KANSAS CITY, Mo. — New Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling turned 18 in October 2012 and finally had the freedom he’d always dreamed of to honor his stepfather, Marcellus.
Up until that point, he’d been known as Marquez — pronounced “mar-KWEZ” — Valdes, but he considered Marcellus Scantling his dad.
Valdes-Scantling had wanted to change his name well before his 18th birthday, but his biological father wouldn’t grant him permission.
By the time Valdes-Scantling was old enough to legally change it himself, the college recruiting process was well underway.
“I didn’t want to miss out on any opportunities by having a different last name, where they can’t get in contact with me,” Valdes-Scantling said. “I just hyphenated it, and it kind of just stuck throughout college. Here we are today with ‘MVS’ as the name.”
He realizes his last name is mouthful, and requires lots of extra stitches on the back of an NFL jersey, but it remains a tremendously meaningful homage.
Damn my last name is long 😂 https://t.co/2NnI5Xr8zb
— Marquez V-S (@MVS__11) March 25, 2022
“My last name is hyphenated because I took my stepdad’s last name — the Scantling,” Valdes-Scantling said. “He’s been a part of my life since I was a baby. He’s my role model. That’s the person that I want to grow up and be just like. He’s done so much for me. I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you all today if it wasn’t for him. That’s why I chose to take his last name.”
Valdes-Scantling was introduced Friday via teleconference one day after he signed a three-year deal worth $30 million, which could bump to $36 million with incentives.
He visited Kansas City on Wednesday as news of the Chiefs’ blockbuster deal, which sent Tyreek Hill to Miami for a haul of draft picks, was dominating the NFL news cycle.
Valdes-Scantling, who already has spoken with Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes several times, doesn’t necessarily envision replacing Hill, but he’s excited for the chance to play in a dynamic offense with a multitude of weapons.
“We’re different players,” Valdes-Scantling said. “I was pitched on the opportunity to come in and contribute and be a part of something special. That’s what was attractive. ... Coach (Andy) Reid does a really good job of getting his playmakers the ball. With having Pat under center and Coach Reid calling those plays, I think I fit right in.”
He chose Kansas City over remaining in Green Bay or signing with New Orleans, because he believes it’s “the best place for me to do what I want to do as a player.”
Valdes-Scantling was emotional after signing with the Chiefs.
He took to Twitter, saying he “could cry real tears” after going from getting cut as a freshman from the Lakewood High School football team in St. Petersburg, Florida, to signing a lucrative second contract in the NFL.
I could cry real tears right now. I got cut from my high school team as a freshman to signing a second contract in the NFL. Never let any person place a limitation on who you can be. THANK YOU GOD!!!
— Marquez V-S (@MVS__11) March 25, 2022
“Obviously, as a freshman, I wasn’t good enough to make the team,” Valdes-Scantling said. “I had to take accountability, stop pointing the finger at everybody else and saying, ‘Oh, you’re not giving me a chance.’”
Instead, Valdes-Scantling — a Rivals and ESPN three-star prospect in high school, who initially chose North Carolina State over Cincinnati, Houston, South Florida, and Toledo among others before transferring to USF after three years — committed himself to getting better.
“Once I did that and used that as self-motivation and learned how to build that drive up in myself and not need anybody else to do it, I took that and ran with it,” he said. “I’ve been self-motivated ever since, and I think that’s paid off for me.”
Valdes-Scantling entered the NFL as a fifth-round pick from South Florida in the 2018 draft, amassing 123 catches for 2,153 yards and 13 touchdowns in four seasons with Green Bay. He showed his chops as a big-play threat in 2020, leading the league with a 20.9-yard receiving average.
