Lilja’s Loving His K.C. Return
From the Truman Sports Complex
Every player strives to help his team reach the Super Bowl.
But getting there is not the end-all and be-all. It’s winning the championship that matters.
Ryan Lilja knows. During his six seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. He was a starter in Super Bowl 41 when the Colts beat the Chicago Bears in the rain in south Florida. It was the highest of highs.
Then earlier this year, Lilja was a starter for the Colts in Super Bowl 44, when the New Orleans Saints walked away with the victory.
“It’s ten times worse to lose one,” Lilja said Thursday. “I can’t believe I even said that. It doesn’t make sense. As good as it is to win one, this last one stung, it stung more.
“I came in here and talked to Mike Clark before I signed. He’s the strength coach and came here from Seattle. The first thing he said to me is what does it feel like to lose a Super Bowl? We sat there and talked for 20 minutes about how miserable it is.”
Lilja is now part of the Chiefs, the team he broke in with as an undrafted college free agent out of Kansas State back in 2004. That year the Chiefs released him on the final cutdown before the start of the season, hoping to pass him through waivers so he could be added to the practice squad. Indianapolis claimed him on waivers and he got the chance to spend six seasons playing with Peyton Manning and going to a pair of Super Bowls.
After the loss to New Orleans, Colts GM Bill Polian said poor offensive line play was one of the reasons his team was unable to win the game.
That didn’t set well with the Indy blockers.
“”It was confusing I think to us,” Lilja said of Polian’s comments. “We felt like we played a good game. He’s entitled to his opinion; we don’t have to agree with it. I definitely didn’t.”
The only salve that works to heal his Super Bowl burn is the return to the Chiefs.
“It feels great; it took me a couple of weeks to grasp that I’m back, I’m a Chief,” Lilja said. “There were some other options, but as soon as this one presented itself, I got that old feeling that I had six years ago. It’s a special thing to be able to play in your hometown. That opportunity doesn’t happen very often.
“I’m getting married in July to a girl I went to high school with here. Her entire family is all here. We are going to be married here, we have a house here and now I’m going to be working here. It couldn’t be any better.”
I seen an article like this on arrowheadpride just a few agao and I wondered when BOB was going to give us so good Chiefs news again. He did and did better. THANKS
I think its good that almost every player that we have signed is saying AWESOME things about Pioli and Haley, thats a very good sign!!!
I agree with you gorilla fan, I read this on AP but this is a lot better written. The only reason AP is my go to site now is that i like the layout better, the frequency of new posts is astounding and theres a lot more people who comment. I use this as back up now, which is probably a poor move on my part
Arrowhead Pride for quantity and quick reporting. Bob Gretz for deep insight. i check both nearly every day.
AP at least 7-8 times a day Gretz morning and evening
Hope lilga is not done. Chiefs need him bad.
Hertx
Thats precisely it brother. Why did he get cut. For health reasons. We need insurance behind him a starter waiting in the wings ready to take his job for good.
The only bad I’ve heard of him is his size in run situations. But I think I’ve heard euough good about him during his years @ Indy to believe he has plenty of heart to make up for it.
Go Chiefs
Hometown boy does good in the big leagues & heads home to get married, start a family & play for the team he Loves.
Now that is a good bedtime story.
Good Luck to Ryan & his soon to be new family. In the meantime, Chiefs fans will benefit from his talent, heart & winning attitude.
Go Chiefs.
Great article Bob. I believe this is definitely a good corrective action by this team and this GM…to correct the unfortunate event in Lilja leaving where he belongs to go to the Colts and to correct the unfortunate FA selection of Goff without a proper backup plan in place.
I foresee 2010 as the year of “no excuses.” We have heard all the “reasons” why we haven’t succeeded the past 3 years and now many of those issues have been addressed. The leadership is giving more than lame excuses and saying strongly, “It’s not just about the team and the Right 53. It’s about the fan base too.” The confidence and patience of the loyal fan base will be rewarded. From Pioli, I’m pleased to expect more.