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Among the Bengals and Chiefs are two pairs of good friends. Wallace Gilberry played for the Chiefs from 2008-2011 and considers Kansas City's star running back, Jamaal Charles to be among his best friends. "Come Sunday, that's a totally different story," Gilberry joked this week. A.J. Green is the other Bengals player to call a Chiefs player his good friend. Justin Houston, the Chiefs' pass rushing threat was in Green's wedding party this summer and earlier this week, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis expressed his knowledge of their friendship.
This will also be Travis Kelce's first time playing at Paul Brown Stadium since being drafted in the third round of the 2013 NFL draft out of University of Cincinnati. Here are the rest of the Bengals' and Chiefs' player and coaching connections.
Bengals with Kansas City area connections
- Bengals LB Emmanuel Lamur played at Kansas State. Lamur was a two-time captain for the Wildcats during his time at K-State.
- Bengals special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons played from 1993-95 and coached in 1996 at Kansas University and is from Elkhart, Kansas.
- Bengals rookie DT Marcus Hardison (2011-12) spent two seasons at Dodge City Community College in Dodge City, Kansas.
Chiefs with Cincinnati area connections
- Chiefs TE Travis Kelce played at the University of Cincinnati from 2008-12; he was teammates with Bengals P Kevin Huber for one season in 2008.
- Chiefs LB Justin March played at Akron.
- Chiefs G Jarrod Pughsley is from Lima, OH. and played at Akron.
Bengals who were Chiefs
- Bengals DE Wallace Gilberry played for the Chiefs from 2008-2011.
- Bengals OT Eric Winston played for the Chiefs in 2012.
- Bengals TE Coach Jonathan Hayes played with the Chiefs from 1985-1993. Hayes’ 1,541 receiving yards are the fourth-most receiving yards among TEs in Chiefs history. Hayes started six of the seven postseason games he played in during his nine seasons in Kansas City.
Chiefs who were Bengals
- Chiefs RBs coach Eric Bieniemy played for the Bengals from 1995-1998. Bieniemy ran for six rushing touchdowns in his four seasons in Cincinnati.
Former teammate/coach connections
- Cincinnati K Mike Nugent (2005-08) kicked for the Jets while Chiefs DE Mike DeVito (2007-12) was a member of the squad for two seasons. Chiefs Defensive Coordinator Bob Sutton (2000-2012) also served the same role for the Jets during that two-year period.
- Cincinnati S Reggie Nelson (2007-09) played his first three seasons in Jacksonville while Kansas City Offensive Line Coach Andy Heck (2004-12) served as the offensive line coach of the Jaguars.
- Chiefs DB Ron Parker (2011) and S Tyvon Branch (2008-14) played under Bengals Offensive Coordinator Hue Jackson (2011) during Jackson's tenure as the Oakland Raiders Head Coach. Branch was also a teammate of Bengals DT Pat Sims (2013-14) in Oakland.
- Chiefs Defensive Backs Coach Emmitt Thomas (1999) was the Defensive Coordinator for the Green Bay Packers during the period that Bengals Quarterbacks Coach Ken Zampese (1999) was an Offensive Assistant in Green Bay. The previous year, Zampese (1998) was an Offensive Assistant Coach in Philadelphia while Chiefs Assistant Defensive Backs Coach Al Harris (1998-2002) was a rookie cornerback for the Eagles.
- Bengals Wide Receivers Coach James Urban (2004-10) spent time coaching various roles on offense in Philadelphia during the time Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid (1999-2012) and several other Chiefs coaches were on the Eagles staff; WR Jeremy Maclin (2009-14) and WR Jason Avant (2006-13) played for the Philadelphia franchise during Urban's time with the Eagles.
- Cincinnati Defensive Backs Coach Vance Joseph (2005-10) was the Assistant Defensive Backs Coach before being promoted to Defensive Backs Coach for the San Francisco 49ers when Kansas City QB Alex Smith (2005-12) played in San Francisco.
- Bengals Defensive Backs Coach Mark Carrier (2010-11) assisted with the defensive line for two seasons with the New York Jets during part of Chiefs DE Mike DeVito (2007-12) and LB Josh Mauga's (2009-13) stints in New York. Carrier (2006-09) went on to serve as an Assistant Coach with the Ravens when Chiefs G Ben Grubbs (2007-11) played on the line for Baltimore and Bengals Offensive Coordinator Hue Jackson (2008-09) served as an Assistant Coach. Kansas City Offensive Line Coach Andy Heck (1999- 2000) also played alongside Carrier (2000) for one season while the two were on the Washington roster. And, with them in Baltimore, Bengals Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach Jeff Friday (1999-07) served as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Baltimore Ravens.
- Several members of the Bengals and Chiefs played together during their time at the University of Georgia: Bengals DT Geno Atkins (2006-09), G Clint Boling (2007-10), WR A.J. Green (2008-10) and S Shawn Williams (2009-12) played with Chiefs LB Justin Houston (2007-10) and QB Aaron Murray (2009-13) while Chiefs rookies WR Chris Conley (2011-14) and LB Ramik Wilson (2011-14) were teammates of Shawn Williams for two seasons together.
- Cincinnati WR Mohamed Sanu (2009-11) and TE Tyler Kroft (2011-14) played their college ball at Rutgers with Chiefs CB Marcus Cooper (2008- 12).
- Bengals DE Carlos Dunlap (2007-09), Chiefs WR Frankie Hammond Jr. (2009-12) and DT Jaye Howard (2007-11) were teammates at the University of Florida.
- Chiefs LB Dee Ford (2009-13) and Bengals rookie TE C.J. Uzomah (2011-14) were teammates at Auburn for three seasons together. Ford and Uzomah were members of the 2013 Auburn team that fi nished runner-up in the BCS National Championship Game.
- Chiefs WR Jason Avant (2002-05) and Bengals CB Leon Hall (2003-06) were teammates at Michigan for three seasons together.
- Kansas City WR De’Anthony Thomas (2011-13) and Bengals rookie T Jake Fisher (2011-14) were both members of the highly-successful Oregon Ducks offense for three seasons together. Fisher and Thomas won the 2013 Alamo Bowl, 2