Central Missouri running back asks for job with Chiefs, gets contract

As veterans arrive in St. Joe Friday, it’s a Chiefs unknown who is stealing the early attention.

On Thursday, the club announced that it has signed Central Missouri running back LaVance Taylor to get back to the offseason roster max of 90. “He (told me) Twitter is a big connection, a big social media”.

That’s the lesson LaVance Taylor is sharing after the undrafted running back from the University of Central Missouri was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday one day after sending a link to his YouTube highlight video to the team via Twitter on Wednesday.

“The person that’s in front of me, I’ve looked up to him”, Taylor said.

The Chiefs need another running back to get through training camp after releasing Cyrus Gray and losing Keshawn Hill, at least temporarily, with a sore hamstring.

This has the makings of a story written in Hollywood.

Taylor couldn’t believe it, hopping back on Twitter to express his shock and sheer joy.

“Actually, I was about to take a nap”.

From his account, @LaVance_TCT came this request: “hey my name is LaVance Taylor and I am now a free agent and I wanted you to check me out”. “My agent called me, then the (general) manager called me and I was here in about an hour”.

On Saturday afternoon’s practice, Taylor will be joined by Knile Davis, Anthony Sherman, Spencer Ware, Charcandrick West and his childhood hero, Jamaal Charles.

A longtime Chiefs fan, Taylor was delighted when two months later, he heard his favourite NFL group on the opposite line when he picked up the telephone. “I know it’s going to be a challenge, I’m ready for it, that’s what comes along with being in the NFL”.