and all my friends and family are still there. A lot of people want to live this out so I can play for them as well.”
Wharton has a tough road ahead of him toward making the Chiefs’ 53-man NFL roster, but he’s already beaten the odds by getting to this moment. Don’t count him out when it comes to proving his doubters wrong in the next step of his journey.
Still work to be done…53 man is a must 🤐🤐💯 https://t.co/IOVGmXCrmm
— Turk Chop (@1kingturk__) April 30, 2020