By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Chiefs Training Camp is now open with quarterbacks and rookies reporting to Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes says the Chiefs need to stay hungry even though they are coming off back-to-back Super Bowl victories.
âWeâre back in St. Joe, itâs time to get better,â Mahomes tells reporters as training camp officials gets underway. âEvery season starts different. Youâve got to come in with the same mentality you had the year before, even a higher intensity. Even though we won the Super Bowl last year, we feel like we didnât play our best football, especially offensively. Itâs our goal to be better that way and we have to come with that mentality every single day.â
Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid says training camp prepares the team for a grueling season by sharpening their mental and physical abilities.
âIf youâre fatigued then youâre going to be fatigued mentally. If youâre fatigued physically thatâs going to affect you mentally. And if youâre fatigued period, then you canât think and you canât play, at least not to the best of your ability,â Reid says during the news conference. âSo, the objective here is letâs get ourselves in shape, make sure weâre in football shape. Theyâre all going to come back in shape, but letâs get ourselves in football shape.â
Mahomes says itâs important for the team to sequester itself on the Missouri Western campus and focus on football.
âBeing in the building and being at lunch together, being at dinner together, always kind of being around the guys, you build this kind of culture and this family-type brotherhood,â according to Mahomes. âIâm excited to continue to do that with a lot of new faces and then with guys that have been here before, because we know this is what it takes in order for us to go out there and be great.â
Not all the team is in St. Joseph. This week, only the quarterbacks and rookies attend practice. Practices this week are closed to the public. The full team reports Sunday.
Reid values this time to bring the team together and prepare for a tough football season.
âListen, we look forward to being back here. We love the set up here. The people here treat us great at Missouri Western State University; beautiful facilities,â Reid tells reports standing outside Scanlon Hall, which will be their home for the next few weeks. âItâs great to be able to get away from the city and be able to house guys in the same dorm. Iâm saying this as a coach and they probably arenât going to say this, but it builds a certain camaraderie.â
Chiefs Training Camp begins for the full team Sunday morning with a 9:15am start at MWSU. There is a $5 admission fee for the practice on Sunday, the first open to the public.