Kansas City Chiefs' Nigerian IPP player Chukwuebuka Godrick talks to ESPN about the team's post-Christmas resurgence to the Super Bowl, Taylor Swift's positive influence, and what he's learned from the team's superstars so far.
Chukwuebuka Godrick, more casually known as Chu, is entering his second year with the Kansas City Chiefs since signing on as an NFL International Player Pathway player last season, and he's soaking up every moment.
The Nigerian offensive tackle, who only picked up American football in his late teens after being spotted at a basketball camp in Lagos, has been seeing the field in preseason and told ESPN that he's enjoyed getting a behind-the-scenes view of how the Super Bowl winners operate.
Godrick said: "Last year, I couldn't have imagined I'd be where I'm at right now. This is something you write in the movies.
"I've definitely grown as a person and grown as an athlete. To be around that team, those great players, that great coach - just that great culture - it teaches you a different way of life; it teaches you to be better in everything you do."
Godrick says he was told by the Chiefs coaching staff that he helped to make his teammates better throughout the course of the season, and would be kept on for the upcoming one.
He said: "When I was in the practice squad last year, I did my best to show up and give the best look I could for the starters. Going against Chris Jones, Mike Danna, George Karlaftis day by day - it definitely made me a better player, but it was great to hear at the end of the year that I got them better and got them ready for games.
"It just goes to show that everybody on the team is important."
The Chiefs' last season appeared to be falling apart at Christmas, as they suffered their third defeat in four games with a 20-14 defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders at Arrowhead.
At the time, musician Taylor Swift was dominating the headlines for the wrong reasons, as speculation about the toll her relationship with Travis Kelce was taking, during the Chiefs' dip in form, was rife.
However, according to Godrick, this never posed a challenge for the team. Godrick claimed the support Swift brought to the Chiefs was hugely helpful on their subsequent run to the Super Bowl.
He said: "I wouldn't say it was a challenge. Taylor definitely was more helpful than anything else. She always brought great support, coming to the games - and she brought more fans to us, so it was more people supporting us, so I wouldn't say it was a challenge or nothing like that. She definitely helped the team."
Godrick credited several senior players for changing the mood in the locker room: "You know what they say, man? Pressure makes diamonds.
"It got to that point where it felt bleak and something needed to give - something needed to change. That's what happens with championship teams because that championship DNA started to show.
"Everybody came together and saw that there was somebody that needed to happen to bounce back. That Christmas game was a switch that flipped, like: what are we doing? This is not who we are. We're not playing like we know we can play."
He added: "After that Christmas game, the whole mentality of the whole team - top to bottom - changed; like I said - like a flipped switch in everybody's mind. The whole team came together and that championship DNA just showed through.
"Most definitely, the leaders of the team - they showed [the way forward] with actions more than anything from Pat [Mahomes] to Trav [Kelce] to Creed Humphrey to Joe Thuney to Trey Smith on the O-line to the defense - Chris Jones - to the receivers.
"You could tell that they felt that chip on their shoulders to come forward and show out. Not only the players, but also the head of player engagement, Ramzee Robinson - he also played a big role in reminding us of that camaraderie and that brotherhood that we all share.
"He then reminding us we're stronger together and that we have to hold onto that togetherness and that brotherhood for us to weather the storm."
There is a new IPP prospect who is grabbing the headlines at the Chiefs now - former Wales rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit. According to Godrick, the former winger and current running back is a talent worthy of excitement.
He said: "Even before his time with us, I went out to IMG to go see the new international guys and give them some words. I'd already seen the talent when I went out there. [The Chiefs are] blessed to have him sign for us - he's a great talent.
"With our great coaching staff, they found a way to use his skills to help the team. We've definitely had conversations; we've definitely talked. The international guys have got to stay together."
New York Giants great Osi Umenyiora, who played a key role in Godrick's development, acknowledged to ESPN that IPP players need more attention in order to perform at the highest level than they currently receive.
Umenyiora said: "We have to do a lot better. I think it's one thing having a situation where players go to IMG and be trained for 10 weeks and then we say: 'Hey, go on to NFL teams.'
"A lot of these guys have never played the game before and it's very, very difficult for them to make that transition and we're putting the onus on the teams, when in fact, they have other players that to be concerned about.
"In order for us to take the next step, we have to have a year-round training facility where the international players can go, they can train, they can get professional NFL coaches, college coaches and train year-round.
"I think if we're able to do that, put them in that facility, teaching them the game and give them a much better opportunity, we're going to have a better outcome for a lot of the teams."
Godrick, however, feels that after impressing in preseason last year, if he is called upon to play a regular season game this season, he will be able to hold his own.
"I actually had a really great spring. There was a big emphasis for me to come in this year and show that I'm no longer that guy that's just learning football and show how much I've grown. I feel like over the spring, I did my part to show that I've grown in the game and I can be out there playing with the guys and I feel like the coach has seen that too," Godrick said.
"I'm ready to go. Put me in, coach. I'm ready to go right now!"
The Chiefs lost their first preseason game 26-13 to the Jacksonville Jaguars, their second 24-23 to the Detroit Lions and their third 34-21 to the Chicago Bears.
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