By Evan Rosen
When dawn arose in Kansas City on Saturday morning, all was well and normal in a town known for its beloved Chiefs. But around 9:00 AM CST, an unthinkable tragedy took place at Arrowhead Stadium, the home of the Kansas City Chiefs football team.
Chiefs’ linebacker Jovan Belcher, a well-respected young player, shot and killed his 22 year-old girlfriend (Kasandra Perkins) at their home outside of Kansas City and later drove to the Chiefs’ facility.
Once he arrived at Arrowhead Stadium, he was greeted by his head coach Romeo Crennel and General Manager Scott Pioli, who had been aware of the incident due to a phone call from KC police.
Both Crennel and Pioli pleaded Belcher to end the violence and to put down the gun that he was carrying, and Belcher replied by thanking both people for the opportunity he had playing for the Chiefs.
After these remarks, Jovan Belcher committed suicide in front of his head coach and GM, stunning the Kansas City community and players across the NFL. Despite public outcry over cancelling the game, the Chiefs took the field on Sunday afternoon and defeated the Carolina Panthers 27-21.
The game became dedicated to the life of Jovan Belcher. While his death still remains a mystery to many, Belcher will be sorely missed by players throughout the NFL who knew him and respected his intense, fierce style of play at middle linebacker.
