Draft 2024 OL Reflects on His Quiet Journey: “I Didn’t Want Kelce Seeing Me Until I Was Ready”

Kansas City, MO – July 30, 2025

It’s been over a year since Kingsley Suamataia walked into the Kansas City Chiefs’ locker room with the raw power of a second-round pick and the quiet humility of someone who knew he still had a long road ahead. Drafted in 2024 to add depth and long-term potential to the offensive line, Suamataia didn’t arrive with the fanfare of a superstar—but one teammate made his journey feel personal from day one.

That teammate? Travis Kelce.

The All-Pro tight end, now the undisputed heartbeat of the Chiefs’ locker room, had a way of making the younger players feel seen—sometimes more than they wanted. And for Suamataia, that was a problem. Not because of ego. Because of pride.

“I was only getting three or four reps at practice,” Suamataia recently admitted, looking back on his rookie year. “I didn’t want him watching me like that. I wasn’t where I needed to be. Let me get there first—then I’ll be ready for him to see who I really am.”

It wasn’t said with bitterness. It was said with respect—the kind of reverence that comes from watching one of the game’s greats work day in and day out. Kelce wasn’t just a teammate. He was a measuring stick.

Suamataia's first year wasn’t perfect. There were missed assignments, slow-footed reps, and frustrating days when the film room was harsher than the field. But there was also growth—quiet, consistent growth. The kind that doesn’t get headlines, but earns nods from coaches in closed-door meetings.

And through it all, Kelce stayed close. Encouraging. Observing. Not hovering. Just present enough to matter.

“Travis never made me feel like I had to prove something to him,” Suamataia said. “But I felt it anyway. Not pressure—just the desire to earn that look of respect.”

Now, with training camp underway for 2025, Suamataia is no longer the background figure at practice. He’s taking meaningful reps, showing confidence in his stance, and earning the kind of praise that travels fast in a building like Arrowhead.

“He’s not the same guy who walked in here a year ago,” one assistant coach said. “He’s starting to own his place.”

And for Suamataia, that place still includes Kelce—only now, he’s no longer avoiding his gaze.

“When he daps you up after a good rep,” Suamataia smiled, “that’s when you know you’re getting closer.”

Because for some young players, being drafted is the beginning. But earning the respect of a legend—that’s when it starts to feel real.