The many notable players who have worn the Kansas City Chiefsuniform in their careers all carry fond memories of their tenure with the team, whether or not it ended with a Super Bowl title.
This week, Ed Easton Jr. spoke to former Chiefs defensive back Mark McMillian about his upcoming appearance at the Chiefs Kingdom Tailgate at Flanker Kitchen + Sports Bar Oct. 26-27 in Las Vegas, his tenure in Kansas City and his eventual career in broadcasting after retirement.
“It means that the world, as players, don’t get a chance to interact with the fans or mingle with the fans, so being able to still be appreciated for the work that you’ve done and being able to mingle with the fans that paid their hard-earned money to watch us play and run and do good and bad,” McMillian said. “These fans have been through some tough times, the weather, the storms, the snow. So it’s just… I’m always grateful, especially [for] people who follow my career.
“Knowing my status and my history of not even being supposed to be in this position, and being able to have a nice little eight-year career and finish it – playing under Marty Schottenheimer and playing with Derrick Thomas. Those names stand out : Marcus Allen and Andre Rison The list goes on with guys getting the opportunity to play and play with, and to be able to come back to Vegas and the land of the Raiders and host Kingdom Tailgate is pretty special.
McMillian played two seasons in Kansas City. In 1997, he led the NFL in interception return yards and was tied for second with eight interceptions. He continued to reflect on his time with the Chiefs.
“Coming out of the tunnel, hearing the fans, seeing how passionate they are about their football playing with Rich Gannon, I was a kid that wasn’t even supposed to be in that position,” McMillian said. “Here I am, coming out of the tunnel with people like Dale Carter and James Hasty, really good names, and so many memories there.
“Breaking Emmett Thomas’ record for interception yardage was a small highlight, and it tied the league and NFL in interceptions, leading the league in touchdown returns. There are so many good memories of playing in Kansas City Man, I can’t mention a single one.
After eight seasons in the NFL, McMillian took his talents to the world of broadcasting. He is currently a pregame host for CBS, covering the rival Las Vegas Raiders.
“I went to school to study broadcasting, so that was my major,” McMillian said. “So a lot of people are like, ‘Hey, how did you get into this?’ How are you so good?” I’ve been broadcasting in Alabama since 1991-1992. My first year in Philadelphia, we had a show called “The Little Big Man Show,” for which I won an Emmy Award. I do TV for a while, but the transition is great, obviously, you know, here with CBS doing a Raiders Pregame Live show, it’s a little difficult.
“It’s not like being a radio or TV announcer in Kansas City, where you win. It’s a little harder, but I love it. I love talking about the game. Giving the fans a taste of what that I see as to what they see on TV And that justifies what I talked about because I played this game at a high level.
For more information about the Chiefs Kingdom tailgate at Flanker Kitchen + Sports Bar, log on to flankerlv.com
This article was originally published on Chiefs Wire: Mark McMillian reflects on Chiefs tenure and transition to career in broadcasting
