How Felix Anudike-Uzomah went from a lifelong Chiefs fan to

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Felix Anudike-Uzomah took a trip to this year’s draft site in his hometown of Kansas City the first day of the event just for a look. Once there, he wandered in anonymity.

“Nobody knew who I was,” Anudike-Uzomah said.

He went back the next night after the Kansas City Chiefs drafted him with the final pick of the first round, No. 31 overall, and suddenly was a star. Everybody wanted their photo taken with him. He came out onstage at Kansas City’s Union Station during the second round of the draft to a large ovation from the many Chiefs fans in attendance.

Such has been the way of Anudike-Uzomah’s career. Few people make a fuss when he first arrives, but everyone knows his name by the time he’s done.

It was that way for Anudike-Uzomah when he showed up for football practice as a skinny freshman at Lee’s Summit High School outside of Kansas City. It was that way when he showed up for college at Kansas State, which promised him only a future scholarship because its allotment for that year was gone by the time the Wildcats became interested in him.

He far outpaced expectations at each stop, and left Kansas State as a star defensive end. The difference now is that as he walks through their door for the first time, the Chiefs’ expectations for him are big.

“He had a ton of production at Kansas State,” general manager Brett Veach said. “He just turned 21, so a majority of this production was coming in a big-time conference at 19 and 20 years old, and I think every year he’s been there you can see the growth and development.

“I still think there’s a huge window for him to continue to grow and develop, and we’re…