Chiefs get their linebacker, trampoline star, punter

Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- If football fields are ever replaced by giant trampolines, the Kansas City Chiefs will have the perfect player.

Not only is rookie James "Boomer" Grigsby a husky and highly enthusiastic linebacker, he also happens to be the NFL's only three-time All-American Trampoline Award champion.

The 5-foot-11, 259-pounder from Illinois State was Kansas City's first choice in the fifth round Sunday, expected to compete for a job on a linebacker corps that has been scrambled the past three seasons by injury, ineffectiveness and general lack of direction.

But whatever success he may have will be due in part, he says, to the trampoline skills he learned from his mother. Paula Grigsby coached a nationally competitive tumbling and trampoline team all the time he was growing up in Canton, Ill., and he became a national champion.

"Trampoline builds up all that core strength and balance," he said. "When you talk to most strength coaches, the main principles of sprinters and changing direction is all controlled by your core."

Said coach Dick Vermeil, "He'll bounce all over the field."

He will also be as enthusiastic as any player the Chiefs have acquired in what could turn out to be a highly successful talent hunt.

"I can't guarantee anybody I'll ever be a pro bowler or that I'll even be that great of a player," he said. "But I can guarantee I'll be a 250-pound crazy country white boy running down on kickoffs. This is the best day in my life."

With their first pick of the second day, the defensive-minded Chiefs finally veered away and went for offense, taking wide receiver Craphonso Thorpe of Florida State.

Other second-day picks included cornerback Alphonso Hodge of Miami of Ohio, tackle Will Svitek of Stanford, defensive end Khari Long of Baylor, quarterback James Kilian of Tulsa and tackle Jeremy Parquet of Southern Miss.

Regardless of whether any of the Chiefs second-day draftees become starters, this could still turn out to be an extremely productive offseason.

After acquiring three potential defensive starters through free agency, they swung a deal with Miami on Friday for two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Surtain. Then highly decorated Texas linebacker Derrick Johnson, the player the Chiefs most coveted but did not think would be available, actually did fall to them in the first round.

Suddenly, a defense that ranked 31st in 2004 seems to hold great promise for 2005.

"It still gets down to this -- it's the proof of the pudding," said general manager Carl Peterson. "What do we do with it when we kick it off in September? And where are we in December? Hopefully it turns out to be a very successful, positive improvement for the Chiefs and then I'll say, 'Hey, that's terrific.' But it's just the beginning. It's not the end."

One of the most intriguing picks of the entire draft was Tennessee punter Justin Colquitt, taken as a compensatory pick at the end of the third round. The son of former Pittsburgh Steeler punter Craig Colquitt, he averaged 40.8 yards on 56 punts last year and will prove a welcome addition to the team that was last in punting.

Kicking left-footed might be an advantage.

"As you study him in his career, there are a number of times that the punt returner fumbles the ball," Vermeil said. "For some reason his punt when it comes down does a little bit more than the normal left-footer does to his ball. When you put the tapes together and watch this guy, it's not unusual to see the returner drop the football. It's a tough punt to catch."

Being the son of a man who kicked in two Super Bowls might also help.

"He has always been there for me," Colquitt said.

Thorpe, one of the fastest players in the nation, shattered his right leg in an overtime play against North Carolina State in 2003. He appeared in 11 games as a senior and had 40 catches for 496 yards and two touchdowns.

He said the leg is fully healed.

"I'm fine now. There are no problems with that."

Hodge started every game his senior year for Miami and was beaten for only three touchdowns. He had a career-high 52 tackles, with five sacks and six deflected passes.