KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Nalani Cayme is a die-hard Chiefs fan through and through thanks to her mother and grandparents.
But the family’s generational love all stems from Joe Montana.
“They were huge 49ers fans. My mom grew up loving, in love with, Joe Montana basically, and so when he went over to the Chiefs in '93, I believe it was, my mom's been a huge Chiefs fan ever since,” Cayme said. “I grew up watching the Chiefs, and Dante Hall was actually my first crush ever.”
Outside of her family's love for the team, Cayme came to adore the Chiefs after attending the University of Southern California with JuJu Smith-Schuster and Ronald Jones.
“Ronald — it was funny because I knew him before he was in the NFL, and he’s just like such a down-to-earth and chill person. So no one deserves that more than him,” Cayme said.
With plenty of reasons to back up her love for the Chiefs, Cayme says being a fan is only made better by KC's recent success.
“The energy in Arrowhead Stadium is something that you can’t describe unless you’re there, truly," she said. "I had chills for multiple reasons ... the whole time I was there because it was such an electrifying experience in the stadium."
Meanwhile across the Pacific, the Hughes family in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, is gearing up for the big game.
Deborah Hughes is a lifelong fan having grown up in Liberty, and she has made it her mission to convert her husband and kids over the years.
“I’m actually from Alabama … I brought her into the Alabama Crimson Tide family, and so she brought me into the Kansas City Chiefs family,” said Michael Hughes, Deborah's husband.
Her love for the Chiefs never wavered through the ups and downs. In fact, she was so dedicated, she dressed up as the Energizer Bunny on Mascot Day in 1993 just to attend a game.
“It was really cool because I was able to stand in the tunnel when all the players were coming in before the game,” Hughes said. “I’m standing right there, and I was like, ‘Oh my goodness, I’m standing right next to Joe Montana.'”
Both Hughes and Cayme say remaining loyal through thick and thin makes living in the glory years that much more rewarding.
“It’s special to be a fan of a team that is just so great and so iconic. I’m really excited for this,” Cayme said.
