Chiefs OL Jason 'Chu' Godrick opens up about life-changing NFL moment

Preseason Week 1 wasn't just an introduction to the NFL for one Kansas City Chiefs rookie, it was also his first-ever football game.  Jason 'Chu' Godrick was allocated to the Chiefs via the NFL's International Player Pathway Program following the 2023 NFL draft. The 22-year-old offensive lineman hails from Lagos, Nigeria, where he played basketball while growing up. He […]

Charles Goldman — NFL Managing Editor
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Preseason Week 1 wasn't just an introduction to the NFL for one Kansas City Chiefs rookie, it was also his first-ever football game. 

Jason 'Chu' Godrick was allocated to the Chiefs via the NFL's International Player Pathway Program following the 2023 NFL draft. The 22-year-old offensive lineman hails from Lagos, Nigeria, where he played basketball while growing up.

He was discovered in part through Osi Umenyiora’s “Uprise Academy." Godrick revealed to reporters during the International NFL Combine at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last October that he'd never actually played a game of organized football.

When Godrick threw on his pads and suited up his No. 72 jersey in preseason Week 1 against the New Orleans Saints, it represented that much more. 

"Words can barely express it, to be honest," Godrick told A to Z Sports after the game. "The atmosphere was definitely something I had never experienced, but I did my best to keep my head on a swivel and just play ball." 

Keeping his head on a swivel and playing ball was exactly what he did too.

Godrick played 20 snaps at right tackle with the fourth-string unit on Sunday and in 14 pass-blocking snaps, he didn't allow a single pressure, per PFF. The only blemish on his entire night was an offensive holding penalty on a two-yard run from Jerrion Ealy. 

Not bad at all for the rookie, all things considered.

If he thought that Caesar's Superdome was an experience, just wait for the greeting that fans will give him and the rest of the team when they return to Arrowhead Stadium in preseason Week 3. 

Godrick took to Twitter (X) after the game to further emphasize what it was like to play in his first NFL game. He also gave the Chiefs Kingdom a glimpse of his mindset.

"Playing my first game was amazing," Godrick wrote. "Being in the NFL is (the) stuff of dreams! (I) will continue to do my best to be my best. We continue to build!"

The rookie might be a longshot to make the 53-man roster in Kansas City, but his football-playing debut couldn't have gone better. Godrick certainly has the right mentality coming out of the game, and that'll be a big part of his future development with the team. 

He’ll be eligible for an international player exemption on the practice squad with the Chiefs in 2023. With the right work ethic, maybe we'll see him playing in the regular season sooner than later.

Featured image via Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

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