When you’re an up and coming player in football, it’s common practice to look at some of the best current and former players in the game. You’ll try and take pieces of their game, the things that made them great, and add those to your repertoire. New Kansas City Chiefs RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire is no exception.
Edwards-Helaire recently told team reporter BJ Kissel that there are only a few players currently in the NFL that he watches and tries to model his game after.
“This past year, I watched Josh Jacobs a lot,” Edwards-Helaire said. “But for the most part, I was a guy who was still stuck on Darren Sproles, trying to watch the things that he did throughout the end of his career. Recently I’d probably say Josh Jacobs, Ezekiel Elliott, as far as guys I like to watch.”
Jacobs and Elliott aren’t a bad combination to watch, they’re among the most explosive running backs currently playing in the NFL. Edwards-Helaire, however, loves to go back and look at some older film of guys who he feels his game is much closer to. He grew up watching and wanting to be Barry Sanders, but there are some other guys that he draws inspiration from too.
“I’m more about watching older guys when it comes to modeling my game after them,” Edwards-Helaire continued. “I feel like I’m closer to Kevin Faulk, Marshall Faulk, Brian Westbrook, and Darren Sproles. That’s normally who I watch.”
Edwards-Helaire had already been compared to Westbrook by the Chiefs’ front office and coaching staff. Andy Reid envisions him in that same type of role for the Chiefs’ offense.
Several of the players that Edwards-Helaire mentioned above have played a part in his development beyond simply watching their film. Kevin Faulk, the all-time leading rusher at LSU, was the Director of Player Development for LSU while Edwards-Helaire was there and was promoted to running backs coach this past February. Edwards-Helaire got a chance to learn from him first hand.
“In every level, you’ve grown as a person and as a football player,” Faulk told Edwards-Helaire in a video message. “Good luck.”
Another player that he’s been able to rely on in a similar way to Faulk is Darren Sproles.
“Being able to talk to [Darren Sproles], I have his number and can text him whenever I need to,” Edwards-Helaire told NBC Sports analyst Chris Simms. “We talked a lot at the combine. Being able to get whatever I need from Darren, In order to help me along in this path going into the draft, he’s been very helpful. Marshall and Kevin Faulk have also been the plus side of this. Ultimately, I’ve had nothing but guys that I can relate to as far as my game and mentally the things that I have going on. I hit the nail on the head with all the guys that I’ve run into or wanted to admire.”
It’s pretty great that Edwards-Helaire has already had an opportunity to be mentored by several of the players he looks up to and tries to model his game after. The fact that he looks up to some of the best to play the position tells me that he’s a student of the game and understands what’ll take to be great in the NFL.