KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs’ only first-half scoring drive in Thursday’s preseason finale against the Chicago Bears was just another Carson Steele showcase.
Steele, the undrafted rookie from UCLA with an epic football name and a pet alligator back home in Indiana, bulldozed his way 18 yards on the first snap then rumbled and raced 32 yards for a touchdown on the second snap.
“It’s a blessing,” Steele said of scoring a touchdown for the Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. “That’s the first word that comes to mind, especially hearing the screams and stuff like that. Even though it wasn’t fully packed out, it was just awesome.”
Until it wasn’t.
Steele’s touchdown was reviewed and overturned. He was pushed out of bounds inside the 1-yard line.
“I was hurting for a second,” Steele said. “It was tough.”
But he also was determined.
“I was breathing hard, but I knew being on the goal line and stuff like that it’s my go-to,” Steele said. “... I was definitely going to be mad at the QB if he tried to pull it on me.”
Sure enough, coming out of the replay review, the ball went to Steele one more time and — as he has throughout training camp and during Kansas City’s three preseason games — he delivered.
Steele plowed in from a yard out, accounting for all 50 yards on the three-play touchdown drive.
He finished the preseason with 11 carries for 87 yards and also flashed as a kickoff returner, including a 29-yard return in the preseason finale.
Steele also had a tackle on the opening kickoff — one of three he’d finish with against the Bears.
“It was awesome,” Steele said. “I didn’t want to tell the coaches, but that’s my first tackle since like freshman year of high school or middle school. But it was really awesome and a great opportunity, but I need to work on my form a little.”
Before training camp, Steele was far from a lock to make the team, but he tried to steadily improve day after day and accept any challenge the coaches gave him.
“Undrafted guy coming into a two-time champ team, you really don’t know what to think,” Steele said.
Now, Steele, who ran for 847 yards with six touchdowns and caught 17 passes for 163 yards with two more scores in his only season with the Bruins last season, feels like a lock to make Kansas City’s opening day roster.
“I really do hope I showed them what I can do,” Steele said.
He’s come a long way since emerging as a star at Ball State, where he rushed for 891 and six touchdowns as a freshman in 2021 then racked up 1,556 yards and 14 TDs as a sophomore a year later.
The only question now is whether he can find a residence in the Kansas City area where he can keep “Crocky J,” the aforementioned pet alligator.
“Hopefully, Kansas lets me have him out,” Steele said. “That’s been a goal of mine.”
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