The Chiefs lost their preseason opener to the New Orleans Saints, but there were still plenty of positives to take away from the game for Kansas City.
One of those included the performance of former Clemson Tigers star Justyn Ross, who caught his first touchdown at the NFL level during the showdown. Afterwards, Chiefs quarterback Shane Buechele took some time to speak on the matter, praising the wide receiver’s performance.
“He did a great job of running the route and just executing the play,” said Buechele. “I was happy for him. It was awesome.”
“… He did a great job of executing — and both of us being on the same page. It was the reaction after that we were all happy about. Seeing the smile on his face. Seeing all the hard work he’s put in from all his injuries — tough times for him. For him to be out on the field trusting his ability and then just executing on the play, it was awesome. It was good to see.”
Alas, Ross was projected to become a top pick while playing at Clemson, until an injury nearly derailed his entire career. Now he’s attempting to rebuild himself in Kansas City, and it’s evident he’s making some progress.
Longtime Chiefs coach Andy Reid even had some complimentary things to say about Ross’ performance, adding that he was elated to see him healthy at this juncture, as well.
“That’s a good part of the story,” Reid said. “And he came out healthy — that’s a positive thing.
“… I want to take a look at the tape. In general, I thought the guys did a decent job in there. I know he had the touchdown — and that was a good play. As a whole, I’ve got to see all the work that he did.”
Perhaps the Chiefs found a diamond in the rough in Ross. He certainly has the talent, and if he’s able to put it all together, it could be a perfect fit, with the former Tigers star in Kansas City.
Lord knows Patrick Mahomes doesn’t need any more weapons to throw the ball to, especially one that has the talent of Ross, but that story is simply too good to not root for him. If Ross continues his upward trend, it’d be one of supreme perseverance, and anyone can get behind that.
One thing is for certain, Justyn Ross isn’t giving up his NFL dream, and it’s looking like it has some legs moving forward.
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