Kansas City Chiefs’ second-year offensive linemen Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith attended the fifth-annual OL Masterminds summit in Frisco, Texas over the weekend.
This marks the second consecutive year that the duo has attended the event, learning from the best in the business. The multi-day offensive line event is hosted by Eagles RT Lane Johnson and private OL coach Duke Manyweather, uniting offensive linemen with a common goal of improving the position.
This particular year featured a large panel of NFL Hall of Famers and legends who played offensive line, including Pro Football Hall of Fame LT Willie Roaf, who played five seasons in Kansas City from 2002-2006. Roaf had some important advice that he shared with the younger generation of players about how quickly time goes by and making the most of that time in the league.
.@saints @chiefs #HOFer the emotion and the love of the game. The passion for OL Play/ NFL Football is real. It’s LIFE!! #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/TmvloOH6vU
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) July 9, 2022
He questioned the things that he could have done early on to extend his playing career.
“When I was young, I was just a great athlete,” Roaf said. “I didn’t have to do a lot of things. I had good feet, good hands, I could get away with stuff. Then I hit that point in my career where I started slipping and gaining weight and kicking it. I had to become a pro. And then I tore my knee up and after nine years, I got ran out of town in New Orleans, and nobody wanted to touch me. And I got to Kansas City. It hurt. I got to finish my career on the best line in the league.
Once Roaf got it right, it paid off in the end for him with the Chiefs. His story was an exercise in caution for those who think they could get by without actively working to improve their craft.
It’s unclear if Humphrey and Smith were the only members of the Chiefs’ current group of offensive linemen in attendance. They did get a chance to have some 1-on-1 time speaking with and learning from Roaf. The Draft Network’s Joe Marino shared a photo of the trio chopping it up over the weekend:
The past meets the present here for the Chiefs OL here at @OLMasterminds! #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/Cx66EodXI3
— Joe Marino (@TheJoeMarino) July 9, 2022
