Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill said he was far more comfortable in the defense entering his second season with the Chiefs. Asked about the aggression in the run game that he has shown in camp and recent years, Tranquill talked about the “stereotypes” that he faced entering the NFL.
Chiefs’ Drue Tranquill Sends Message on Disproving ‘Stereotypes’
Chiefs’ Drue Tranquill Faced Questions After Changing Positions in College
The 6-foot-2, 234-pound Tranquill spent his first three seasons in college at Notre Dame playing safety before converting to linebacker in 2017.
He spent his final two seasons at linebacker but faced questions about his physicality and size.
“I think it’s just life,” Tranquill said. “There’s stereotypes. I came into the league as a former safety and so people are gonna automatically think, ‘This guy’s not a physical linebacker. He’s a smaller linebacker, he’s good in pass coverage, he’s good this, that, and the other.’ And so, you just gotta know yourself. You just gotta come and work on areas you’re strong, work on areas you’re weak, and just try to get better as a player.”
Tranquill recorded 19.5 tackles for loss over his final two seasons at Notre Dame. He has 17 over the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the Chargers and Chiefs, including seven in Year 1 with the Chiefs.
Drue Tranquil: ‘Historic Time’ for Chiefs
Tranquill finished with 78 total tackles in 2023 despite starting eight of his 16 games played after logging 16 starts in 17 games played in 2022. His performance could have him in line for a larger role. He certainly appreciates his situation.
“I love this game,” Tranquill said. “I love the opportunity to play for a great organization. You’re around such great coaches and great players. This is a historic time to be a Kansas City Chief, and I feel grateful to be a part of it. And so I just try to come out here and do my job to the best of my ability.
“If I can teach a young guy a thing or two or help one of our guys who’s tired or something, it’s a bonus.”
Training camp is a time for learning for the players. But they are hardly the only ones affected by the period, particularly with camp being as far from Kansas City as it is.
Chiefs’ Drue Tranquill: ‘Our Families Go Through A Lot’
Tranquill was asked about the inspiration he draws from his family after practice on Sunday, July 28. The former Los Angeles Charger’s family is back in Kansas City while the team holds its training camp some 50 miles away in St. Joseph.
He made no qualms about all that his wife, Jackie, and others in her position were dealing with during training camp.
“It’s really hard. It’s a credit – I’ll give a shoutout to my wife. I mean, she’s back home with three children. She’s waking up early with them, she’s putting them down at night, she’s dealing with all the whining, the crying, everything in between. She’s having to move here, move all of our stuff, and I’m here playing football,” Tranquill told reporters on July 28.
“Our families go through a lot for us to play this game. They don’t get nearly the credit that we do. They don’t get to talk to the media. The media doesn’t really talk about them. And so the stuff that they do behind the scenes to make this possible is nothing short of amazing and they know how much we love and appreciate them. And, yeah, we love our wives, we love our kids, we love our family.”
Tranquill followed that up with another message on X, formerly Twitter.
“Jackie Tranquill is my forever Queen. There’s no doubt she’s a Kingdom Queen,” Tranquill posted on X on July 28. “An absolutely wonderful mother, daughter, & friend. She’s the brightest & most caring person I know.
“When she speaks, the people around her get better.”
Tranquill also extended his message to the wives and significant others of his teammates for their support.
“To all the mothers & wives in Chiefs Kingdom .. WE SEE YOU,” Tranquill said in the post.
Main Photo: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
