KANSAS CITY, Mo. — KSHB 41 reporter Tod Palmer covers sports business and eastern Jackson County, including Independence. Share your story idea with Tod.
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Two-time Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro center Creed Humphrey spent Tuesday serving pizza to military families from the Kansas City area.
Dozens of service members from Whiteman Air Force Base were among those who spent the afternoon playing tailgate games and eating pizza outside Arrowhead Stadium as part of a partnership between Humphrey and Little Caesars' Love Kitchen.
"They're the real heroes,” Humphrey, now in his sixth season with Kansas City, said. “So, any chance we had to be able to give back and help out, it's an awesome opportunity.”
Tech Sgt. D'Anne Kennedy, stationed with the 442nd Fighter Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base, said the gesture meant a lot to those in attendance.
“It's the season right now; I'm sure he has a thousand other things that people would want from him,” she said. “Just the fact that he cares enough about our service members and cares enough to take time out of his day, it's a really good thing to see it. It feels good to be acknowledged and to be appreciated.”
Lt. Steven McElyea, also stationed with the 442nd Fighter Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base, attended the event with his young sons.
"For Creed to be out here, especially after a nice win against the Colts on Sunday night, I think it's a big deal for the community for him to be out here and showing face,” he said. “We all appreciate it. He's out here giving pizza to everybody, and I think this is a really good opportunity for him to come and meet the community out here. We're really grateful for that opportunity for him.”
Humphrey paused for pictures and autographs after serving the meal.
“They give so much to us,” he said. “They protect us. They fight for our freedom. So, I mean, to be able to give back to them and their families, it's the least we could do.”
McElyea drew a parallel between Humphrey's role on the offensive line and military service, where small contributions add up to large outcomes.
"It's such a privilege and an honor to work with everybody that's at Whiteman, on all sides,” he said. “I think when you understand exactly all the small things that they do that lead to large impacts, it really does make you appreciate it. Much like what Creed's doing as an offensive line, we're pretty much just like that. We support the big players out there, and every day we're grateful to be here.”
Kennedy reflected on the human side of the event, noting that even her superior officer, Chief Master Sergeant Nathan L. Parks, was able to simply enjoy the moment as a Chiefs fan.
"He's somebody that I look up to in my career, and he's almost getting to just be a guy and get to experience it, getting to be a Chiefs fan — because he's born and raised here,” Kennedy said. “It's nice. Just the human aspect of it is all really fun.”
The Chiefs will look to improve to 3-0 on Sunday in Miami.
The 442nd Fighter Wing operates a squadron of Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, better known as "The Warthog."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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