ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Amid a mass of bodies up front, there's an easy way to tell if Creed Humphrey is snapping for the Kansas City Chiefs.
He's doing it left-handed.
"I don't really think it matters much," said Humphrey, a rookie center who is already running with the starting offense at Chiefs training camp in St. Joseph, Missouri. "I don't really think it's that big of a deal, but I guess it is rare. I've never really seen another left-handed guy."
Humphrey has more uniqueness to his story.
Since beginning his career at the University of Oklahoma, he's been in huddles with household quarterback names: Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts, Spencer Rattler and now Patrick Mahomes. He said they're more alike than different.
"Every single one of those guys had confidence. They had really good leadership traits. And that's something you notice right away," Humphrey said. "I've been very blessed to be with the quarterbacks I've had."
Of course, if centers were a household name, Creed Humphrey would be one of them.
The Chiefs' second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft was the two-time Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year at Oklahoma.
And now he's grabbed the Chiefs' starting center job from almost day 1.
He attributes the ease of his jump to the NFL game to work he's put in on the front end.
"I think just preparation," Humphrey said. "I make sure I'm training to be the best player I can be. And I know I'm going to be fundamentally sound with what I've done in the offseason. So really it's just the preparation I take, the training I do during that time to get ready."
It's a trait that Creed honed on the football field, but also the wrestling mat. He came from a wrestling family and was a standout wrestler in high school.
Creed said wrestling obviously helps him physically in football, but more so mentally.
"You learn to be very mentally tough. You know how to handle difficult situations. You know how to persevere," Humphrey said.
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