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USA Today
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Retired DB Erik Coleman praises the impact of former Kansas City Chiefs HC Herm Edwards
This week, Chiefs Wire's Ed Easton Jr. spoke to retired NFL safety Erik Coleman and acclaimed car customizer Will Castro about his new show, Unique Academy, and their NFL coaching influences, including former Kansas City Chiefs head coach Herm Edwards. "I'm going to relate to Bill Parcells, I noticed that even if you have superstars, on an NFL team and Parcells comes into the locker room, those players, no matter what they're young or whatever, they're going to respect Parcells," said Castro, "so at the end of the day, they do respect the struggles that I went through and all the stuff that we had to do to get 'Unique' where it is, so at the end of the day, they respect that, so they listen to what I'm saying." Castro's new Roku show, 'Unique Academy', is a one-of-a-kind automotive training program that puts students on the fast track to success by taking them behind the hood of a celebrity car. "These students were amazing. They listened. They worked very hard. They, I'll be honest with you," said Castro. "One student came late, and he called me, and I told him, Listen, if you're going to be late and you're going to take off on a Saturday, have the respect to text me a day before or two days before, so at least I know that you're being accountable and responsible. We had amazing kids." Former NFL safety Erik Coleman, one of Castro's friends and long-time clients, shared his thoughts on coaching and referred to his former New York Jets head coach, Herm Edwards. "It was awesome playing for Coach Herm (Edwards). He's probably my favorite coach that I played for, and the cool thing about Herm is that it is much like what Will (Castro) is doing with these kids," said Coleman. "He was more excited about developing you as a man than a football player. So, he knew that if you could become a good father, a good husband, a good person in the community, take care of your business, and be accountable, then those are tools that you can use in life. That's something that always stuck out with Coach Herm. It was like, yeah, he wanted me to be a great player, but he was consumed with me being a better man, and that's how we all felt. And you know, someone caring for you and taking interest in you makes you want to run through a wall for him." Coleman played his first two NFL seasons under Edwards before the latter was traded to the Chiefs and became the new head coach for the 2006 season. Coleman believes many of Edwards' traits can be said for Castro during the show. "I can see that in Will, and what he's doing with these kids, he's not easy on them," said Coleman. "He works hard. He expects their hard work, attention to detail, and for them to put in their work, and that's how you develop men. Will is doing a great job of that." Acclaimed car customizer and TV personality Will Castro is back with an inspiring new series, Unique Academy, streaming now exclusively on Roku.
USA Today
2 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Chiefs legend Derrick Johnson reveals his mindset on retiring, Defend the Dream Foundation
A post shared by Defend The Dream Foundation (@defendthedreamfoundation) This week, Chiefs Wire's Ed Easton Jr. spoke to Kansas City Chiefs legend and franchise leader in tackles, Derrick Johnson, about his new children's book, 'Super DJ Saves Field Day,' Defend The Dream Foundation, and his realization that he would leave Kansas City after 13 seasons. "Defend The Dream Foundation caters to inner city kids through education. But what we do is go to Title I elementary schools in low-income areas and do library makeovers at their school. We add nice paint on the walls, comfortable furniture, rugs, bean bags, and a space that's specifically designed for kids. "We make it look nice and bright so it's conducive to learning," said Johnson. "We give them over 1,000 age-appropriate books, new books that they can read and do independent reading." Do anything that they need to have more resources to help them to read better, because we know there's a bad stat in the reading column; we talk in low-income areas; if they're not on grade level reading by the time they leave elementary school, half of them don't finish high school. So that's a big deal." Johnson ended his Chiefs playing career after the 2017 AFC Wild Card loss to the Tennessee Titans, but played one more season with the Oakland Raiders in 2018. He would eventually return to Kansas City to sign a one-day contract to retire with the team for which he holds the franchise record for tackles. "I was hoping it wasn't (my last game in Kansas City). But there was a reality check at the beginning of the (2017 Wild Card) game, like, this could be my last time breaking it down as a group," said Johnson, "At the moment, you don't know. Playing for 13 years, it seems like it never ends. So it's hard to say this is my last one, but 'Father Time' has gotten to me. I wasn't the player I used to be." Super DJ Saves Field Day, an inspiring story about a dad-turned-superhero who flies in and helps kids overcome challenges and find their own super powers, will be released under Black Rose Writing. Super DJ Saves Field Day is available on August 7th. Follow the link to order now! Check the website for more information on Derrick Johnson's Defend The Dream Foundation.
