Chiefs Darwin Thompson, Is the Fittest

 

 

 

 

 

“Charles Darwin, thank you, because,

I am the fittest, and I have survived.”

– Darwin Thompson

 

 

Oh, the dichotomy. Chiefs new RB Darwin Thompson believes everything that’s happened to him is part of God’s plan and… he recognizes his namesake is, Charles Darwin, the father of evolutionary theory and the origin of the species. One thing is for certain, the Chiefs Darwin Thompson, IS the fittest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thompson can perform a squatting-dead-lift three and a half times his own weight. BTW, dead-lifting means “without the use of a bench or other equipment” and is a much more difficult lift in the weight room because of the balance involved and the lack of support from other equipment. You should also know that the Chiefs will likely not be asking Thompson to be doing much deadlifting because if the back does not remain straight throughout the process it can be damaging and dangerous. In any event, this shows just how amazingly strong Darwin Thompson is.

 

 

 

So, if Thompson is so great, why did the Chiefs wait until the 6th round to draft him? The answer to that comes by understanding Darwin Thompson’s journey which began with the Jenks Trojans, at Thompson’s High School in Tulsa Oklahoma:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although Thompson started out as a backup running back, he eventually took over the starting position and according to UtahStateAggies.com Darwin,

 

 

“Helped the Trojans capture the Class 6A-I state championship with a 21-14 victory over Union HS as he had 13 carries for 144 yards, including a 51-yarder in the second quarter that set up his team’s go-ahead touchdown.”

 

 

Starting out as the backup was a theme in Darwin Thompson’s career as he went on to first play Junior College ball at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College in Miami, Oklahoma (receiving National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) 2nd-team All-America honors) and then at Utah State where he also started out as the backup then went on to star for the Aggies but finished on the 2nd team All-Mountain West Conference, to RBs Nico Evans, of Wyoming and Alexander Mattison, of Boise State.

 

 

 

 

This “second-team” theme has followed Darwin Thompson all the way to the NFL and now we’ll see if he can bust out and fight his way into a starting role with the Kansas City Chiefs? So, why has he had to “come from behind” so many times? Perhaps it’s his size: 5-foot-8 and 200-pounds. In the NFL they say, “size matters” but, not to Darwin Thompson. He has pointed out that he is the same size as Mr. Barry Sanders, who, in my humble opinion, may be the GOAT at running back… the best in the history of the game.

 

 

 

Darwin Thompson was a “snub” by the NFL Combine so he had to show up and show out at his Pro Day. Which, he did. From SBNation:

 

 

 

“… at Utah State’s pro day, where he put together a 4.50- second 40-yard dash, ripped off a 39-inch vertical leap (which would have been third-best among tailbacks at the combine), a 10’6 broad jump (fifth-best), and put his blocking potential on display by cranking out 28 reps on the bench press at 225 pounds (second-best).”

 

 

 

 

So, do you know what Darwin Thompson said about his Pro Day Performance? “I don’t know what it was about being back in Logan, Utah, but everything was a little off. It was a good day, but not my best day.” Now, that may be one of the big reasons why Thompson didn’t get picked earlier in the draft. However, I can’t help but believe that it may come back to his diminutive proportions. Then again, his performance was apparently not ignored by Chiefs area scouts:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pro Football Focus speaks of Darwin Thompson in glowing terms, “… the most dangerous receiving threat out of the backfield to come out of college football this spring” and Bill Connelly of SBNation says of Thompson,

 

 

 

“… [he] might be the most valuable back here… dubbing him a Rudi Johnson All-Star, invoking the former Bengals back who also played only one year of FBS football after a star-building turn in junior college.”

 

 

 

A one year wonder? That may be but, if he turns into half the RB that Barry Sanders was, the Chiefs would probably be thrilled. So, what are Darwin Thompson’s strengths and is he a fit for Andy Reid’s offense? Here’s Darwin Thompson on his own journey and fit:”

 

 

 

“When I got to Utah State, it was the same offense that the league [the NFL] is really transitioning into — the spread. I think you’ll see a lot more value in the running back position as that gives running backs more running lanes; even more in the NFL with the hashes being so close. Just imagine Barry Sanders in today’s offense. He would kill the game. That’s what I plan on doing.”

 

 

 

Thompson says his best skills are out in space when he can use his moves to burn the first man. Does that sound like anyone’s offense you’ve heard of before? Andy Reid was probably pounding the table for this RB and while I do expect Darwin Thompson to be utilized on passes in the flat, and on Jet Sweeps, he likes to run between the tackles too, and as he puts it, “[I] see the obstacle before it comes, just in case this happens…. There’s not much to tackle. You can’t tackle me in a phone booth.” Now, it looks like his being paired with HC Andy Reid is a round peg and round hole. IOW… a fit as good as a fit could get:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sure, Darwin Thompson having only one excellent year at Utah State is a concern just like it is for any college QB who only gives you one good year to look at (think Mitch Trubisky or Dwayne Haskins or Kyler Murray). Again, from SBNation and Bill Connelly,

 

 

 

“Thompson got almost no attention and appears to rank in the teens in most publications’ RB prospect lists. It only takes one team to fancy you, though I’m wondering which team will unearth this potential gem. His red flags are obvious, but he couldn’t have possibly proven more in his lone FBS season than he did. He’s the most fascinating name here for me, especially because of his potential back-of-the-draft value.”

 

 

 

Now, let’s take a look at some of Darwin Thompson’s skills in action:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Darwin Thompson may not be the next Barry Sanders, or even half the half-back he was, but I sure like his attitude coming into the Chiefs minicamp. He said, “I’ll always keep that chip on my shoulder, but I don’t do it so much for the people that doubt me – it’s more for the people that are inspired by me.” Being the most “mentally fit” is how you become “the fittest” anyway, right?

 

 

 

It’s clear that the Chiefs have brought in players this offseason, like Darwin Thompson, who will bring about a positive “culture change.” Hopefully that will also assist them to do more than go around singing, “I WIll Survive”… and instead help them learn to belt out, “We Are the  Championships.” That’s the general idea anyway… isn’t it?

 

 

 

Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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