Chad Ochocinco would probably not have earned a trial with Sporting Kansas City if he was just some dude that used to play high school soccer and not a NFL wide receiver with some time to fill, but that doesn’t mean he’s taking the trail for granted. After his first day in training, Ochocinco was saying all the right things.
Humble Chad Ochocinco Seems To Be Taking Sporting Kansas City Trial Seriously
“I’m trying to get my touch back,” Ochocinco told assembled media on Wednesday. “The only thing I’m really good at is being fast as hell, that’s about it right now. When you play this game, you need skill and that skill takes a long time to perfect.
“I’m not taking anybody’s job here, it’s not about that. I’m just trying to make the transition from football to futbol. This is something I’ve always wanted to do...it has always been my No. 1 sport.”
This is obviously not about money for Ochocinco, as he claims he’d be willing to play for free. Listening to him talk, he seems to have an honest passion for the game and is doing his best to pay the proper respects to the situation.
Peter Vermes, the SKC general manager and coach, also seems to be taking a realistic approach. He’s treating Ochocinco pretty much as he would treat any trialist, save for the media attention.
“Normally, we bring guys in for a week’s training,” Vermes said. “If we like what we see, we’ll continue to keep him around and then the idea would be to sign him to a contract. That’s the ultimate goal, but at the end of the day, he has to perform.
“I always considered this from the beginning that it’s a longshot. We get trialists all the time, but they are always longshots. That’s why they’re trialists. If they were good enough, we’d sign them to a contract then. There have been guys to come in with lesser physical tools than he has.”
But if Ochocinco does make the team, and even finds his way onto the pitch, it would probably be must-see TV. Ochocinco promises an epic goal celebration.
“I don’t think I’ll be in position to score a goal, but if it gets to that point, I’d imitate Will Ferrell from Talladega Nights when he was on fire. I’d be running around with nothing on except my undies and cleats.”
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