Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce found themselves unexpectedly pulled into a headline that raised more than a few eyebrows this week-though it had nothing to do with football. Former North Texas quarterback Damon West, who has since become a motivational speaker after turning his life around, called out the Daily Mail for what he described as a sensationalized headline tied to a recent article about his journey.
The headline referenced West’s troubled past, using phrases like “meth addict,” “inmate for life,” and “gang lord.” West responded on Instagram with a mix of humor and critique, posting a screenshot and writing, “The Daily Mail is unmatched for sensational headlines 🤣 This story is actually good, though.
The writer took the time to read Six Dimes and a Nickel before he interviewed me. That’s a big win for me in this process.”
The context behind all this? Two months ago, West was invited by Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid to speak to the team following their Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
West spent 45 minutes with the locker room, sharing his powerful story of redemption. Mahomes and Kelce were both in the room, listening as West detailed how he went from a promising college quarterback to a convicted felon, and then to a man who rebuilt his life from the inside out.
It wasn’t just a one-off talk, either. Kelce invited West to stick around afterward and watch “Happy Gilmore 2” with the team-a movie in which Kelce himself made a cameo appearance. Reid also opened the doors wider, letting West sit in on an offensive meeting and even offering to help connect him with other NFL coaches who might benefit from hearing his message.
West’s backstory is the stuff of movies. Once a talented college QB, he fell into meth addiction and became the leader of a burglary ring in Dallas.
In 2008, he was arrested and later sentenced to 65 years in prison. But behind bars, he got sober, found purpose, and eventually began sharing his story to help others avoid the same path.
Meanwhile, on the field, the Chiefs are dealing with their own early-season drama. In the wake of a 27-21 loss to the Chargers in their season opener, head coach Andy Reid didn’t mince words about a controversial moment involving his star tight end.
During the game, Chargers defensive tackle Teair Tart slapped Kelce in the helmet during a tense moment. Tart was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct but avoided ejection since the league ruled the hit came from an open hand rather than a closed fist. Reid wasn’t buying that explanation.
“I don’t understand that rule,” Reid said Tuesday. “I don’t know what their decision was on that. But he definitely got hit in the head pretty hard, whether it was an open fist or a closed fist.”
Kelce still made his presence felt, finishing with two catches for 47 yards and a touchdown. But the Chiefs also took a hit beyond the scoreboard-rookie wideout Xavier Worthy suffered a dislocated shoulder in the loss.
It’s the second time in three years that Kansas City has dropped its season opener, but if history tells us anything about this team, it’s that they don’t stay down for long. Mahomes and company have made a habit of turning early adversity into late-season dominance, and while the 2025 campaign hasn’t started the way they hoped, there’s no shortage of belief in that locker room.
With a motivational voice like West’s in their corner and a fiery head coach who has their back, don’t count the Chiefs out just yet. They’ve been here before-and they know the road back to the Super Bowl is never easy, but always worth the fight.
