There were several larger-than-life personalities tied to the Kansas City Chiefs’ win at Super Bowl LVIII. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce wanted to shine the spotlight on one hidden hero who helped deliver the Lombardi Trophy to K.C.
The San Francisco 49ers’ decision to receive the ball first in overtime during last week’s Super Bowl has been scrutinized to death at this point. The Niners scored a field goal in their first OT possession, which granted the Chiefs final say in the 25-22 victory at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The revamped overtime rules added a whole new dimension of strategy which has yet to be fully dissected. With the 2024 season still months away, the polarizing debate will likely wage on until the next time a team has to make a similar call.
The Chiefs were more than prepared to make the call last Sunday.
Travis Kelce Credits Kansas City Chiefs’ Unsung Hero After Super Bowl OT Win
In a recent episode of the Kelce brothers’ New Heights podcast, Travis made sure to shout out Chiefs Statistical Analysis Coordinator Mike Frazier for keeping Kansas City up to speed for any OT scenario.
“My guy Mike Frazier,” Kelce said on his New Heights podcast, via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “He’s the one that goes through all these scenarios, all these big-time situations, end of half, end of game, rule changes, he comes up and stands in front of the team, and when he comes in front of the team everyone yells, ‘Fraaaaz!’”
Kelce detailed that Chiefs head coach Andy Reid constantly allotted time during team meetings to let Frazier brief the team on various scenarios and relevant rules– including for the NFL’s revamped OT. Kelce added that the team went through the overtime rules “3 to 4 times in a 2-week span.”
Kansas City Chiefs’ Mike Frazier Was The Unsung Super Bowl Hero For Travis Kelce
Frazier’s job was more than just keeping the team in the loop regarding rules. According to Kelce, the longtime Chiefs staffer would rigorously go through various scenarios to make sure the team was always prepared to make informed decisions at any point in the playoffs — no matter the time, downs, or score.
The Chiefs lost the coin toss before last week’s overtime, which put the onus on the 49ers to decide. But the team knew exactly how to attack once they forced San Francisco into a field goal on their ensuing OT possession.
The Chiefs methodically went through their drive and ended up with the now-iconic TD that sealed their Super Bowl LVIII victory. Patrick Mahomes and Mecole Hardman got most of the glory for the Chiefs’ game-winning play. But Kelce believes Frazier deserved some shine as well.
