Chiefs Deron Cherry: The Cherry Bomb! – The Kansas City Chiefs have a great record of defensive greatness. Some argue that the 1969 Chiefs defense rivaled even the Pittsburgh Steelers. They may have. I was but two at the time, so I’m unable to opine.
However, the Chiefs declined in the early seventies — offensively and defensively. Those were rough years for Chiefs fans, I imagine. I don’t know. At the time, the young (better looking me) was a fan of Fran Tarkenton and the Minnesota Vikings. I was fortunate enough to get my heart broken every other (?) January in the Super Bowl. Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers, Oakland Raiders. I know that they lost in 1969, too, but, I was too young to remember and Mr. Tarkenton was not the QB at the the time, so they don’t count!. Yet, all of them hurt.
Chiefs fans, at the time, however, after the victory over the Vikings, fared much worse. Retirements of once stalwart players, huge miscalculations in the draft, and an inability to properly handle everything else going on culminated in lackluster teams that usually failed to make the playoffs, and all too often failed to win their division.
Enter the 1980s and Mr. Deron Cherry! With Christian Okoye — the Nigerian Nightmare — their only real weapon on offense, it was Chiefs Safety Deron Cherry, along with the help of a handful of players: Pro-Bowlers DT Bill Mass, CB Albert Lewis, and DE Art Still… who took it upon themselves to keep the Chiefs, at least, mediocre. While the Chiefs offense ensured never sniffing a playoff bid, Cherry roamed and protected the defensive backfield, pushing them for greater things.
Alas! It was not to happen and there were many dark years which Chiefs fans had to endure. Though there were years they came close, greatness — like a Lamar hunt Trophy or a Lombardi Trophy — was not in the cards. We never got there.
Deron Cherry was a free agent signed safety out of Rutgers University by the Chiefs in 1981. He was released in the team’s final cut. Then he was asked back, and, low and behold, enjoyed a glorious 10-year career with us.
What a career it was! Our own “Cherry Bomb” bagged six Pro-Bowls, five All-Pros, and is enshrined in the Chiefs Hall of Fame! His fifteen career fumble recoveries place him in a three-way tie with other, former Chiefs. His fifty interceptions and 937 tackles are legendary.
I recollect watching a game (kind of — I was a teen, give me a break!). The announcer, Kevin Harlan exclaimed “Oh Baby, What a hit!” It was the Chiefs versus the Raiders (I hate the Raiders). Cherry had come across the field and laid a lick on that Raiders receiver, the likes I’ve never seen! It was beautiful. It was not the catalyst to bring me to Chiefs Kingdom (Joe Montana was)… but, I know that I did not want my team, at that time, playing them!
Although we are the Super Bowl Champions (I’ll never tire of typing those words), we have debts owed to the greats likes of Cherry and others as well. When no one else believed in this team, they did. I take my hat off to Mr. Cherry. You laid the groundwork, and I think these youngsters have got it!
Please stand down now, Mr. Cherry. Mr. Mahomes, the Honey Badger, and the rest of the gang are here. They got this!
Michael Travis Rose — ArrowheadOne
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