KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For Elijah Lee, coming back to the fields in St. Joseph felt special for him.
No longer was he a water boy in high school, giving out bottles to Kansas City Chiefs players he looked up to like Tamba Hali, Justin Houston and Derrick Johnson at training camp.
Years later, he is back at the Chiefs training camp in St. Joseph, but this time, he's playing linebacker for his hometown team, and wearing the same red and white uniforms his idols wore when he watched from the sidelines.
Lee, who grew up 15 minutes east from Arrowhead Stadium in Blue Springs and attended college at Kansas State in Manhattan, says it is a phenomenal opportunity to play for the Chiefs.
"It means a lot," Lee said, " Just riding by the stadium, you wish and hope to be in this position and now that I am, I'm grateful."
That gratitude shone through while Lee spoke with reporters after training on Monday.
"Going through (the free agency) process, you hope to play for the hometown team, but at the end of the day, I'm thankful for this job and I'm thankful for prolonging my career and keep stacking years."
While Lee is no doubt excited to join Chiefs Kingdom, he knows there is still a long way to go and he is open to doing whatever role the Chiefs give him to help the team bring back the Lombardi Trophy.
"Wherever I can help, I gonna put my best foot forward," Lee said.
Lee has certainly shown his work ethic to the coaching staff as he has taken first-team reps on defense in training camp so far.
"As a vet, you take advantage of the opportunities," Lee stated. "There's no excuses if you're a vet, you gotta put in the extra hours. For me, I ask a lot of questions, and its not that I don't know it, it's cause I want reassurance that I know.
