KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr. said rapper Nelly asked him for a jersey before Sunday’s AFC Divisional game, but he wasn’t expecting what happened next.
Nelly performed a set at halftime during the Chiefs’ improbable 42-36 overtime comeback win against the Buffalo Bills and rocked Hardman’s jersey for the performance.
“Me and Nelly actually, I’m cool with him,” Hardman said. “He’s a good person. He hit me up before and asked if he could get a jersey.”
Hardman went to the pro shop to snag one for him.
“He came by and got it and everything,” Hardman said. “I signed it and everything.”
Nelly, whose given name is Cornell Haynes Jr., was born in Texas, but he moved to St. Louis as a teenager and graduated from University City High School.
St. Louis is also where Nelly’s rap career took root before blowing up with the release of his debut album, “Country Grammar,” in 2000.
From 2000-04, three of Nelly’s albums, including Nellyville (2002) and Suit (2004), reached No. 1 on the U.S. charts. Another album, Sweat (2004), peaked at No. 2, while Brass Knuckles reached No. 3 in 2008.
He’s also had four No. 1 singles, including “Hot in Herre” (2002) and “Shake Ya Tailfeather” (2003).
“It was cool for him to rock that jersey like that,” Hardman said. “... That was pretty dope for him to do that. I’ve got to actually tell him that was dope. I didn’t know he was going to do all that.”
Even more dope, Hardman scored a touchdown on a 25-yard run in the third quarter after Nelly’s performance. He finished with 26 yards receiving and 31 yards rushing in helping Kansas City advance to a fourth straight AFC Championship Game.
