Getty The Kansas City Chiefs have signed former Kansas Jayhawks edge rusher Azur Kamara.
It feels like Chiefs Kingdom has been clamoring for another edge rusher all offseason and general manager Brett Veach did finally sign one on July 26 — only he did not go the veteran route.
NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero reported on the addition of former Dallas Cowboys defensive end and “Hard Knocks” star Azur Kamara.
If you happened to watch the 2021 season of the aforementioned HBO docu-series, Hard Knocks, you might remember the Ivory Coast native and his compelling story. If not, don’t be surprised if you quickly find yourself rooting for the 23-year-old pass rusher.
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Kamara’s Journey to Kansas City Wasn’t Easy
Spoiler alert, Kamara did end up making the cut during the final episode of the HBO drama but Dallas eventually released him after nine appearances on special teams (solid 72.1 grade and three tackles). Although things didn’t quite work out as a Cowboy, the young man’s time on the big screen did highlight his work ethic and character, and perhaps those traits contributed to this opportunity in Kansas City.
Born and raised in Abidjan, a city within the African nation of Ivory Coast, Kamara told viewers that his childhood was “tough” and “not easy” during episode two of the Cowboys’ season. There was a civil war ongoing in his country when he was young and while he admitted that he doesn’t remember much from it, the football player credited his parents with getting his family to safety.
The narrator detailed this as Guinea, where Kamara and his family spent time as refugees.
Eventually, they were able to make it to Arizona, where they settled in and adapted to the American way of life. “All I spoke was French and my native language, Mandingo,” Kamara explained to the Hard Knocks crew. “That’s why I say when I got to school I had no clue what was going on.”
Kamara joked that he’d never heard of football before coming to America, only soccer, and revealed that a coach at his school convinced him to give it a shot because of his 6-foot-4 height and length. “Just line up right here and go get the quarterback,” the coach told him, and Kamara noted that he’s been in love with the game ever since.
Needless to say, the Ivory Coast native was a natural, earning a scholarship with the Kansas Jayhawks after some time at Arizona Western. There, he logged 66 total tackles (10.5 for a loss) and five sacks.
“Everything I do, I do for my mom and dad,” Kamara voiced. “[My mother] went through so much coming from where I’m from, and it was because of her — the hard work she did — that got me to this point.”
Upon making the Cowboys roster in 2021, Kamara FaceTimed his mom who was ecstatic, to put it mildly. “You succeeded!” She proclaimed after singing and praising the Lord.
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Kamara Joins Nigerian Native
Oddly enough, Kamara is not the first African native on the Chiefs roster heading into training camp and the other will be competing with him for a roster spot.
Kehinde “Kenny” Oginni Hassan, another defensive line prospect, was born in Abakaliki, Nigeria. Like Kamara, he never thought of American football as an option until coaches at the Ejike Ugboaja Foundation sports camp in Abuja, Nigeria, convinced him.
Oginni missed the first day of rookie practice due to a blood test but has since been cleared to play.
He trained with former New York Giants Super Bowl champion Osi Umenyiora — a former Steve Spagnuolo disciple — and made an impression at the NFL’s International Player Pathway (IPP) combine in London. Oginni Hassan will try his best to emulate the Giants’ former All-Pro pass rusher in KC.
As of now, Kamara and Oginni Hassan are both practice squad candidates although the newer addition has a real shot at making this roster. Due to his special teams prowess and edge rusher promise, it’s possible the former Cowboy latches on at one of the Chiefs’ areas of need.
Their greatest competition this summer should be fellow youngsters like Mike Danna, Joshua Kaindoh, Malik Herring and Austin Edwards.