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes comments on incredible catch at NFL FLAG Championships
This week, Chiefs Wire's Ed Easton Jr. spoke to Alexia Gallagher, Executive Director of the NFL Foundation, and Stephanie Kwok, the head of Flag Football, to discuss the impactful youth development through flag football. "NFL FLAG-In-School, we want to ensure that underserved youth have every opportunity to play and that we're helping to level the playing field," said Gallagher, "Those teachers have access to all the resources available to stay healthy and fit. We believe that playing flag football is one of the best ways to do that. When we talk about youth health and wellness and how our campaign was focused on physical wellness, over the years, we expanded our youth health and wellness work to include mental wellness as well, and really to ensure that our work supports the whole child so physically through grant partnerships like the one that we have with GENYOUth on the NFL FLAG-In-School program." The Kansas City Chiefs often highlight youth flag football teams in the community, promoting the sport and its impact on the future. All players in the program have the opportunity to learn from legendary NFL athletes and staff. Patrick Mahomes was one of the many on social media commenting on an incredible touchdown reception during a boys' flag football game on Saturday. "There's so many NFL players that grew up playing flag football that it was a part of their elementary school days, even beyond into middle school as well," said Kwok, "So I think hearing when they share that experience, when they share that they play flag football, that it helps with their early exposure to football, and it helps with their skills development, that's a route that you can take. You can start with flag football, you can move on from there to tackle football, to either playing in the NFL, and then also, though, now there's that opportunity right for women to play football through flag football, and that's an opportunity that they didn't have before. Now, you can play in high school, you can play in college, and you can play in the Olympics alongside men and NFL players. I think that's what's special about flag football. You see everyone playing flag football, from NFL players to our current national flag team players to college and high school players, to just kids in gym and physical education class. That's what shows, I think, how truly accessible and inclusive it is." NFL FLAG-In-School is a critical entry point for millions of students to get moving in school. By providing free flag football equipment and a standards-based curriculum to schools, the program empowers educators to motivate students with a fun and inclusive activity designed for all skill levels.
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Former DB Erik Coleman weighs in on the pressure Patrick Mahomes faced in Super Bowl LIX
This week, Chiefs Wire's Ed Easton Jr. spoke to retired NFL safety Erik Coleman to discuss his support for Acclaimed car customizer and TV personality Will Castro's new show, Unique Academy, and his thoughts on the Kansas City Chiefs' performance in Super Bowl LIX. "I was not surprised, and I was going with the Eagles because they did a great job dominating the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, offense and defense. You look at them offensively, with the great offensive line, Lane Johnson, and the other players, and they dominate," said Coleman. "They're playing three yards from the line of scrimmage, and say Saquon (Barkley) is not getting hit until he's five yards down the field. If you give a player like Saquon that many opportunities in open space, all it takes is three or four plays, and he will hit you and make some big plays, and he did, and that's what he did all season long." The Eagles' defense pressured Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes throughout the game, securing six sacks without employing a blitz. "On the defensive side, that defensive line was playing on the other side of the ball; it was like Patrick Mahomes was on alert the entire game." said Coleman, "You're supposed to be having his eyes down the field, looking at receivers, reading routes, but in the back of his mind, he's worrying about it. I'm going to get hit pretty soon. That's how the Eagles team dominated the whole season. They had some great leaders and finished it on a strong note. So, kudos to the Eagles for what they did; that's how the game is won at the line of scrimmage." Coleman is a proud client of Castro, as the accomplished host reflected on their friendship. "We started doing a lot of the (New York) Jets cars back in, wow, 1988, so long time ago. We used to do everybody's car," Castro said to Easton Jr., "So Eric Coleman, when he got drafted, we did about five cars for him, before he was even married, so I've known Eric for a long time. He's been a great player and a team guy. We did a lot of cars for him as well." Each 30-minute episode follows a group of young students at Unique Academy. They learn hands-on skills like car tinting and detailing while being mentored by Castro and a lineup of high-profile guests from music, sports, and entertainment. The idea is to open doors into the automotive and business industries and keep students focused on building careers, character, and community. Acclaimed car customizer and TV personality Will Castro is back with an inspiring new series, Unique Academy, streaming now exclusively on Roku.
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Chiefs LB Derrick Johnson comments on his 2017 AFC Wild Card sack of Marcus Mariota
This week, Chiefs Wire's Ed Easton Jr. spoke to Kansas City Chiefs legend and franchise leader in tackles, Derrick Johnson, about his new children's book, 'Super DJ Saves Field Day,' Defend The Dream Foundation, and his memorable sack of Marcus Mariota in the 2017 AFC Wild Card playoffs. "Right now, the littles (Derrick's children) love it because their names are in the book. But at the beginning of the book, it says, hey, you know, this is Derrick Johnson and Brittni Johnson, and this is their family, and they have six kids. They're like, Oh, snap, that's us right there. So that's kind of cool." said Johnson, "So that made them be like, alright, that I got the upper hand for them to really dive into the book, and they enjoy it because now they know it's about Dad and it's, it has them at the beginning of the book and the end of the book. So it's kind of cool. Cool seeing their reaction. I'm talking about the littles, the big boys. They're like, Oh, that's cool. They read it, but it's mainly for little kids." Johnson had eight tackles in the 2017 AFC Wild Card Game and sacked quarterback Marcus Mariota in an electrifying manner that could have resulted in a turnover. The Chiefs' 22–21 loss to the Tennessee Titans also served as Johnson's last with the team after 13 seasons. "When you're at home and in the playoffs, up 21-3, you book it. I don't care if it's the end of the second or third quarter. I don't care what it is. You figured out how to win the game; unfortunately, we didn't. Some things happened in that game, where, if they go our way, we probably win," said Johnson, "I'm always reminded by Chiefs fans when I see them play. 'Man, that Mariota hit.' That Titans game in 2017 was tough. It was obviously a bad call. They look at it now and, like, there's no way you call that. I think they called it forward progress. I mean, it was a hit-and-out. I had a really good game, my last game as a Chief, and, man, I got some really good championship moments. Never won the big one at the Chiefs, but was there for 13 years. So I learned a lot and was blessed a lot." Super DJ Saves Field Day, an inspiring story about a dad-turned-superhero who flies in and helps kids overcome challenges and find their own super powers, will be released under Black Rose Writing. Super DJ Saves Field Day is available on August 7th. Follow the link to order now! Check the website for more information on Derrick Johnson's Defend The Dream Foundation.
