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 \u201cstereotypes\u201d that he faced entering the NFL.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
He spent his final two seasons at linebacker but faced questions about his physicality and size<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s just life,\u201d Tranquill said. \u201cThere\u2019s stereotypes. I came into the league as a former safety and so people are gonna automatically think, \u2018This guy\u2019s not a physical linebacker. He\u2019s a smaller linebacker, he\u2019s good in pass coverage, he\u2019s good this, that, and the other.\u2019 And so, you just gotta know yourself. You just gotta come and work on areas you\u2019re strong, work on areas you\u2019re weak, and just try to get better as a player.\u201d<\/p>\n Tranquill recorded 19.5 tackles for loss over his final two seasons<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n 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<\/a>. He certainly appreciates his situation.<\/p>\n \u201cI love this game,\u201d Tranquill said. \u201cI love the opportunity to play for a great organization. You\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I can teach a young guy a thing or two or help one of our guys who\u2019s tired or something, it\u2019s a bonus.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Tranquill was asked about the inspiration he draws from his family after practice on Sunday, July 28. The former Los Angeles Charger\u2019s family is back in Kansas City while the team holds its training camp<\/a> some 50 miles away in St. Joseph.<\/p>\n He made no qualms about all that his wife, Jackie, and others in her position were dealing with during training camp.<\/p>\nDrue Tranquil: ‘Historic Time’ for Chiefs<\/h3>\n
Chiefs’ Drue Tranquill: ‘Our Families Go Through A Lot’<\/h3>\n