He's been a staple of this team and in this city for years. Willis' opportunity extends beyond just this game, however. Grunhard, who is 32 years old and an 11-year veteran, is in the final year of his contract. He's got a few more seasons left, but whether they are in Kansas City remains a guess right now. He was out of the league during the 1998 and '99 seasons after being released following training camp with Tampa Bay and Kansas City, respectively.
Nobody knows that.
If I'm fortunate enough to start, I'd be very excited about that. But I'm not nervous about playing. It's not like this is my first game. Willis, by the way, is a native of Lompoc, Calif., the same town where Chiefs coach Gunther Cunningham and Raiders running back Napoleon Kaufman attended high school. Those two men, however, attended Lompoc High while Willis attended crosstown Cabrillo High in the city of 37,000.