Felix Anudike-Uzomah’s journey to the NFL has been nothing short of remarkable. As a freshman at Lee’s Summit High School, the skinny 200-pounder struggled to make an impact on the football field. He was a multisport athlete and might have been better at other sports than football. Even his high school coach, Eric Thomas, had doubts about his potential.
However, Anudike-Uzomah persevered and gradually improved. He developed a quick first pass-rush step that caught the attention of the Kansas City Chiefs. He became a top pass rusher, consistently beating the blockers who once dominated him, even as he put on little weight. Still, he finished his high school career without a promise of a scholarship offer from any major college.
The plays that landed Felix Anudike-Uzomah with the Kansas City Chiefs
Belief, Hard Work, and Growth
Anudike-Uzomah was frustrated with the recruiting process and talked of quitting football and attending Missouri to study journalism. He was kept from that path only by a late offer from Kansas State. The Wildcats were out of scholarships for that year, but they promised to give him one once he showed up for school in the fall.
Anudike-Uzomah used his time in quarantine during his freshman year at Kansas State to add the weight that would help him become the player he is now. He said he went from 215 pounds when he finished his senior season of high school to about 250 by the time he arrived at Kansas State.
“All the hard work paid off. I’m glad I did what I did during quarantine instead of sitting around watching TV,” said Anudike-Uzomah.
His defensive line coach at Kansas State, Buddy Wyatt, said the Wildcats had initial concerns about Anudike-Uzomah’s ability to put weight on and maintain it. However, Anudike-Uzomah proved them wrong and went from one sack in five games as a freshman to 11 the next season and 8.5 last year. He finished his collegiate career tied for sixth in school history with 20.5 sacks and tied for fourth in forced fumbles (8).
“He wanted to be the best,” Wyatt said. “He never was going to be one satisfied to be just OK.”
Having played only three collegiate seasons, Anudike-Uzomah could have returned to Kansas State. But he said he believed he had accomplished all he could in college and is ready to play in the NFL. He turned 21 in January and said he plans on improving as much in his early years with the Chiefs as he did in high school and college.
“In a couple of years, I can be a veteran while being probably 23 or 22 or 24 and have a long career. I’m glad I came out this early, being young,” said Anudike-Uzomah.
The Chiefs’ general manager, Brett Veach, is excited about Anudike-Uzomah’s potential. He said he had a ton of production at Kansas State and every year he’s been there, he can see the growth and development.
“We’ve got a lot of years to continue to grow and develop him,” said Veach.
Anudike-Uzomah’s journey from high school underdog to NFL star is an inspiring story of belief, hard work, and growth. He has proved his doubters wrong at every step of the way and is now ready to take on the next challenge in his career.
Leave a Reply