After spending just a week in Kansas City, James O'Shaughnessy, the team's fifth-round pick out of Illinois State, already likes what he's seen.
"It's been unbelievable," he said. "Obviously, when rookie minicamp started, it got even better because we actually got on the field. It's really exciting, hectic at times, but it's what you'd expect and what you'd want it to be.
"The opportunity to be here and play for the Chiefs is just unbelievable."
One player who has reached out to help the young tight end is third-year player Travis Kelce.
"He's has been very friendly to me and I've appreciated that," he said. "Kelce has been helping me out since the first day I got here.
"We have a great locker room. I've been extremely impressed at how the veteran tight ends—Adam Schiltz, Richard Gordon and Kelce have all been good since I got here."
When asked to describe how Kelce has been helping him, O'Shaughnessy said he's just trying to take it all in.
"First day, you have first-day jitters, so he helped me out with that," he explained. "He told me to slow down. Some other things as well.
"Every day, he'll give me little tidbits. He sees things I need to work on—body control. I just appreciate if he says anything to me, I'm listening. I'm trying to make sure I do it like he told me to and do it the best possible."
Kelce, who led the team with 67 receptions for 862 yards and five touchdowns last year, would seem to be a good person to learn from for the young player, which he knows.
"I had watched him in the past," O'Shaughnessy said of Kelce. "I saw his success last year and obviously, I watched the success he had at Cincinnati in college, so I've been familiar with how successful he's been and how good he's been at the tight end position.
"I just want to learn as much as I can from him."
Draft picks, UFA and tryout players are on the field for the first day of rookie mini camp.
Running backs coach Eric Bieniemy.
Strength and conditioning coach Brent Salazar
Offensive Line coach Andy Heck
Head Coach Andy Reid and General Manager John Dorsey
Mitch Morse, OL second round from Missouri
First round pick Marcus Peters
Jake Silas, OL from Buffalo
Special teams offensive and defensive lines
Trevor Pardula, Punter from Kansas University
Bo Wallace, QB University of Mississippi
Michael Stgrauss, QB university of Richmond
Chris Bonner, QB CSU-Pueblo College
Cody Sokol, QB Lousiana Tech
Running backs drill
Running backs drill
Marcus Peters
Steven Nelson, DB drafted in the third round from Oregon State
Chris Conley, WR from Georgia, drafted in the third round
Chris Conley making a catch as others look on
Long Snapper Andrew East and coach Brock Olivo.
Rakeem Nunez-Roches, DL from Southern Miss, our sixth round draft choice.
CB Steven Nelson
Ramik Wilson LB from Georgia, our fourth round draft choice
DJ Alexander LB from Oregon State, our fifth round draft choice
Marcus Peters in 11 on 11 drill
Marcus Peters making a play on the ball
Marcus Peters making a play on the ball
DJ Alexander seting up in 11 on 11
Coach Reid
Coach with Michael Strauss
The D line
Ramik Wilson on the run
RB Ricky Seale from Stanford with the carry
TE James O'Shaughnessy durring 7 on 7, Fifth round pick from Illinois State
Mitch Morse, at Center blocking the run
Mitch Morse, at Center blocking the run
Mitch Morse, at Center blocking the run
Daniel Munyer from the University of Colorado
Malcum Agnew, RB from Southern Illinois with the carry
THe offensive line
WR Jeret Smith from McMurry
RB Keshawn Hill from Sam Houston State
QB Bo Wallace and C Daniel Munyer in 7 on 7 drills
Coach Reid looking on
WR Kenny Cook from Gardner Webb making a catch
RB Keshawn Hill with the carry
(43) DB De'Vante Bausby making a play on the ball in front of (6) WR Kenny Cook
Team Run
O'Shaughnessy (6'4", 245 pounds) played in 49 games and recorded 67 catches for 1,170 yards and 14 touchdowns during his career for the Redbirds.
"I think he gives you depth," Chiefs general manager John Dorsey said after the draft. "I think he fits kind of what we are doing. I think he can catch the football. I think he is going to develop and get bigger physically. He has nice run skills with the ball in his hand.
"The component that you probably don't see as much as you should is the special team's aspect of his play. He's a really good special team's player."
Whether it's as a tight end or on special teams, O'Shaughnessy is hoping to show his coaches and new teammates over this three-day minicamp that he can get better each day.
"I'm just trying to show that I'm learning and progress each day," he said. "I'm not trying to do anything crazy, do anything too much. I just want to be myself and show that I belong and that I'm capable of contributing to this team."
During his pre-draft visit to Kansas City, O'Shaughnessy saw the crown jewel of Chiefs Kingdom— Arrowhead Stadium and said he can't wait to see it on game day.
"I saw the 80,000 seats and I got ecstatic," he said after he was drafted. "Because obviously I've never played in anything near that big.
"It's a beautiful place and I can only imagine what it looks like filled up with 80,000 raving fans. I'm very excited."
As O'Shaughnessy and the other 68 players participating in this weekend's rookie minicamp continue to put in work on Sunday afternoon, the fact that football is that much closer has much of Chiefs Kingdom getting very excited as well.
