KANSAS CITY, Mo. — I first met Sue and Fernando Andrade on the very cold morning of January 13th, 2024.
The Chiefs were getting ready to play the Miami Dolphins in the Wild Card playoff game.
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"We're just dedicated, hardcore fans, ready to go, cheer on the Chiefs," Sue Andrade said with excitement.
Now, fast forward to a week before, inside their Chiefs decorated home, and they're still feeling enthralled.
"We're excited. Very excited! Warm," they said.
Their excitement for the Chiefs ties into their love story, at a Chiefs pep rally in 2011 at Power and Light.
After chatting for some time, Sue and her sister were about to leave and Sue decided she'd say one final goodbye to Fernando.
"I literally walked right back up to him at the back of power and light and he said, 'you came back,' and I said, 'I did' and from that point on it became a true love story of being with the Chiefs and getting us together," Sue Andrade said.
"Naturally the first time I ever asked her to go to a game, I actually put it in a ring box and I asked her would you go to a first game with me," Fernando Andrade said. "She was thinking something different."
The big question came later down the road, in a unique way.
"Our favorite number was 88, because we both loved Tony Gonzalez," Fernando said. "I asked her, would you wear this jersey for the rest of your life and the ring was underneath, with our name on the back, and of course she said yes."
Their wedding included Chiefs jewelry, their guest book was a Chiefs football. They even had a wedding crasher, K.C. Wolf, who joined!
And while they danced in number 88 jerseys on their wedding day, it's the number 14 that holds a special place in their heart.
"When we had Annalise, her birthday fell on august 14th, our first date night ever was on the 14th," Sue Andrade said. "So 14 became our favorite number."
Now the Chiefs Kingdom is instilled in their daughter.
"I go to almost all the games and it's fun to watch," Annalise said.
Whether in the cold, or in the comfort of their own home, their love for the Chiefs runs deep.
"I go to church and I pray," Fernando Andrade said. "You know I don't pray for a win, I pray for giving strength to the team. You know the win is too easy to say, it's the journey which makes it so exciting."
Sue and Fernando say they've really built a community with the tailgate they started, Tailgate Kingdom, bringing people from all walks of life together and their love for the Chiefs.
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